I should preface by saying that I have been dancing for around 19 years now so I am very prone to leg issues but this issue is something new that I cannot get worked out and have never had it before. I figured this would be a great place to post and see if anyone has had this problem too!

Anyway, I teach color guard and still dance on my own here and there and usually stretch with my students at the beginning of rehearsals. I am usually able to do heel stretches on both sides and when I am warmed up, I can sit in second/straddle and touch my foreheard to the floor. Lately, I have had pain in the back of my thigh, near my hip joints that don't allow me to go past certain stretching points. On my left side it feels as if my leg needs to pop back into place but my normal daily activities (walking, climbing stairs) don't hurt me.

I really am trying to avoid visiting a specialist at this point because most of my dance injuries go away with some rest and feel like it would be a waste of money for me to spend but if that is my only option left I suppose that is what I will have to do. Does anyone out there know this issue or had it before and know how I could possibly get it to feel better and return to my normal flexibility?

Thanks everyone!

I think you really need to visit an orthopedist as soon as you get a chance; injuries are really not something to fool around with. I'm not sure about the pain in the back of your thigh, but I had the exact same feeling in my left hip, like my hip needed to crack, or like it needed to pop back into place (but only when I did certain steps in ballet). I went to my orthopedist, and he ordered an MRI. Turns out I had a tear in my labrum. I was ordered to go to physical therapy and rest. The tear was small, so he thought that only PT would be necessary (but I haven't been to my follow-up appointment yet), but if it gets worse, I'll need to get surgery to repair it. I'm sure you're busy, but it's better to find out what's wrong, rather than let it go and injure yourself worse later on.