Condition Guide
Hip Pain
Hip pain is almost always a pelvic alignment problem, not a hip problem.
What is Hip Pain?
Chronic hip pain, whether felt at the front (hip flexors), the side (greater trochanter / IT band), or the back (SI joint, piriformis), is almost always a pelvic alignment problem. The pelvis is the structural keystone of the body: it connects the spine to the legs. When the pelvis tilts, rotates, or shifts laterally, every structure attached to it is stressed. The hip joint itself is often the victim, not the cause.
Common Symptoms
- Groin or front-of-hip pain (hip flexor region)
- Side-of-hip pain or snapping hip
- SI joint pain, low back / hip junction
- Hip tightness that never seems to release despite stretching
- One hip sitting higher than the other
- Pain that worsens with sitting or first thing in the morning
The Real Root Cause
The most common structural driver is anterior pelvic tilt, where the pelvis tilts forward, compressing the hip flexors and anterior joint space while stretching the posterior chain. This creates a pattern where the hip flexors are both short AND overactive, creating the sensation of tightness even though stretching them provides only temporary relief. The fix requires posterior pelvic tilt and glute activation, not more hip flexor stretching.
How We Fix It
The Hip Alignment program corrects pelvic tilt, activates the inhibited posterior chain (glutes, hamstrings), releases the compressed anterior chain, and restores normal hip joint mechanics. The sequence matters, stretching before activating leads to temporary relief at best.
Correct anterior pelvic tilt
Posterior pelvic tilt drills teach the pelvis to sit in a neutral position, removing the compressive load on the hip flexors and anterior joint.
Activate inhibited glutes
Chronic APT inhibits the glute max and medius. Reactivating them is the most critical step in lasting hip pain relief.
Release compressed hip flexors
Once the pelvis is corrected, hip flexor release is effective and lasting, because the structural driver has been addressed.
Restore hip rotation
Internal and external hip rotation mobility is restored, reducing impingement forces in the joint.
The Fix It Program
Hip Alignment
Everything you need to correct hip pain, step-by-step video exercises, structured progressions, and the exact sequence Mike uses with clients.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does stretching my hips help temporarily but the tightness always comes back?
Because you're stretching a muscle that's overworking due to a pelvic alignment problem. As soon as you stop stretching, the pelvis returns to its tilted position and the hip flexors tighten again. The fix is correcting the tilt.
Can hip pain be caused by a leg length discrepancy?
A functional leg length discrepancy, caused by pelvic tilt rather than actual bone length difference, is extremely common and is fully addressable with corrective exercise.
Is hip labral tear the same as hip pain from posture?
Not necessarily. Many labral tears are asymptomatic and may not be causing your pain. The structural alignment approach addresses the joint mechanics that stress the labrum, whether or not a tear is present.
Written by Mike Boshnack
Certified Egoscue Therapist · Posture Guy Mike
Mike Boshnack grew up skateboarding and surfing, trained MMA, and rode road bikes competitively, before a shoulder injury put him on a path to discover the Egoscue Method. He's since helped thousands of people fix the structural root causes of chronic pain, without surgery or passive treatments.