Got Tight Hips? Here's Why Stretching Isn’t Solving Your Hip Pain (And What to Do Instead)

If you’ve got tight hips, feel pinching at the bottom of your squat, or find yourself constantly stretching your hip flexors just to get through the day—this one’s for you.

At Made 2 Move, we work with active people across Charleston and Mount Pleasant who want to move freely, lift confidently, and get out of pain without relying on band-aid fixes.

And we hear this line all the time:

“I think I just need to stretch my hip flexors more…”

Let’s break that myth right now.

The Stretching Trap

We’ve somehow been led to believe that stretching is the answer to everything—tight hips, back pain, muscle soreness, the works.

But if you’re dealing with pain, tightness, or pinching in the front of your hips—especially during movements like squats, lunges, or step-ups—more stretching is rarely the long-term solution.

It may feel good temporarily. It might even give you the illusion that something is “releasing.”

But the issue usually isn’t that your hip flexors are too short.

What's Really Happening in a Squat

That pinching you feel at the bottom of a squat?It’s not a signal that your hips are tight.It’s a signal that they’re compressed.

At the bottom of a squat, your hip flexors are already shortened and under load. That discomfort or tightness is often just your tissues being overloaded, underprepared, or irritated—not injured.

We explain this to patients in our Charleston physical therapy clinics all the time: Compression in the hip is normal. It happens in deep hip flexion. It’s not harmful.

But it can get uncomfortable when your tissues are in a sensitive or “hangry” state.

And no, that doesn’t mean you need an MRI.

Or surgery.

Or to stop squatting forever.

It means your body needs support, not stretching.

The Real Problem: Overload, Not Length

The sensation you’re feeling is often a product of:

• Irritated tissues

• Poor load tolerance

• Lack of strength or coordination in deep ranges

• 
  

Instead of pulling and stretching the area even more (which can sometimes irritate it further), we help our patients find movements that feel good and begin restoring strength, control, and resilience in those deep ranges.

We don’t guess—we assess. And then we build a plan that works.

Here’s What to Remember

➡️ Feeling compression or pinching in your hip isn’t automatically dangerous

➡️ Stretching might feel good, but it’s usually not fixing the problem

➡️ Strength, load tolerance, and graded exposure are the long-term solution

Next week, we’ll break down our exact 3-step process for helping patients fix their pinchy hips, plus some exercises that have made a huge difference for people we work with at our Mount Pleasant and Charleston clinics.

Until then — send this to a friend who’s always stretching their hip flexors and still frustrated.

Let’s get them (and you) moving better.

Want to know how we help active people move better without fear or pain?

Check out what our patients have to say!

At Made 2 Move, we don’t just treat injuries—we help people thrive.

We specialize in helping active adults, athletes, and fitness lovers return to the things they love — stronger than ever.

📍 Charleston Physical Therapy Clinic

📍 Charlotte Physical Therapy Clinic

➡️ Book your free discovery call today.

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