2:43 this really helped me with obturator internus release. I’m able to workout without pain. And the mornings I feel great getting out of bed without any pain!! Thank you so so much!!!
Isn’t it fascinating how everything is connected?! I’ve never experienced anything like what I am, &after being misdiagnosed & stumping docs, I found a PT who’s amazing. These can be such sassy muscles! Lol Thanks for the great info!!!
I am so thankful to have found you! When I have pelvic muscle spasms - it’s all in this area - iliacus, soas, obturator internus, and pelvic floor. As a veterinarian, I know anatomy, but not exactly how it’s oriented in humans, and anatomy pictures of these areas and 3D orientation are hard to reconcile sometimes. I can now let my pelvic floor specialist know exactly where it hurts! Thank you so much; you’ve given me hope. ❤️ I just received my hip hook and your book, and can’t wait to get started! I’ll be looking out for future videos from you, as well. 🙏🏼
Thanks so much for sharing all of this, Justine! I am so happy for you and can't wait to hear about how much you are enjoying your Hip Hook! Please feel free to reach out to us at hello@alethasupport.com with any questions that you may have and we'd be happy to help support you. :)
YASSS! I thought I pulled my "groin" muscle. While waiting to see my PT I've been trying to read about it because the pain is so curious--- I was even pretty sure it kinda made me feel like I had to pee when it really flared up. Anyhow, looking at a skeletal picture the obturator externus matched where I felt most pain--- I googled that and your video came up and now I know for sure!!! The ball...it hurts so good!! Hopefully recovery won't be long!! Thanks for the awesome vid!!
You're welcome! We're so glad that you found this video helpful. See how addressing tension in this muscle (alongside the psoas & iliacus) helps you make improvements with the way your pelvic floor is feeling & functioning!
Wonderful! Thank you! Never felt these until a few weeks ago but the Obturator has defibrillator been talking to me and made my semitendinosous overwork-->extreme knee pain!!!
This was really cool and informative. I had a pull in my hamstring a couple years back, from doing a high kick in a low squat stance. A lot of where i feel my tension originates from that specific area, the obturator internus.
It's possible that tightness in the obturators, as well as tension in other muscles around the hips and pelvis could contribute to this issue of spasms in the pelvic floor region. It would be best for you to be assessed by a pelvic floor physical therapist to help you get down to the root cause and start improving that.
Thanks for sharing your expertise on this subject. After watching your video, I discovered that I could get a good release by standing with one foot elevated on a bench or chair. This makes it easier for me to curve my fingers around the sit bones (of the elevated leg). I can then apply gentle pulling pressure and feel a wonderful release sensation. It's like the pudendal nerve can suddenly "breathe" again, after being compressed. I feel like this could be an important part of my ongoing therapy and recovery. One question: How often could a person do this kind of release? I know you can't offer medical advice on RUclips, but just wondering what your thoughts are. Currently, I do a gentle release with fingers a couple of times per day. I always feel better afterward -- less nerve pain, less muscle tension, etc. So I'm wondering if I could do it several times a day, as long as it's gentle. Thanks for helping so many people by sharing your knowledge!
We're happy to hear that you enjoyed this video! As long as your body responds in a positive manner to the release, then feel free to do it as often as you'd like. If you were to feel very sore after releasing the area, then that's your body telling you to give it some rest before doing it again. If you are finding that the tightness continues to come back, this could be an indicator that you are simply addressing a symptom and not the true root cause. Have you ever has your hip flexors released before? The obturator internus (as well as the other hip rotators) are commonly tight as a result of tightness developing first in the iliacus and psoas (your hip flexors). You may experience more relief in the OI by releasing the hip flexors first using a tool like the Hip Hook.
@@AlethaHealth Thanks for the response. It's interesting you should mention the hip flexors. I recently started releasing the iliacus and psoas area by using one of those inflatable 4-inch balls. It seems to have eased a lot of the tightness in my hip flexors as well, which in turn has reduced my pelvic floor pain issues. The human body is such a puzzle! I'll look into the hip hook for continuing this practice. Thanks again for your insight. Your response gave me one of those "Aha!" moments. :-)
Hello, thank you for your great content. Are these muscles also important if I have mostly urinary urgency? Or are there other muscles in play? Would be great to get your opinion on that.
Thank you so so much for this video, I have so much pain in this Obturator muscle its caused me problems and injuries for years, I have double spinal fusion and so loosening off this muscle is going to really help, thanks to you. Where do I buy the hip hook from? All the best Michelle
Tension in the hip flexors and deep hip rotators like the obturator internus often go hand in hand. They are on opposing sides of the hip and get into a battle of tug of war, and they both exert and external rotation force on the femur.
I need clarification on the direction of pressure. When you demonstrated finger curl on the skleleton it looked like you were coming from posterior aspect of the sit bone and as you curled your fingers they were moving in an anterior and lateral direction. But when you demonstrated the hip hook for this it looked like it started anteriorly and moved in a posterior direction. Could you explain which direction is best to move into for working on the obturator interns? Thank you.
The goal was to show the Hip Hook and the hand working in the same directions to release the obturator internus here. The muscle originates on the posterior side of the pelvis near the sit bone and runs laterally towards the greater trochanter. When finding the obturator internus muscle near the sit bone, you will apply angular pressure in some combination of upward, anterior, and lateral pressure with either your fingers or the Hip Hook. Explore some slightly different angles and find what works best for you or others that you may be working on. Does this help?
Yes, releasing a muscle (which helps a muscle to relax) can be helpful before attempting to strengthen it. This is because a more relaxed muscle will have a greater ability to contract and therefore make the exercises more effective.
Yes mam, thank you for this information. I tried to stretch this area I believe in a pigeon stretch but my right knee is kind of stuck up in the air. I guess the more I do it the more it will loosen. The ball technique I will try as well.
Yes, continue to apply pressure to this muscle to try to help the muscle release some tension, and this should translate into some increased flexibility in your stretches over the course of time. Instead of doing a full pigeon stretch on the ground, consider trying a modified version of this stretch by performing it in a standing position (such as by placing your leg on an elevated surface like the back of your couch) or by doing a Figure 4 stretch when lying on your back.
Yes, the iliopsoas and OI are commonly tight together. The iliopsoas is typically what develops tension first, as it is the larger muscle that is used in more daily actions (i.e. sitting, walking, running, etc.). Because the iliopsoas also acts on the hip joint as an external rotator, it makes the other hip external rotators more likely to develop tension. This includes the OI, piriformis, and the other of the "deep 6" hip rotators.
Yes! At first, you'd likely want to use the Hip Hook with greater frequency (e.g. daily or at least every other day) to help the muscles learn to stay more relaxed. Over time, you'd use it on more of a maintenance schedule (e.g. 2x per week or less often) since we continue to put ourselves in positions or participate in other activities that will use the hip flexors and make them want to be tight.
Tension in the hip flexor muscles (like the psoas and iliacus) can contribute to digestive issues and constipation, etc. With that being said, you should first check with your doctor regarding what is going on with your body to help identify the root cause.
@@AlethaHealth I just got digital exam by 2 doctors and told me to wait for 2 months and come back for a check in. I do have back pain and hip pain for years though, also sometimes in tail bone, testicles hurt sometimes, and I use to get burning when I would pee, and I still dribble... so I’m wondering if it’s pelvic floor issue.
@@Cognitoman yes, it could be a great idea to visit a pelvic floor PT for this. Ask them how tension in your hip flexors and surrounding muscles is also playing a role in the tension of the pelvic floor. Here's one of our videos on this topic: ruclips.net/video/1_ITqQZFV2s/видео.html
@@AlethaHealth thank you I really appreciate it, you have no idea. Pelvic floor problems make you life a living hell, I’d rather have a missing leg sometimes
@@AlethaHealth I’ve also noticed like groin on left side kinda of in the thigh hurt and when I lift up my left leg it feels slightly weaker and gets tired faster compared to my right
Hello, I’ve had problem with my hips for years particularly on my right side and I’m trying to figure out what is going on. Last night while sitting in a bean bag (I know this might sound funny) and I noticed that when my hips were in that particular angle, when I squeezed my anus I was getting pain in the front of my hip. Is the anus connected to these muscles somehow?
Great question! The short answer is yes. The hip flexors play a huge role in the alignment of the core and pelvis. When the hip flexors are tight, they pull these areas out of alignment and cause tension in the surrounding muscles because their length-tension relationship is altered. The base of the core and pelvis are the pelvic floor muscles, plus the "deep 6" hip rotators such as the obturator internus. When the hips are tight, the pelvic floor and deep 6 muscles are also very likely to become tight. By activating your body in that position, you were squeezing lots of (probably) tense muscles and that created the pain. By releasing tension in the hip flexors and these surrounding areas, you can begin to improve this situation over time and experience less pain because your supporting muscles will stay more relaxed and hold you in a better alignment, leading to better function of your body. Does this help?
2:43 this really helped me with obturator internus release. I’m able to workout without pain. And the mornings I feel great getting out of bed without any pain!! Thank you so so much!!!
Glad it helped!
Isn’t it fascinating how everything is connected?! I’ve never experienced anything like what I am, &after being misdiagnosed & stumping docs, I found a PT who’s amazing. These can be such sassy muscles! Lol Thanks for the great info!!!
You're welcome! We're glad that you found this helpful.
I am so thankful to have found you! When I have pelvic muscle spasms - it’s all in this area - iliacus, soas, obturator internus, and pelvic floor. As a veterinarian, I know anatomy, but not exactly how it’s oriented in humans, and anatomy pictures of these areas and 3D orientation are hard to reconcile sometimes. I can now let my pelvic floor specialist know exactly where it hurts! Thank you so much; you’ve given me hope. ❤️ I just received my hip hook and your book, and can’t wait to get started! I’ll be looking out for future videos from you, as well. 🙏🏼
Thanks so much for sharing all of this, Justine! I am so happy for you and can't wait to hear about how much you are enjoying your Hip Hook!
Please feel free to reach out to us at hello@alethasupport.com with any questions that you may have and we'd be happy to help support you. :)
I have the same issue. Praying it gets better.
YASSS! I thought I pulled my "groin" muscle. While waiting to see my PT I've been trying to read about it because the pain is so curious--- I was even pretty sure it kinda made me feel like I had to pee when it really flared up. Anyhow, looking at a skeletal picture the obturator externus matched where I felt most pain--- I googled that and your video came up and now I know for sure!!! The ball...it hurts so good!! Hopefully recovery won't be long!! Thanks for the awesome vid!!
You're welcome! We're so glad the video was able to help you :)
You are amazing! You explained vividly so I could understand.
Thank you so much! We are glad this helped :)
This is so my problem. For 8 years dealing with pain and discomfort. Thank you for the info. Going to pelvic floor specialist
You're welcome! We're so glad that you found this video helpful. See how addressing tension in this muscle (alongside the psoas & iliacus) helps you make improvements with the way your pelvic floor is feeling & functioning!
Wonderful! Thank you! Never felt these until a few weeks ago but the Obturator has defibrillator been talking to me and made my semitendinosous overwork-->extreme knee pain!!!
Glad it was helpful!
This was really cool and informative. I had a pull in my hamstring a couple years back, from doing a high kick in a low squat stance. A lot of where i feel my tension originates from that specific area, the obturator internus.
We're so glad that this video helped you out! :)
Do you feel any better?
🙏 Thank you so much for educating us with such helpful information. 🌈
You are so welcome!
Thanks for the video Aletha. I was wondering if tightness in the obturator can contribute to rectal spasms/tightness?
It's possible that tightness in the obturators, as well as tension in other muscles around the hips and pelvis could contribute to this issue of spasms in the pelvic floor region.
It would be best for you to be assessed by a pelvic floor physical therapist to help you get down to the root cause and start improving that.
Thanks for sharing your expertise on this subject. After watching your video, I discovered that I could get a good release by standing with one foot elevated on a bench or chair. This makes it easier for me to curve my fingers around the sit bones (of the elevated leg). I can then apply gentle pulling pressure and feel a wonderful release sensation. It's like the pudendal nerve can suddenly "breathe" again, after being compressed. I feel like this could be an important part of my ongoing therapy and recovery.
One question: How often could a person do this kind of release? I know you can't offer medical advice on RUclips, but just wondering what your thoughts are. Currently, I do a gentle release with fingers a couple of times per day. I always feel better afterward -- less nerve pain, less muscle tension, etc. So I'm wondering if I could do it several times a day, as long as it's gentle.
Thanks for helping so many people by sharing your knowledge!
We're happy to hear that you enjoyed this video! As long as your body responds in a positive manner to the release, then feel free to do it as often as you'd like. If you were to feel very sore after releasing the area, then that's your body telling you to give it some rest before doing it again.
If you are finding that the tightness continues to come back, this could be an indicator that you are simply addressing a symptom and not the true root cause. Have you ever has your hip flexors released before?
The obturator internus (as well as the other hip rotators) are commonly tight as a result of tightness developing first in the iliacus and psoas (your hip flexors). You may experience more relief in the OI by releasing the hip flexors first using a tool like the Hip Hook.
@@AlethaHealth Thanks for the response.
It's interesting you should mention the hip flexors. I recently started releasing the iliacus and psoas area by using one of those inflatable 4-inch balls. It seems to have eased a lot of the tightness in my hip flexors as well, which in turn has reduced my pelvic floor pain issues. The human body is such a puzzle! I'll look into the hip hook for continuing this practice.
Thanks again for your insight. Your response gave me one of those "Aha!" moments. :-)
@@Brandwellian you're very welcome! Please feel free to reach out directly to us at hello@alethasupport.com if you have any other questions. :)
Hello, thank you for your great content.
Are these muscles also important if I have mostly urinary urgency? Or are there other muscles in play?
Would be great to get your opinion on that.
Yes, tension in the obturator internus could be in play, as well as other muscles like the iliacus, psoas, and other deep hip rotator muscles.
It would be best to get the opinion of a pelvic floor physical therapist or another specialist who may have additional knowledge on this topic.
Thank you so so much for this video, I have so much pain in this Obturator muscle its caused me problems and injuries for years, I have double spinal fusion and so loosening off this muscle is going to really help, thanks to you. Where do I buy the hip hook from? All the best Michelle
We're so glad the video was able to help! You can find the Hip Hook and our other products on AlethaHealth.com! www.alethahealth.com/the-hip-hook
Would this explain severely tight hip flexors? My right leg turns out and I can't lift it to step into pants etc. Tight and extremely uncomfortable.
Tension in the hip flexors and deep hip rotators like the obturator internus often go hand in hand. They are on opposing sides of the hip and get into a battle of tug of war, and they both exert and external rotation force on the femur.
I need clarification on the direction of pressure. When you demonstrated finger curl on the skleleton it looked like you were coming from posterior aspect of the sit bone and as you curled your fingers they were moving in an anterior and lateral direction. But when you demonstrated the hip hook for this it looked like it started anteriorly and moved in a posterior direction. Could you explain which direction is best to move into for working on the obturator interns? Thank you.
The goal was to show the Hip Hook and the hand working in the same directions to release the obturator internus here. The muscle originates on the posterior side of the pelvis near the sit bone and runs laterally towards the greater trochanter.
When finding the obturator internus muscle near the sit bone, you will apply angular pressure in some combination of upward, anterior, and lateral pressure with either your fingers or the Hip Hook.
Explore some slightly different angles and find what works best for you or others that you may be working on.
Does this help?
I need to strengthen this area, is this good to do before the strengthening exercise?
Yes, releasing a muscle (which helps a muscle to relax) can be helpful before attempting to strengthen it. This is because a more relaxed muscle will have a greater ability to contract and therefore make the exercises more effective.
Yes mam, thank you for this information. I tried to stretch this area I believe in a pigeon stretch but my right knee is kind of stuck up in the air. I guess the more I do it the more it will loosen. The ball technique I will try as well.
Yes, continue to apply pressure to this muscle to try to help the muscle release some tension, and this should translate into some increased flexibility in your stretches over the course of time.
Instead of doing a full pigeon stretch on the ground, consider trying a modified version of this stretch by performing it in a standing position (such as by placing your leg on an elevated surface like the back of your couch) or by doing a Figure 4 stretch when lying on your back.
is it normal to have problems with iliopsoas when you have Ol problems?
Yes, the iliopsoas and OI are commonly tight together. The iliopsoas is typically what develops tension first, as it is the larger muscle that is used in more daily actions (i.e. sitting, walking, running, etc.). Because the iliopsoas also acts on the hip joint as an external rotator, it makes the other hip external rotators more likely to develop tension. This includes the OI, piriformis, and the other of the "deep 6" hip rotators.
@@AlethaHealth could this cause your leg/foot to turn out when sitting or standing? and how many times a week would you use the hip hook? :)
Yes! At first, you'd likely want to use the Hip Hook with greater frequency (e.g. daily or at least every other day) to help the muscles learn to stay more relaxed. Over time, you'd use it on more of a maintenance schedule (e.g. 2x per week or less often) since we continue to put ourselves in positions or participate in other activities that will use the hip flexors and make them want to be tight.
What about rectum fullness ?
Tension in the hip flexor muscles (like the psoas and iliacus) can contribute to digestive issues and constipation, etc. With that being said, you should first check with your doctor regarding what is going on with your body to help identify the root cause.
@@AlethaHealth I just got digital exam by 2 doctors and told me to wait for 2 months and come back for a check in. I do have back pain and hip pain for years though, also sometimes in tail bone, testicles hurt sometimes, and I use to get burning when I would pee, and I still dribble... so I’m wondering if it’s pelvic floor issue.
@@Cognitoman yes, it could be a great idea to visit a pelvic floor PT for this. Ask them how tension in your hip flexors and surrounding muscles is also playing a role in the tension of the pelvic floor.
Here's one of our videos on this topic: ruclips.net/video/1_ITqQZFV2s/видео.html
@@AlethaHealth thank you I really appreciate it, you have no idea. Pelvic floor problems make you life a living hell, I’d rather have a missing leg sometimes
@@AlethaHealth I’ve also noticed like groin on left side kinda of in the thigh hurt and when I lift up my left leg it feels slightly weaker and gets tired faster compared to my right
This muscle is what I believe might have disabled me 21 years later and about 100 drs they can’t figure it out or release it with massage.
We're sorry to hear about what you've experienced. We hope that you give this a try and it helps you improve it yourself!
Hello, I’ve had problem with my hips for years particularly on my right side and I’m trying to figure out what is going on. Last night while sitting in a bean bag (I know this might sound funny) and I noticed that when my hips were in that particular angle, when I squeezed my anus I was getting pain in the front of my hip. Is the anus connected to these muscles somehow?
Great question! The short answer is yes.
The hip flexors play a huge role in the alignment of the core and pelvis. When the hip flexors are tight, they pull these areas out of alignment and cause tension in the surrounding muscles because their length-tension relationship is altered.
The base of the core and pelvis are the pelvic floor muscles, plus the "deep 6" hip rotators such as the obturator internus. When the hips are tight, the pelvic floor and deep 6 muscles are also very likely to become tight. By activating your body in that position, you were squeezing lots of (probably) tense muscles and that created the pain.
By releasing tension in the hip flexors and these surrounding areas, you can begin to improve this situation over time and experience less pain because your supporting muscles will stay more relaxed and hold you in a better alignment, leading to better function of your body.
Does this help?
This is what I’ve done with a ball for 15 years it won’t budge I’m begging them to go in and cut it.
We're sorry you have been struggling with this! Have you considered trying out the Hip Hook?
The chart on the wall is a distraction.
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