hip flexor cramping/spasm

walser

For a couple of years I have had some trouble with my left hip flexor. Sometimes when pulling up more than normal (e.g. big gear climbing), a kind of tension builds up inside the hip flexor and suddenly turns into a very painful cramping/spasm. The pain is excruciating and it is impossible to keep pedalling.The pain goes away immediately when I stop pedalling. The problem has only been present when doing big gear climbing (which I rarely do), so it haven't been a big problem.

The last few weeks I have noticed that the tension in the hip flexor is building up more often than before. Even when climbing easy, tension sometimes is building up. I have avoided cramping through stretching while riding, but this obviously is not a good option if I get this problem in a deciding phase of a race.

I think I will go to a physiotherapist soon, but nevertheless I would like to know what this could be and how one can get rid of it.