Explore hip flexor anatomy and how it relates to pelvic pain relief for athletes. See how dissection insights deepen the understanding of movement awareness for massage therapy.
It’s been a rich month of learning, and as I sit down to write, I’m reflecting on how this journey is expanding my bodywork in meaningful ways. The concept of hip flexor anatomy and pelvic pain relief for athletes has grown clearer–not just as a therapy aim, but as a doorway into deeper anatomical awareness. To visually follow how the fascia in the body interacts between the hip flexors through the abdominal muscles, wrapping around to the lower back, glutes, down through the hamstrings. The imbalance of muscle structure can create pelvic pain in athletes who are trying to perfect that balance, but get caught up in the repetitive actions of their sport or activity, creating pain patterns from previous injuries or over/under development of muscles in these repetitive actions.
This month presented a very interesting dissection class. We are not always sure what we will be walking into until a few days before class. This month was no exception as we were presented with two pelvises, and two arms. We were thankful for those donors and, of course, used this opportunity to learn some amazing anatomy. This class provided the opportunity for me to dissect a female pelvis. The internal organs were already removed, which allowed us to see the length of the psoas muscle from L3 through the pelvis. We were able to see the way the iliacus lays in the bowl of the pelvis and crosses the anterior pelvis with the psoas into the lesser trochanter of the femur. To see how much of the iliacus attaches to the inside bowl of the pelvis reemphasized the strength of that hip flexor and how it can influence the anterior tilt of the pelvis in athletes; creating pressure and imbalance in the low back, ultimately causing low back pain and/or pelvic pain.
The fellow student next to me was new and very excited to see the entirety of the hip flexor muscle group. There was a cross section cut mid-femur and we were able to open up the entire upper leg and see how those muscles attach into and along the femur and into the pelvic girdle. I kept the anatomy text open frequently to keep my orientation around the adductor muscle group and see their relationships to the pelvis and how an imbalance in right and left adductor strength can cause a shift in the pelvis. I will never stop being impressed to be able to see the upper leg in a 360 degree rotation. We were able to move the hip joint and observe how the muscles shorten and lengthen provided immediate insight into how restrictions manifest in real bodies. These kind of moments are at the heart of helping clients attain hip flexor and pelvic pain relief.
This class provided the opportunity to learn the difference between some of the fixatives used in donor preservation. “Hard” fixatives allow us to easily differentiate between muscles, making the layers very distinct. “Soft” fixatives creates a more gelatinous, soft preservation allowing the tissue to feel more “real” for palpation. Our donor was “hard” fixed and the donor on the table next to us was “soft” fixed. The students and instructor working on that donor decided it best to concentrate on the joints of their donor. They exposed the ball of the femur and the socket in the pelvis and we were able to observe and feel the sharp nubs of arthritis on the surfaces. It brought the reality of chronic joint stress and pain home, and deepened my compassion for clients who live with this persistent pain.
What continues to energize me is how each lab session expands how I view my therapeutic work. In the context of hip flexor and pelvic pain relief for athletes, I now approach my clients with greater anatomical awareness, more reined palpation skills, and a deeper empathy for the stories their bodies tell. I also must acknowledge a stirring in my heart for teaching. I had the experience this session to teach newer students what I had learned in previous dissection club sessions and pull from my knowledge of over 20 years being a massage therapist to help them grow and understand the importance of this work. I appreciate that we are all open to learning in this class. I’ve begun to ask myself: how can I share this layered knowledge with other therapists in continuing education? How can I help athletes understand that their hip flexors and pelvis are not isolated parts-but work as dynamic systems that speak to their movement, pain, and potential? How can I help clients understand that the imbalances in their body can be the cause of their pain and discomfort?
I am excited for the next class, and even more excited for how this knowledge will translate onto the massage table, movement sessions and the healing journey of my athlete clients. Stay tuned for more exploration- thank you for allowing me to bring you behind the scenes of anatomy in motion.
