What happens when your adductors are tight?
Your adductors are the muscles on the inside of your leg that bring your leg in and they can get particularly tight and create issue in the dynamic of how you walk. This can also affect how your pelvis moves and create some issues with holding pelvic alignment and even low back issues.
How do you loosen tight adductors?
To do this technique, you’re going to use a tennis ball and you’re going to lay on the floor. This will help you to be able to lay with the tennis ball under your leg. First get into a position with your stomach facing the floor and one leg extended and your other leg bent at a slight angle to the side. You’re then going to place the tennis ball and flatten out your leg on top of it.
From there you are going to do a little bit of slight movement up and down, left and right with the leg to find the exact spot and then put pressure on it. Stay there for between two and five minutes and you are going to want to do that for each side.
If you have trouble getting into this particular position and you have a lot of hip restriction, you can place a pillow or a soft medicine ball under the hip to help prop yourself up a little bit so that your hip doesn’t have to be quite that open to get the tennis ball. Additionally if your hip is very tight, instead of using a tennis ball you could use a softball instead which is a little bit larger and your hip doesn’t have to open up quite so much.
Remember to do this stretch between two and five minutes each side for a total of four to 10 minutes, releasing your adductors.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Why do adductor muscles get so tight?
Adductors tighten from prolonged sitting, weak glutes, or pelvic imbalances. These inner thigh muscles overwork compensating for core weakness or protecting unstable joints from injury.
Tight adductors often indicate pelvic misalignment that our gentle adjustments effectively address.
What’s the safest adductor stretch?
Butterfly stretch works well: sit with feet together, knees apart, gently press knees toward floor using elbows. Hold 30-60 seconds without bouncing, breathing deeply throughout stretch.
HealthWorks ensures your pelvis aligns properly before stretching for maximum effectiveness and safety.
Can tight adductors cause back pain?
Yes, tight adductors tilt your pelvis, straining lower back muscles and joints. This altered mechanics creates compensatory patterns affecting your entire spine up through neck.
Our comprehensive approach addresses adductor tightness and related spinal issues through precise corrections.