You can strengthen the internal rotators of the hip by doing targeted exercises like doing reverse clamshells, prone bent knee, banded movements and even seated internal rotation.
To strengthen the internal rotators of the hip using reverse clamshells, lay on your side with your knees bent, ankles stacked.
Then lift the top ankle while you keep your knees together and rotate your thigh inward.
For the seated internal rotation, sit in a chair with your knees at 90 degrees, then move one foot outward as far as you can, while also keeping your knee stable.
For prone internal rotation, lay on your stomach, with your knees bent at 90 degrees.
And let your feet fall outward and away from each other to rotate your hips inward.
For the band resisted internal rotation, use a resistance band around your ankles, during exercises like reverse clamshells to increase difficulty.
You can also help to strengthen your internal rotators of your hip using 90/90 Hip Internal Rotation Lift Offs.
To do the 90/90 hip internal rotation lift offs, in a 90/90 sitting position, try to lift the foot of the back leg off the floor and focus on rotating your hip.
With a lack of hip internal rotation, you might also have difficulty with your everyday movements, such as getting out of a car or putting on your clothes, which all require the crucial range of motion.
Your lumbar spine may also try to compensate for the lack of hip rotation and cause muscle tension, pain and misalignments.
Your knees are also not designed to rotate, so when your hip rotation is limited, your knees can bear the brunt of the stress and increase your risk of injury.
And you might also notice that your feet or knees are turning inward or caving in during walking or other movements because your body is trying to find a new and less efficient way to move.
And tasks which involve any twisting of your thigh inward, like getting into a car or other vehicle or putting on your clothes can become challenging or uncomfortable.
And limited internal rotation on one side can also result in uneven positioning and contribute to back pain.
A lack of hip internal rotation can occur due to sedentary lifestyles, muscular imbalances etc.
The muscles that are responsible for hip internal rotation might be weak or not working properly and prolonged sitting can also overactivate hip flexors and underactivate other hip muscles, which result in restricted internal rotation.