I am a fairly regular runner and have been for the last 3 years (2 marathons, multiple halfs, regular mileage between 30 and 45/week depending on if I’m training). 4 weeks ago I began having a tightness in my left hip that I felt when running. One or two days after I first noticed it (it came on very quickly), I was walking with a limp all day long, and took 5 days of complete rest. After 5 days off I did what any marathon-crazed person would do and went out for a slow 17-miler. When I finished I couldn’t walk. Going up stairs (or simply walking) was a nightmare. I’ve stretch and foam rolled like crazy. Since this fiasco, I’ve taken another 10 days off and just now started back to running. The pain is still there, though not nearly as bad as after the 17 miler. Some days I can get past 4 or 5 miles and it seemingly “goes numb” and other days 4 miles is as much as my hip can take. It is no longer excrutiating to run, but I do still feel it. When I stop running, it’s difficult to take a step and get going again. Has anyone experienced anything like this? When it’s at it’s worst, I can feel it in my groin, glutes and even lower back. During the day when I’m not running, it’s more of a dull ache. Any advice would be helpful! I’ve made an appointment with my orthopaedic doc and skipped right over my family doc, but it’s not for 2 weeks and the anticipation is the hardest part. I don’t want to waste his time if this is nothing, but for a girl who was trying to qualify for boston this year, I can’t stand more weeks off or the thought of being passed from doc to pt to chiropractor, etc.
Have you tried getting a massage?
Get to a chiro that performs ART (active release technique), had a similar problem and resolved in a few treatments.
I have not gotten a massage, but I’ve been foam rolling regularly. Foam rolling on an orb usually does the trick and provides some immediate relief, but after several weeks of this it’s not helped. I went for a run last night and the hip felt a little better, so I’m crossing my fingers it will just work itself out and I can cancel my doc appt all together 
If you think it is a soft tissue (muscle-related) injury, take the earlier advice and get to someone certified in ART. Another option is Graston technique. Some physical therapists do this. Running on it probably won’t help, although we all seem to try that first.
I’m coming off eleven weeks of PT for teas in a hip flexor. The problem was that I kept injuring it - slipping on ice, running up hills, stumbling climbing stairs. It’s finally feeling better due to work by a skilled PT with a Graston tool, lots of work with stretch bands strengthening the hip muscles in all dimensions (rather than just the strengthening all runners do in one direction) and, finally, our spring thaw. Good luck!
I would keep the ortho dr appt to be on the safe side and rule out stress fracture. The dull ache you say you feel when you are not running is what would worry me.
It sounds like it may have something to do with the SI joint because of the glutes and lower back pain or maybe even an alignment issue that could be resolved with weekly core work, stretching and strengthening. If you still have pain when running, try something different to keep the aerobic training going while you wait for the drs appointment. I hurt my hip while training for a marathon 2 years ago and started cross training ie, doing the elliptical, exercise bike etc; it ended up helping quite a bit and I didn’t loose too much fitness while “resting” the injury. Good luck!
Curious about the numbing, does it go down the front of your quad? If yes does it go away?
Does the pain start close to your groin and radiate over time?
It sounds like it could be a labarum issue? Everything you are experiencing sounds like what I went through. I spend a boat load of money on Chiro, ART and PT when all along the pain I was experiencing was a tear that was very aggravated by my bike fit. I know this sounds bad but it is not uncommon. The way we are built some people are born with very tight labrums and over time they are prone to tear. I tore mine years ago playing water polo and had no issue until my bike fitter made some radical changes to my fit and I raced on it before acclimating.
If you are experiencing numbing you could have a lingual (tendon) impingement. That is where your nerve is squeezed by the tendon that goes from you hip to your pubic bone.
Ps don’t bother with the family doc I would also keep the orthopedic appointment and ART wouldn’t be a bad idea.
James Chriss
It’s the strangest thing. With my last long 17 mile run, after 4 or 5 slow miles I was able to acclimate myself and the pain didn’t seem nearly as bad as when I started out. It was barely noticeable. However after 10 or 11 miles it began to get worse and worse. Of course I didn’t do the right thing and stop when the pain returned, I pushed on and finished my 17 miles. The next two weeks I walked with a very significant limp and couldn’t have run a step if someone had been chasing me. During this time the pain was in my groin, front of my hip, side of my hip, seemingly everywhere. When i would sneeze and my muscles would tighten I’d hold my hip down so it didn’t move up. Sounds crazy, right? Now that i’ve significantly rested and gone back slowly, the pain is much, much less, but still there. I can still tell I’m compensating in my everyday walk. It’s my understanding that with a tear the pain is fairly bad all the time, because this is what I was convinced it was until it started to less and make running bearable. Any thoughts?
My experience was initial pain so bad I couldn’t run a mile. Started to go to different ART professionals that help limit the pain. I was highly motivated because I was doing my 12th IM and it was the qualifier for the Legacy program so I had to do something.
I eventually went to a PT that worked the area and was able to keep it loose enough to run. I took off 8 weeks from running went to IM AZ finished. I had a fantastic swim and bike and gave it all away on the run (no hip pain on the run BTW I just had zero run fitness). I took off three weeks and went back to the PT. After a few weeks I came to terms this was going nowhere fast and went to see an expert.
How he could tell it was a tear off the bat was he laid me on my side and pressed my legs together tightly almost as if one leg was under the other tight. I could feel the pin pointed pain in my groining. Shit! So I went in for and injection then to get an MRI. The injection would indicate if it was a tear or not. The injection took all the pain away and the MRI showed tearing so that was the answer. I had 6 month before Kona so I took a very conservative approach to my training. Over the 6 month I had very little pain to speak of. 6 weeks out I had one more injection for piece of mind more so than I had pain. Race day no problems PR the marathon best ever for me 3:41. After the race I went back to my doc and told him I didn’t want to deal with this anymore and told him I wanted it fixed. He said I it were him and he had the best doctor available he would not have it repaired do to my level of running ability without meaningful pain. Fast forward 2013 did Canada no pain,
go one more injection did AZ qualified for Kona. Today I still have some dull pain especially when I cross my legs.
My training is very conservative with absolutely no junk running miles. Doctor opinion after my last injection I have had this tear for a long time, something aggravated it. I have very healthy bone structure with no impingement. The tear is slight but to repair it I would seriously put my future running in risk.
when I’ve had SI joint issues, sneezing results in lower back/SI joint pain…
find an ART person
I did a little research on SI joints and I think that could be a possibility. Thanks for the tip!
After years of inattention, my body has become a collection of trigger points. If an injury gets ruled-out, perhaps this is your issue. A foam roller or orb is not small enough to get to trigger points (knots). You can get ART, but you can also try it yourself (and save the $$$). The object you want is a lacrosse ball. Get it between your hip/glute/hip flexor regions and the floor. If it hurts like hell you found it. Stay on it. If it’s bad (and it sounds like it is) the muscle may not release on your first try. You will need day after day of this torture, but if trigger points are the issue it’s the only way. Ice may be effective for inflamed areas that are close enough to the surface and Ibuprofen may also help. Keep stretching and exercising as dictated by pain levels. Best of luck to you.