This one muscle causes more issues than we often realize. But because the pain and issues it often causes are “elsewhere,” we often don’t realize this nasty little culprit…
Ok…while no muscle is really “nasty” or “evil,” it is important we recognize the different roles specific muscles play in creating imbalances, compensations and injuries up and down our bodies.
And one muscle we need to pay more attention to is the TFL!
Too often we ignore the issues that can arise from a shortened or tight and overactive TFL or Tensor Fasciae Latae.
This muscle loves to try to take over for other muscles, especially our glute medius. And while often our IT Band, or sometimes even our hip flexors, get blamed, the TFL is ACTUALLY responsible for a variety of low back, hip and knee aches and pains!
The TFL – A Culprit Of IT Band, Low Back, Hip And Knee Pain!?
If you’ve ever had IT Band “issues” or IT Band Syndrome, you may want to take a closer look at your TFL.
A tight, overactive TFL can lead to increased tension on the IT Band, making it feel “tight,” and also cause irritation of the tissue between the IT Band and lateral aspect of the knee joint.
This can lead to knee aches and pains such as patellofemoral pain syndrome (this can also be called runner’s knee or jumper’s knee).
Tightness of the TFL can also restrict hip mobility and contribute to excessive anterior pelvic tilt. Both of these things can lead to hip and low back aches and pains.
And even though there is no direct connection between our TFL and ankle, guess what!?
Everything is connected!
A tight, overactive TFL has even been implicated in causing changes to ankle mobility because of how it also affects the knee joint.
Basically, if your TFL becomes tight and overactive, and you don’t address the imbalances it creates, potentially even because you are wasting time addressing “symptoms” of the problem (aka just focusing only on the point of pain), you can end up with compensations, immobility and imbalances that lead to aches, pains and INJURIES up and down your body!
What Does The TFL Or Tensor Fasciae Latae Do?
While you may be thinking, “Ok I get it. The TFL is a nasty little sucker and I need to relax and lengthen it, especially if I have any of those issues. Now just tell me how to do that!”
And I will provide you with moves below to help you do just that.
HOWEVER, it is important we understand the basic functions of this muscle so we can then be aware of when it may try to compensate during exercises and where we should be feeling the moves instead!
So what does the TFL do?
The TFL contributes to hip abduction (lifting your leg out to the side), hip flexion (bringing your knee up toward your chest) and hip internal rotation (rotating your hip to turn your toe and knee in toward your other leg).
At the knee it also contributes to tibial external rotation, which is when you turn your foot out.
And at your pelvis it assists in anteriorly tilting you pelvis, which, if the muscle is tight, can lead to excessive arching of your lower back.
Why is it important you understand these functions?
Because when you see the movements that the TFL performs, you can also start to see the muscles that may become weak and inhibited (or underactive) because your TFL is tight!
The most common muscle we need to activate, if our TFL is tight, is our GLUTES, especially our glute medius!
The glute medius is supposed to be our primary hip abductor. HOWEVER, if the TFL becomes shortened and overactive, it may restrict our glute medius from firing effectively and efficiently and even try to carry more of the load than it should.
Have you ever done Mini Band Monster Walks or Lateral Raises and really felt your hips burning?
That may be because the TFL is trying to take over for your glute medius instead of allowing it to work as it should!
So how do you avoid letting the TFL take over?
3 Moves To Help Relax The TFL And Activate Your Glute Medius:
The first step is relaxing that overactive muscle. But once you’ve relaxed that muscle, you must then make sure that you improve your mind-body connection to properly RECRUIT your glute medius to do the work it should.
That is why you need to FOAM ROLL + STRETCH + ACTIVATE!
Below is a foam rolling and stretching move for your TFL as well as an activation abduction move to strengthen your glute medius.
TFL Foam Rolling:
Relax this overactive muscle using this foam rolling move. Relaxing trigger points here may help you find relief too for a tight IT Band. Any time we hear “foam roll your IT Band” we should either focus on our lateral quad or our TFL.
To roll out your TFL, you can use a roller although a ball works best. The smaller and harder the ball, the more it will dig in. If there is too much pressure and you can’t relax while holding on the tight spot, use something softer or a roller without spikes.
Place a ball on the ground then position your body so the ball is just below and outside, or back, from your hip bone. Roll the ball around slowly to find a tight spot and then hold on any tight spots.
If you find a tight spot, hold on that spot and lift and lower your leg up and down. By lifting and lower the leg, you are flexing and relaxing the muscle, which will help loosen everything up as you hold.
As you seek out tight spots in your hip, bring the ball around front and right to the side under your hip bone. Again hold on any tight spots and even flex and relax your leg to help dig in.
You can work your way back out to the side of your hip, and even into your glutes as well, if you find any sore or tight spots. Remember you are holding and breathing to release not rolling fast back and forth over the spot.
TFL/IT Band Stretch:
I first learned this stretch when it was called the IT Band stretch, but the focus should actually be on your TFL. You may feel it all the way down the outside of that one leg even.
To do the Standing TFL or IT Band Stretch, start standing with your feet together. Then cross your left leg over your right leg. Bring the left foot over and back across until the big toe is even with the big toe of the right foot. You want your feet even so that your front leg (the left leg) is pressing the back leg (right leg) straight during the stretch.
If you struggle to balance or it is too much pressure on your knees to have your legs so tightly crossed, place the front foot a bit out in front, but make sure that you don’t bend that back knee as you hinge over to stretch.
Then reach your arms up overhead for a nice big stretch. After reaching up, hang over, reaching your arms down toward the instep of the back foot (right foot). Push your hips out to the right as you reach toward your right foot so you feel a stretch down the outside of that right hip and side. You may even feel it down your right hamstring and calf.
Hold for a breath or two. Then reach back up overhead and cross your legs the other way so your left foot is back. Again reach up overhead then reach down toward your left instep, pushing your hips out to the left. Keep alternating sides with a reach up overhead in between every time.
Try to touch the ground as you reach down while making sure to keep your legs straight.
If you really struggle to balance, you may need to stand with your feet together and not crossed over as you reach toward the outside of each foot while pushing your hips away.
The key is really pushing that hip out to the side. You can even change things up reaching overhead and even slightly back with the arm on the same side as the hip you are pushing out to the side.
3-Way Seated Abduction:
To target both the anterior and posterior fibers of the glute medius and make sure it is strong and activated from a variety of different angles, the 3-Way Seated Abductions is a great move to use before your workout. In our workouts, and even daily life, we need our glute medius to fire effectively with our body in a variety of positions, it is important we also do work to activate it with different degrees of hip flexion!
Also, if you feel your TFL only taking over during one position, you can make note of that positioning and even roll right prior to that version. You can even use the other two first to make sure your glute medius is fully firing before you get to that variation.
And while your TFL assists with hip flexion, sitting with your hips flexed where your TFL isn’t necessarily trying to flex more (aka relaxed because the bench is supporting you), say unlike standing where you may try to bend at the hips, may even help you prevent your TFL from taking over!
To do 3-Way Seated Mini Band Abductions, place the mini band right below your knees and sit on a bench. Start by sitting toward the front of the bench so you can lean back and put your hands on the bench behind you. Place your feet about hip-width apart.
Then press your knees open against the band as you lean back. Your feet may rock open but focus on using your glutes to press the band open with your knees. Do not let your knees cave in as you come back to the starting position. Complete all reps then move to sit up nice and tall.
Sitting nice and tall repeat, pressing out with your knees so you feel your glutes working. After completing all reps, lean forward and repeat the movement. You can hold on the bench outside your legs to lean forward or just lean over even lightly resting your arms on your legs.
Complete all reps in each of the 3 positions. Make sure you’re really focused on pressing your knees out to feel your glutes while controlling the band back in. To reduce tension, you can start with a lighter band or put your feet slightly closer together, but make sure there is tension on the band even in that starting position.
Don’t Just Go Through The Motions – Form Tweaks That Help Activate Your Glutes:
Now that you know this nasty little sucker is out there causing issues, and even have some good ideas of how to start dealing with those aches and pains, I do want to remind you that doing the “RIGHT” moves isn’t enough if you don’t feel the CORRECT MUSCLES WORKING!
That is part of the problem!
We do these abduction moves and our TFL tries to take over. Heck…it doesn’t try…we LET IT!
So doing more abduction moves for your glute medius can backfire if you aren’t feeling the right areas working. And simply having the move “look right” and performing a proper movement pattern, doesn’t mean you have a proper recruitment pattern.
As you do these moves, or any moves for that matter, make sure you FEEL THE RIGHT MUSCLES WORKING!
You want to use activation moves where your focus isn’t on lifting more to establish that mind-body connection so when you go lift heavy or run, those proper recruitment patterns are AUTOMATIC!
Assess where you feel working and tweak or change moves until you know that your glute medius is actually firing and your TFL isn’t just taking over.
Add in an extra round of foam rolling during your workout if you start to feel your TFL working. Reduce the loads or resistance you are using if you’re fatigued and compensating.
Or make small tweaks to even those activation moves to help prevent your TFL from taking over!
So what are some tweaks you can make? And how can you help yourself know that your glute medius is firing?
First, to help yourself focus on using your glute medius during abduction moves….
You need to know where you should be feeling it, right?
Place your pointer finger on your hip bone and your thumb back along the top side of your butt.
Where your thumb is?
Well that is where you want to feel those moves! Focus on feeling under your thumb working to start!
Now in terms of tweaking moves?
While your TFL assists with hip internal rotation, it also assists in external tibial rotation.
Often when people say they feel their hips during Monster Walks or lateral raises, you’ll notice their toes/feet start to rotate out.
By instead INTERNALLY rotating their foot, or turning their foot down and in, while the TFL does engage to internally rotate the hip, it sort of “keeps the TFL busy” during the lateral raises or abduction moves so the glute medius can act as the prime mover for those movements.
(In the picture above, the left shows external rotation vs. internal rotation on the right. You would want to set up like on the right and maintain that position through the lateral raise. It doesn’t have to be extreme internal rotation, just think slightly lead with your heel).
You can also often help engage that glute medius better by kicking slightly BACKWARD as you lift to the side. This prevents the TFL from flexing the hip and instead puts the hip in extension.
(Notice in the left picture I lift straight out to the side versus the right where I kick slightly backward as I raise out to the side. And SIDE NOTE: Especially if you are doing these for reps or adding a mini band, place your hands on a wall or something in front of you to balance. It also helps prevent you from rocking and engaging your lower back!)
Form, while important, isn’t this one solid thing we make it out to be! Try different body positions and tweaks to moves so YOU can establish that mind-body connection. Then start using variations from there as you gain more and more control!
Ready to prevent and alleviate lower back, hip and knee aches and pains?
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Brilliant article! Makes sense!! Now I’m totally inspired to get rolling!! Thanks for sharing this.
Yes yes yes!!! This muscle had caused me so much pain for 8 years before I basically figured it what was causing it with my own research and thanks to following you!!. Now working my butt off to try and correct 8 years of compensation 🙁 some days are discouraging. Thanks for posting this. You understand the body so well!
Your timing is impeccable. I recently managed to tweak my left TFL somehow, I think.
It is evil for sure. It aches when I sit – I feel it is my left SI and inside left pelvic joint (like inside near my hip bone). Doesn’t hurt when I lift leg or abduct.
Do you think this is TFL issue or SI or piriformes or wth?
How do I diagnose this? (I’m in Mexico otherwise I would go to my physiotherapist).
Also, I tried that crossover/bend over TFL stretch and it was excruciating. It hurt in the pelvis and SI more so than the hip joint.
Any advice?
I would start by rolling your TFL and glutes to try to relax it but definitely see someone when you get back if you’re unsure unless the rolling helps relax the overactive muscle 🙂
It definitely takes time, especially when we’ve built up imbalances over the years. Be patient and keep at it consistently!
Glad it helps Belinda!
Congratulations on your posts. I’ve been learning a lot with you and finally have been able to manage my knees and hips pain. Thanks a lot for sharing your knowledge
Such a good article: thanks. Also a really useful tip about where to find the glute med!
Thanks
What is the type of ball you are using? I have a smooth foam roller, a knobby roller, and tennis balls. Are these good substitutes?
I’ve been dealing with this pain for over a year now, but these exercises seem to really “hit the spot”. With such chronic pain for so long, what is a good expectation to notice some relief?
Thank you for all you do and make available.
I usually recommend a tennis ball or lacrosse ball. This ball is softer to start, but also bigger which allowed me to more easily show where the ball was supposed to be. I would say doing things consistently for 2-3 weeks and you should start to feel noticeable improvement. Not “cured” but improvement. And then you have to remember, REHAB BECOMES PREHAB!
Glad it helps Helen!
Thanks! Glad they help!
Far too many years of compensation by TFL… Noticed it with investigations into ED due to lower back issues (that is a research subject to itself) following a shoulder injury (!) 31 years ago and resulting back issues. You can’t imagine my Physio’s on-going workload over the past 3 years.
Better to be dealing with it now though. Although it always stinks that other issues result from it that you sometimes have to take care of then as well to even get to the original culprit. But keep up the work and it will only get better!
Holy S#!*. Internal rotation while side back stepping – I feel like I just did my first correct monster walks in my last 10 years of trying to perform these correctly. I finally feel my glute med’s working. I suffer from a tight left TFL and IT band from cycling with hip imbalances, and I feel this has unlocked some key to my healing, cannot wait to keep trying these.
Chris W
Aw yay! Glad it helped Chris! Definitely include the rolling prior as well as it will help relax that TFL to even improve your ability to establish a proper mind-body connection to that glute medius!
As a runner, this is a life saver. I had to drop out of a goal race due to an injury and getting my glutes to fire properly again has been a battle. I can also do these at my desk without drawing too much attention. On ward and up ward.
How many reps of the exercises do you recommend and how long to hold the stretch?
Depends on when you’re using them. Usually I don’t hold that stretch but alternate sides before a workout so it is dynamic and do 5-10 depending on how tight I am and the other stretches used. I also recommend with activation moves more like 15-25 reps.
So glad they help Cole!
Hope is a wonderful thing. This article has given me just that! Now to get down to some work on correction. Thank you. Thank you!!!
Glad it helps Karen!
I just reached out to an add for a booty program and set a message with a question I had and received a response in moments and was directed to this article. I can’t believe how accurately this pinpoints the problems I’ve been having that no doctor addressed. Thank you
I don’t have any pain, however my left hip (tfl, and gute med.) is NOTICEABLY bigger than my right, and it is driving me crazy. It literally just seems like my left glute in general (max, med, min) is growing so much faster than my right. I’ve recently gotten a trigger point roller ball and it has definitely helped with my over active quads…Now on to the tfl ? lol
Hi, i have a partial tfl tear from running, I guess wear and tear. I need to rehab it, most articles are about tight tfls and not torn. Please could you guide me. Thank you so much.
Hi Liezel. Are you seeing a physio? That is key to get a movement assessment as if you’ve torn it you need to give it time to heal and you need to address what caused the constant overload which may honestly be very similar to the same thing that causes TFL tightness aka underactive glutes. But I highly recommend seeing someone to get a movement assessment done and guide you through the rehab process.
You may also want to focus on unilateral moves to focus on building strength in that weaker and smaller side. So extra activation work on that right side if your left is taking over during bilateral movements.
Hi Jen! I’m so glad I could help! Although I apologize that I missed this comment as it went to my spam! Here to help if you need anything else!
I have a hot spot on my hip where the TFL inserts into the IT band, according to my PT. It acts/feels like my old tennis elbow that I still have 15 years after quitting tennis (only flares after chin ups and biceps curls).
I’m a swing dancer, age 57, and wonder if total non-use for 6 weeks while icing 2x/day is my solution?
I stopped ab exercises other than planking about 6 weeks ago.
I did a full month of 2-3 PT visits, and haven’t squatted since June – but I have continued to dance. Lots of pain after serious dancing, manifesting during sleep while laying on the inflamed side or the other side (due to the pull of my inflamed right side, I guess.
I raced cross country mountain bikes up until a year ago, without problems (as long as I was rolling). I stopped riding altogether about 5 months before this problem started in June. I’m also wondering if cycling had beneficial effects that I need to re-claim?
Thank you!
Are you doing your rehab exercises consistently as your warm up? Rolling your TFL as you do glute activation daily? Are you using the moves and form tweaks in this post? Honestly, while rest can help to some extent, it doesn’t fix the problems causing perpetual overload. And if things aren’t improving while you’re doing the rehab, it may be time to also get another assessment to see if something else has happened.
What an excellent article. I don’t want to stop training completely (for triathlon). Is it OK to cycle, maybe even easier cycling on a trainer instead of not cycling at all while letting TFL get better?
Thank you so much for this article! I’m going to give these exercises/stretches a try. I have some sort of issue that manifests itself with a weird feeling in the TFL area, occasional mid quad pain, and occasional knee pain. I know it’s not my knee because I had a clean MRI. Doc didn’t consider anything else because my knee was slightly swollen. The doctor gave me a strong NSAID for a month which masked it until I stopped taking them. I really need to get running again.
So if you can I’d also recommend getting a movement assessment. That may reveal some mobility restrictions in other places. But glute activation is definitely key. Also potentially talking to your doctor about an MRI for your hip could be beneficial BUT I would start by getting a movement assessment. You may be surprised even by an ankle injury years ago creating compensations leading to the issues you have now! Here to help if you need anything. So feel free to email me Lee at [email protected] if you do use these moves and have any questions.
Hi Anne. Obviously the more we can “rest” while doing the mobility work we need the better as then we aren’t potentially perpetuating the improper movement patterns that led to injury. BUT if you can at least back off that is a start.
Thank you!! I needed the thumb shot to realize this was in fact my problem
Glad it helps!
Hello! Thank you very much for this informative piece. Struggling with SI joint pain, and more recently with tight TFL and sometimes “burning’ gluteus medius, depending on the day! I wonder whether it is “safe” to incorporate, together with the abduction described in this article, your “Glute Activation – 10 Must-Do Exercises” to my training? So far I am only using foam rolling and basic bridges.
Hi Jonathan. Have you had someone assess what is going on to make sure you’re addressing your mobility restrictions and areas of weakness? Have you taken a look at my Booty Burner challenge with the full prehab process? https://bootyburner.redefiningstrength.com/the-28-day-booty-burner-challenge?sl=blogcomment
Thank you so much for these exercises to activate glut med, which I have struggled with isolating. Can you direct to any more unilateral work? Do you have any hints for avoiding TFL dependency when climbing stairs? Are there any hints for activating other muscles that should be doing part of the work. Particularly a problem for me at the moment as I have pain form overuse during running on one side and hurts to climb stairs.
Hi Meg! Have you checked out my Booty Burner program?
Thanks for a great post. My TFL will NOT switch off and is causing a lot of pain right on the attachment to the ASIS. The external foot rotation is, I’m hoping, going to isolate that lazy glute medius!! Thanks again.
Glad it helps Eileen! It really is that 3 part prehab process and being super conscious of when it compensates in other movements to start tweaking those moves!
Perfect timimg with this article. Recently been to physio as i have a sore left hip & lower back pain. Tfl muscle to blame. Is there any exercises i should be avoiding in the gym whilst i rehab the muscle? Should i avoid squats, RDL’S etc? Dont want to aggrevate the tfl
You should avoid any moves where you feel the TFL compensating right now. It could be lateral raises even. But you want to tweak or work around moves where you perpetuate the compensation.
I have been having lateral knee pain for months following a left total hip replacement but physio and osteo couldn’t tell me why. I have difficulty with stairs especially. I’ve been trying to strengthen my Glutes and after reading your article suspect my TFL Has been doing all the work and is very tight. I’ve had years of problems with my pelvis and SIJ and have a anterior rotated pelvis. I’m hyper mobile too so my muscles have to work harder to keep it altogether. Maybe this little sucker has been at the house a lot of problems. I will try to push your exercises to good use and hope I see a change but it makes so much sense. I wish my PT was as helpful as you have been.
Hi Cori,
I have had chronic knee pain for about 3 years now but the last year I have developed outer hip and thigh pain. It is very painful to walk. I went to PT for a couple of months to address the hip/thigh pain and it would loosen up and feel a little better for a couple of hours but then go right back to hurting. Now, my gait is all jacked up because my back is hurting, my hip/thigh is killing me and my knee is too. My thigh is pretty swollen and so is my knee. My knee feels super stiff and its just not good. I tell you all of this to ask could my knee problem have caused a TFL problem?
Thanks for your help!
Lisa
Hi Amanda. Be careful with stretching and make sure you’re not just going through the motions. You will want to rest on structure so you have to be even more aware of that mind-body connection.
Everything is connected. So yes, whatever lead to your knee pain could now be the reason for your hip pain. You need to keep in your rehab consistently or it won’t fully add up and address the other movements you do through the day that perpetuate the overload. You may even need to take a look at your ankle mobility. Have you considered seeing someone again to have more of an assessment?
I needed help with this in the worst way! All of my life, I’ve had ALL the classic signs of overactive TFL!
And now at 50, the kinetic chain domino effect is coming to a head. I’ve had pain from lower back to plantar fasciitis and everything in between on the left side.
I started some foam rolling for knots in my left glutes, but now I realize I need to dig in and address that stupid TFL and heal the entire thing!
It is getting better when I roll, stretch, and train consistently. But if I stop, it comes back.
I imagine having some rotary L-spine scoliosis (hereditary) puts me at a disadvantage. But if I work at it, I know it will get better.
So we can never stop doing the prehab that makes us better. Sure we can do “less” as we correct the issues, but you want to always include it. And remember, as I show in this article, rolling and stretching are only 2 steps in the 3 part process. You need to activate underactive muscles if you want to prevent the overload that keeps occurring.
Hi Cori,,
I’ve been experiencing some severe spasms in my left TFL area, like when putting weight on my leg after putting on a pair of pants, or sometimes when turning as I get out of a chair. The spasms almost knock me over but the pain subsides fairly quickly. I sometimes feel tight in the area afterwards, but often not beforehand — so I’m uncertain if this relates to a tight TFL or underactive glutes… any thoughts? I have some arthritis in my hip with reduced cartilage in the joint following FAI surgery about 6 years ago, though my doctor says it’s a while before I’ll need a hip replacement. He can easily get me in great pain, though, by rotating my hip externally far enough. So while there’s a number of things that could be contributing to these spasms, it’s hard to sort out what the root cause is. I’m a cyclist but never have problems while I ride. Have not had an MRI.
So getting checked out is key but honestly a lot of those things simply go hand in hand. Our TFL becomes overloaded because our glute medius is weak. Our glute medius is weak because our TFL is overactive. Are you doing that full prehab process?
Hello, would you please clarify how exactly I should perform the tfl stretch as when I lower to touch the instep of the opposite foot, I sometimes hurt my spine. Should i bend FORWARD to touch the foot or bend to the SIDE (which sometimes hurts my spine, though i may be doing it wrong?). I am not sure i can feel my tfl stretch when i bend forward, so then think it must be a side stretch. I would appreciate a clearer understanding on how to bend down to touch the opposite foot in order to stretch the tfl, without it causing twinges in my back. Many thanks!
Here’s a video guiding you through it. But it sounds like you’re stretching to far and not hinging properly so leaning over vs loading your glutes – https://youtu.be/QGEexDjtdSY
Great article! loved the use of capital letters to really get the point across haha 🙂
I wish the physios I’ve seen in the past stressed the importance of loosening up my TFL before strengthening my glute medius, but at least now I know!
Glad it helps! I like trying to pull attention to what I feel is important or will get people reading key areas 🙂
This is really helpful. I don’t feel pain when I sit, only when I get up from sitting and when walking. It’s been happening for just a month now, definitely from over exercising and lifting too much, but now that it’s injured on both sides, will it ever get back to normal? I mean, if I rest and rehab and take it easy, will I stop feeling that pain? I’m really worried that I see once this muscle is overactive and tight there is no “cure” which is really stressing me out.
Hi Jessica. Getting checked out if you don’t know how it happened or what exactly is going on is key. It sounds like it is about mobility and rehab work but also about making sure your form/recruitment patterns are correct in other moves. If you aren’t using the correct muscles when you lift, you’ll just perpetuate the issue.
Hey there I have an issue with my TFL on my right side….its size is almost 3 times the size as my left hand side TFL. In this case would I roll and acupuncture my right TFL alongside training my left TFL for size?
Have you gone to see a doctor or physio to determine why it may be overloaded? You want to determine if it is overworked and that has led to greater muscle hypertrophy or if there is a swelling issue.
I am suffering from this after a hip replacement that also corrected dysplasia. My glute med is basically useless from 45 years of an altered gait and my tfl is overworking now that I have a hip in the right spot. This page has been more helpful than any other and I feel hopeful to be armed with ways to improve my pain and instability.
Glad it helps Keirsten! Stay on that prehab work!
I’m baffled.
For YEARS I was fighting to keep my whole right side of the body from what it looked like a slow death to me.
It all started with slight pain in the lumbar zone and tight hips. Then pain in the right knee. After than a sprain ankle and collapsed arch which lead to even greater knee pain, stiffer hips and pain in the lower back due to bigger anterior tilt.
I was doing all kinds of exercises and stretches for the arches, the ankles, the hamstrings, the hip flexors, the glutes (apparently not the correct one)…
I was improving in some areas, but most things had a short term effect.
I went to see an orthopedist, who suggested some ankle exercises, which I was already doing and of course expensive insoles, which I never bought… eff those things.
And behind all this was this lil fucker! GRRRR!
I feel reborn. God bless you, Cori!
Glad the post helped Teodor! Make sure to do that full 3-part process. It’s not just stretching but also that foam rolling and activation and changing those recruitment patterns that is key!
Hi thanks so much these exercises anx how you have explained things have really helped so much -I have a super bad anterior tilt and even though I’ve done Pilates all my adults life -had no idea my glute med and min were lazy and my poor tfl doing all the work -my hip flexors weak and my QL over worked .
A double hip impingement sent me to a specialist and now we are trying to correct all these bad habits I had no idea I had ! Educating oneself about their own bodies is crucial and often Physio therapist suck and see gif months with out sharing their findings with you , you the one living in that body -it’s important they share with you what they are finding and trying to fix -thank you for this amazing helpful informative article .
Glad the article helps Jan! Rehab becomes prehab and we definitely need to do it consistently daily even sometimes!
Hi, can I do lay down abduction exercises for glute medius with internal foot. Would it work in this position to turn off TFL?
Sorry I’m not sure I understand Matt? I mention that the TFL is less active with this position to help better activate the glute medius.
This article helps so much. I’ve had knee pain and lumbar pain over the last few years, and couldn’t figure out why.
I’ve recently figured out that my TFL is SUPER tight / over-active, so I’m starting with it to see how it addresses all the pains and issues.
Thank you so much for this article 🤘🏼
Thank you, I really appreciate that you wrote this for lay people. So much out there on this topic is too technical. I’ve had knee pain for 2 years, despite having no problems with the knee joint itself, and I’ve gradually realized that it’s due to an overactive tfl. Ironically my tfl feels weak so I’ve spent this past year trying to strengthen it! So I’ve really just been feeding the beast and making my knee pain worse, not better. I’m in your Booty Burner program and feel that I’m on the right track now because when I do glute stuff from this article and from Booty Burner my knee pain diminishes. Pain seems to arise later on in the day. Maybe I need to do a Booty reset every time pain returns. Interesting what you say about tfl causing ankle restriction because my ankle on the afflicted side is restricted. As I continue to activate and develop the glutesIll watch to see any improvement in the ankle. Thank you again. You are a light in the tunnel.
Glad the tips help!
So we can’t out mobility work our movements. That is just the start of improving our mobility and correcting our recruitment patterns. Now start to notice when you feel your TFL taking over in other daily activities and see if you can shift postures or focus on your glutes working or even take time to relax it then!
Wow, I’ve learned a lot this morning about my TFL being the cause of what I thought was my hip subluxing. I’m hypermobile and have this problem that when I sit for long periods of time, such as doing a few hours of desk work every day, then when I get up to walk my hips feel unstable. I have lower back problems and knock knees with duck feet. This week my PT said my TFL is “razor tight.” I suspect the sitting is shortening the TFL. So, aside from glute activating and strengthening exercises, I would like to know if you could recommend ways to sit to discourage over exertion of the TFL? I can walk around for 12 hours with no problems if I haven’t been sitting, but sitting causes problems walking. I think it’s the TFL getting caught on the greater trochanter (some sort of snapping hip but feels more like rubbing and getting caught). Also wearing shoes with any type of heel at all makes it worse. I’ve had to quit more lucrative jobs because I can’t sit and standing in one place also isn’t good. Looking forward to finding a solution to this perplexing condition I’ve had the past 5 years. Thank you for such thorough information!
Working on that ankle mobility may be key as well but to address that TFL it is about tweaks to movements where you feel it compensating, like some of the tips I mention to change postures and positions in this article as well as foam rolling to relax muscles when they get tight. But if you are wearing heels, ankle mobility may be something else to address!
I think that my knee pain is being caused by a slightly improper gait. It is impossible for me to walk with out my TFL absorbing the shock. How do I get my glute medius to fire during walking?
Have you had someone assess your gait for even ankle mobility restrictions?
I give this post 5* out of 5. Great post.
My TFL is undergoing a 2nd flare up at the moment. The first one took roughly 9 months to resolve w/ a ton of rest and rehabbing. For the last 5 months I’ve been feeling good and went back to my old workouts, which had been running smoothly until last week. My TFL flared up again after a glute and hamstring session that was RDL dominant. I’m currently about 11 weeks pregnant (2nd pregnancy), and wondering if the flare up might be related to a weakened core. Bending over or hinging from the hip causes the most TFL pain, so it’s making me think that maybe this is more core related than glutes. What suggestions might you have if this is caused by a weakened core? What core exercises would be wise to do in addition to the standard glute strengthening exercises? Any help would be greatly appreciated!
It can definitely be due to changes in your posture and even joint laxity that occurs during pregnancy. Rolling against a wall instead of on the ground and focused core stability work while being careful of pressure is key. Standing ab and glute work would for sure be good with a unilateral focus!
Thank you for your TFL post to stretch the TFL and target the glute medius without the TFL engaging. That relieved some pain.
Glad it helped!
My main issue is when I’m walking. The muscle became chronically tight due to desk work and many sitting hours. I am now training 3times/week.
But walking is still a major issue. The muscle is painful and weak at the same time. Anything I can do about it? I know my hemipelvis is rotated inside and so is my femur. Walking is so so difficult especially in a straight line.
Are you doing the rehab moves and mobility work daily? That’s key. And then making sure you’re addressing when it becomes overload at other times to change those movement patterns.
Great article Cori! 👌
I’m a recreational runner and have recently experienced gluteal tendonopathy.
During the process of treating that, it’s become glaringly obvious that I have an overactive right TFL and the penny has dropped it’s been that way a long time – I just seem to have gotten used to the burning pain in my TFL on my runs that I just put down to tightness and working hard!
Your article is excellent, and the seated band exercise is the only one I have come across where my TFL doesn’t completely take over.
I can’t seem to do lat raises (even with your internal rotation tip), or any other exercises where the glute med should be primary, without my TFL taking over.
With consistency, do you think the seated band exercise alone (along with rolling), should take me far enough to get things working better again and move back to the other exercises?
Thanks again!
Simon
So glad it helps!
So keep trying to tweak range of motions and postures and even try the seated band BEFORE to see if by activating then doing it that helps. But yes, over time and consistent focus on relaxing it and changing OTHER recruitment patterns as well, you will see those changes add up.
But note when you feel it compensating even during compound moves too!