If you’ve ever felt a pinching sensation in the front of your hips during squats or deep lunges, you might be dealing with something called Femoroacetabular Impingement (FAI). It’s a bit of a mouthful, but understanding what it is and how your movement patterns affect it can make a big difference in how you manage or prevent hip pain.
What Is Hip Impingement (FAI)?
FAI occurs when there’s too much contact between the ball (femoral head) and socket (acetabulum) of your hip joint. This happens because of subtle changes in bone shape or how your joint is aligned. There are a few different types:
- Cam Impingement – extra bone on the femoral head/neck.
- Pincer Impingement – extra coverage from the socket.
- Mixed – a bit of both.
This extra contact leads to irritation, pinching, and eventually pain, especially when the hip is deeply flexed (like in a squat).
How Posture and Pelvic Position Play a Role
One of the key contributors to hip impingement isn’t just bone shape—it’s how your pelvis and femur are positioned, both at rest and during movement.
1. At Rest:
- An anterior pelvic tilt (think of your pelvis tipping forward) can close down the front of the hip joint, creating less space for the femoral head to move.
- If your femur has less natural rotation available (due to structural changes like femoral retroversion), it increases the chance of the joint running out of room during certain movements.
2. During Squats and Lunges:
- When you squat, your hip moves into flexion, adduction, and internal rotation, the exact combination that can trigger impingement symptoms.
- If your pelvis can’t posteriorly tilt (tip backward) as you descend, the femoral neck may jam into the front of the socket earlier, leading to pain and a block in movement.
- This often leads to compensations like excessive lumbar flexion (rounding the lower back) or limited squat depth.
What Can You Do About It?
- Assess and retrain pelvic control – Learning how to control pelvic position (finding a “neutral spine”) can ease pressure on the hip joint.
- Modify your squat – Adjusting stance width, limiting depth, or slightly turning out your feet can help you find a more hip-friendly position.
- Build mobility where needed – Tight anterior hip structures or restricted hip capsule mobility can worsen symptoms.
- Strengthen smart – Avoid forcing painful ranges. Instead, build capacity and strength within comfortable ranges while working on control and alignment.
Final Thoughts
Hip impingement is manageable especially when you understand the relationship between structure, posture, and movement. If squats or similar movements are causing discomfort, it might not be the movement itself but how you’re doing it.
At Myocare Myotherapy, we can assess your movement patterns, address any contributing soft tissue issues, and guide you through corrective strategies to get you moving better—pain free.