Groin pain when bending deeply
Squats, tying shoes and sliding into a low car seat bring it on most.
Femoroacetabular impingement, or FAI, means the ball of the thigh bone and the rim of the socket contact each other early. It usually shows up as groin pain with deep sitting, squats or pulling a knee toward the chest. Many people have this bone shape on imaging without pain, so symptoms depend a lot on how the hip is loaded.
When the front of the hip keeps getting pinched, the surrounding muscles tend to tighten to protect it. The iliopsoas, adductors, deep rotators and TFL (tensor fasciae latae, a small muscle at the outer front of the hip) are the usual ones. That tension can press the joint together further and spread pain into the groin or the side of the hip.
Your orthopedist manages the impingement itself, including decisions about imaging, injections or surgery. My part is the pain and the guarded muscles around the joint, which I treat with dry needling, a form of acupuncture. Near the front point of the pelvis, a tight sartorius and TFL can crowd the lateral femoral cutaneous nerve. Needling them gives that nerve more room.
The usual path includes imaging, anti inflammatory medication, rest and a physical therapy program, and sometimes a conversation about surgery. Those are reasonable steps. Exercise can still flare a hip whose surrounding muscles are guarding hard, and medication quiets pain without loosening them. New York doesn’t give physical therapists or chiropractors dry needling as a tool. Needling those muscles adds something different to your existing care.
I ask which positions bring on the pinch, how long you can sit, and what your orthopedist or PT has already found. Then the exam:
Because your orthopedist diagnoses and manages FAI, I plan around their guidance and your PT’s program. If my exam raises a question worth bringing to them, I’ll let you know and share it.
Not necessarily. Many people have this hip shape without pain, and scan findings don’t always match how much it hurts. Muscle tension and how the hip is loaded play a large part. Interpreting the imaging belongs with your physician.
No. Needling doesn’t change bone. Its aim is to ease the guarded muscles around the joint so the hip tolerates more range and load within the shape it has.
I needle the iliopsoas, adductors, TFL and deep rotators that reproduce your pinch. As those muscles let go, the joint is pressed together less and the nerves nearby have more space. The aim is to make your rehab exercises easier to tolerate.
I compare what happens when I press on the muscles with what happens when the hip is moved into certain end positions. If pressing reproduces your familiar pain, muscle is likely a big part. If only the joint positions do, the joint is playing a larger role. Usually it’s some of both.
Not automatically. Changing squat depth, stance, tempo or weekly volume usually works better than full rest. I’ll help you find the positions that spike symptoms so you can adjust them while the hip settles.
A traumatic injury, being unable to bear weight, or numbness or weakness that keeps spreading need prompt medical care. So do fever, unexplained night pain, and a hip that suddenly catches or gives way.
Adults with pelvic floor, nerve and orthopedic pain, along with neurological conditions. Most of my patients come to me after other care hasn't fully settled things. If you're looking for general wellness acupuncture, I'm not the right fit.
We review your history and what you've already tried. I assess the muscles and nerves involved, and you're treated the same day.
It depends on the condition. Pelvic and orthopedic plans usually run 4 to 6 weeks. Neurological plans are usually 2 visits a week for 6 weeks or 3 a week for 4. After that, visits space out so the changes hold. These are typical timelines, not promises.
Yes. I work alongside doctors, physical therapists and specialists. If something I find needs a closer look from one of them, I'll tell you.
I'm an out-of-network provider. You pay at the time of your visit, and my office submits the claim so any reimbursement comes to you. Free benefit checks are available before your first visit through the verification form, and HSA and FSA cards work. I don't take Medicare or Medicaid, though some Medicare Advantage plans reimburse out-of-network care. Full insurance details
Yes. I treat adults, teens and children, though I don't specialize in infants or toddlers.
Yes. Book a free discovery call to ask your questions and see whether we're a good fit.
Dry needling is a form of acupuncture. Fine needles go into tight bands of muscle and trigger points to lower muscle tension and change how the area is signaling.
You may feel a brief twitch or a deep ache as the needle reaches tight muscle. It passes quickly, and any soreness afterward usually fades within a day or two.
It's generally safe with a properly trained practitioner. Needles are sterile and single-use, and I check your health history first, including blood thinners. In New York, dry needling can only be performed by licensed acupuncturists, MDs and DOs. Physical therapists and chiropractors aren't permitted to perform it.
Eat something light beforehand and wear loose clothing that lets me reach the area being treated.
Usually not. Ultrasound helps in a few specific cases, but it hasn't been shown to improve results for common trigger points. A careful hands-on exam is what guides the needle. More on ultrasound-guided dry needling
Dry needling aimed at the pelvic floor and the hip and abdominal muscles around it, for pain, tension and urinary symptoms driven by those muscles and their nerves. More on pelvic floor dry needling
Sometimes, depending on the muscles involved, and you'll be draped throughout. Treatment always follows your consent and comfort. I don't do internal exams or internal treatment.
No, though it helps if you've already seen a doctor or pelvic floor physical therapist. Bring any notes or imaging you have.
Completely. I've heard it all, and there's no judgment here, just a straightforward conversation so we can treat what's going on.
Yes, I treat adults of every gender and identity. After gender-affirming surgery involving the pelvis, bring your surgical notes and we'll decide together what fits.
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Evidence-based acupuncture and dry needling on the Upper West Side. From chronic pain and headaches to pelvic floor dysfunction, Dr. Jordan Barber pairs the highest level of training with care that actually listens.
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