Hip + Low Back Pain: The Fix Is Usually in the “Invisible” Stuff
Most ‘low back pain’ is a hip stability + hinge problem.
If your hips don’t control rotation and load… your back will.
Here are 4 drills I use constantly: single-leg stability, single-leg hinge, internal rotation hinge, hip airplane.
(Hip stability + a real hinge pattern)
If you’ve had low back pain that “keeps coming back,” you’re not alone.
Here’s what I see all the time in active adults, parents, runners, lifters, golfers, and CrossFitters:
The back becomes the hero because the hips won’t do their job.
Relief happens… then symptoms return the moment life (or training) ramps up again.
Everyone focuses on stretching, but the real missing piece is usually control.
And control comes down to two things most people never actually train:
Hip stability
A proper hinge
When those two improve, a lot of “low back pain” starts to feel… less like a back problem.
Why your back is complaining (even if your MRI is “fine”)
The low back is built for stability and force transfer, not endless motion.
But when the hips are stiff, unstable, or weak—especially in rotation—your body still has to get the job done:
Picking up kids
Deadlifting
Running
Sitting all day then trying to train
Golfing / rotating
Lunges, step-ups, RDLs, squats
So it borrows motion and effort from the next available place:
👉 the lumbar spine
The result is a predictable cycle:
Tightness
Pinch
Spasm
“It feels out”
Temporary relief
Back to square one
The back isn’t broken. It’s overworked.
The hinge: your back’s insurance policy
A “hinge” is the ability to load the hips while keeping the spine stacked and controlled.
It’s the foundation for:
Deadlifts
RDLs
Kettlebell swings
Picking up laundry
Lifting kids out of a car seat
Shoveling snow
Moving furniture
Being an adult
A proper hinge means:
✅ hips move back
✅ hamstrings + glutes load
✅ ribs stay down / core engaged
✅ spine stays stable (not doing the work)
A broken hinge usually looks like:
❌ low back rounding or over-arching
❌ weight shifts to one side
❌ “hinge” turns into a squat or a back bend
❌ hamstrings never load
❌ pain shows up right where you least want it
When you don’t own a hinge, your back becomes the hinge.
Hip stability: the missing link people don’t feel… until it’s gone
Hip stability is your ability to control the pelvis and femur under load—especially on one leg and in rotation.
That matters because real life is rarely symmetrical.
Walking is single-leg. Running is single-leg. Stairs are single-leg. Getting out of a car is rotation + single-leg. Golf and throwing? Rotation under load.
When the hip can’t stabilize, you’ll often see:
a hip shift in squats or hinging
knees collapsing in
one-sided low back tightness
a “pinchy” hip on one side
hamstring strains that keep recurring
SI joint irritation
that deep glute ache that never fully leaves
Here’s the important part:
Stability isn’t just strength. It’s control.
And control is trainable.
Why rotational control matters (and why “stretching” often fails)
A huge driver of chronic hip/back issues is poor control of hip rotation:
Internal rotation (IR) — the femur rotates inward in the socket
External rotation (ER) — rotates outward
If you lack hip rotation or can’t control it under load, your body will find rotation somewhere else.
Guess where?
👉 the low back
👉 the SI region
👉 the hamstrings
👉 the knees
So people stretch the back… stretch the hamstrings… stretch the hip flexors… and still feel tight.
Because the tightness is often protective tension—your nervous system bracing because it doesn’t trust the hip.
The fix is rarely “more stretch.”
The fix is give the body a new option: controlled hip motion with stable spine.
The 3 drills I use constantly (and why they work)
I’m including videos below of three of my go-to movements because they train the exact missing pieces:
1) Single-Leg Hip Hinge
Why it helps:
builds hip stability under load
teaches pelvis control
forces the glute/hamstring to own the pattern without borrowing from the back
What you should feel:
hamstring + glute working
foot tripod (heel, big toe, pinky toe)
steady pelvis (no twisting)
What you shouldn’t feel:
low back pinch
hamstring cramp (often a sign the glute isn’t doing its job yet)
2) Internal Rotation Hinge
Why it helps:
trains the hip to accept load in IR (a common “missing” position)
reduces the tendency to twist through the lumbar spine
improves control for squats, running, cutting, and rotational sports
This is huge for people who:
feel “stuck” in the hip
shift to one side when hinging/squatting
get back pain after leg days
feel pinchy in the front of the hip
3) Hip Airplane
Why it helps:
teaches the hip to stabilize while the pelvis rotates
lights up deep hip stabilizers (glute med/min, external rotators)
improves balance, control, and alignment
Translation: less compensation, less back guarding, better movement quality.
The real goal: build a body that doesn’t need “constant fixes”
If you’re tired of chasing symptoms, here’s the mindset shift:
Don’t just calm the pain. Upgrade the pattern.
When you improve hip stability and hinge mechanics, you’re not just “rehabbing” — you’re building:
a stronger foundation for lifting
better performance and longevity
more confidence in daily movement
less flare-ups from normal life
This is what we do every day in the clinic:
Find the weak link, restore control, and build capacity so your body stops relying on the low back as the backup plan.
Want help figuring out what YOUR body is doing?
If your low back pain keeps returning—or your hip feels tight/pinchy—there’s a good chance your hinge and hip control are part of the story.
And if you’ve been struggling to find relief, we would love to help you!
Team IC