I’m reaching out to the ST community for one last bit of advice or suggestion to try before going to a sports doc who’s going to tell me not to run the two races I have coming up. I’ve been experiencing some legit pain on the outside of my hip. When I run, I seem to loosen up after several miles, but the first 3-4 are torture. It feels like my leg tracks in a bit, I can’t hit a normal stride and every step feels heavy and pounding.
My hope is that someone can tell me this is a flexibility or strength issue and that I should do x, y, z exercises and things will start to improve. I’m assuming that it could be bursitis, but also have slight concern of femoral stress fracture as I am getting some upper thigh pain from time to time too.
I had same thing last winter. It was a pulled glute/ham/hip flexor
I couldn’t run for 3 months. Even when it feels ok don’t do it. I would have prob been a month if I just recovered. Hurt mine doin speed work.
You need a lot of daily stretching/yoga outside of tri-training to rebalance your muscles to properly realign your hip (try to get your right and left hips to track the same way)
Also, more cycling/less running until the hip is better rehabilitated
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You need a lot of daily stretching/yoga outside of tri-training to rebalance your muscles to properly realign your hip (try to get your right and left hips to track the same way)
Also, more cycling/less running until the hip is better rehabilitated
What type of stretching is going to help this rebalance?
Elaborate on your hip pain - is it deep like piriformis syndrome? Are there sounds when you extend or bend your legs? Is it on both sides or only on one side?
For a simple start, you can try a lie-down knee to chest to see if your back or gluteus is tight - are both sides equally loose or tight?
It can occur on both sides but primarily my left side. Oddly enough my right foot tracks out a bit. Years and years of soccer as a right footed player, my leg swings naturally with my foot turned slightly out. Very easy for me to open my right hip, very difficult to open my left. No noise from extension or flexion. It’s more on the side than in the glute and definitely feels almost surface as opposed to a deeper pain like I would imagine piriformis feels like. Glutes are fairly loose. Hamstrings not so much. Tends to exasperate on the bike too which I find strange. No pain when sedentary at all. Only when up and putting weight on it. I did have bursitis to the point of being on crutches at one point during my college soccer career, so possibly I’m just genetically predisposed to irritable bursa sacs in that hip. Or more likely, something I’m doing in my running form, combined with being a bigger guy who is overweight, is causing an over use injury.
I trained very consistently from January - June. After A race in June I slowed way down with training. After final race in Aug I started to run again, but nowhere near the prior volume. Cue a summer cold, caused a week off from running. When I went back to running, the hip started to hurt and has been a nagging issue ever since. For about the last month. Some days way worse than others.
I am admittedly horrible at remembering to stretch and since slowing down on swimming I’ve noticed some core weakness, which I’ve recently started to address.
I severely strained my gluteus medius and minimus a few weeks back and confirmed by MRI. I thought it was bursitis or TFL so I was foolish enough to do the Long Course Nationals where I limped through the entire 13.1 mile run in screaming pain just tearing it more. Really nice swelling and bruising and after 2.5 weeks still some swelling. Had to withdraw from IM Louisville and now I am letting it heal and getting ready to start rehab on it. There was some irritation there for almost a month prior that went away for a week and then came back badly on an easy run a few days out from Redman. Experience and wisdom would tell us to rest and let a small injury heal but…
Anyway it could be similar.
Where exactly is the pain at? Is it IT-band, like the side of the leg? At a point?
You mention tracking problems with your left knee tracking inward. Not being able to control external rotation at the hip is a risk factor for ITBS. So that could be it. IT Band pain can manifest itself in different places.
Where exactly is the pain at? Is it IT-band, like the side of the leg? At a point?
You mention tracking problems with your left knee tracking inward. Not being able to control external rotation at the hip is a risk factor for ITBS. So that could be it. IT Band pain can manifest itself in different places.
Do you go from sitting/driving all day straight into running? Are you warming up at all?
i second the IT-Band. i had similar pain in my left hip and also from reading have the same foot tracking pattern as you. mine was resolved by stretches prescribed by a sports therapist. also, ever since i switch to running in newtons the pain has never came back.
It can occur on both sides but primarily my left side. Oddly enough my right foot tracks out a bit. Years and years of soccer as a right footed player, my leg swings naturally with my foot turned slightly out. Very easy for me to open my right hip, very difficult to open my left. No noise from extension or flexion. It’s more on the side than in the glute and definitely feels almost surface as opposed to a deeper pain like I would imagine piriformis feels like. Glutes are fairly loose. Hamstrings not so much. Tends to exasperate on the bike too which I find strange. No pain when sedentary at all. Only when up and putting weight on it. I did have bursitis to the point of being on crutches at one point during my college soccer career, so possibly I’m just genetically predisposed to irritable bursa sacs in that hip. Or more likely, something I’m doing in my running form, combined with being a bigger guy who is overweight, is causing an over use injury.
I trained very consistently from January - June. After A race in June I slowed way down with training. After final race in Aug I started to run again, but nowhere near the prior volume. Cue a summer cold, caused a week off from running. When I went back to running, the hip started to hurt and has been a nagging issue ever since. For about the last month. Some days way worse than others.
I am admittedly horrible at remembering to stretch and since slowing down on swimming I’ve noticed some core weakness, which I’ve recently started to address.
It sounds like your issue is slightly different from mine and since I’m not a PT or a MD, I can’t really help you that much. I, too, have core weaknesses, but they are slightly different from yours.
But I can tell you a couple things you can try. The first is to pay attention to how you walk - make sure that your feet are parallel to each other - it will feel uncomfortable at first. Second, in terms of stretching, you can do them when you are watching TV, reading in bed (when taking a break), etc… Somehow, your hamstrings are trying to compensate for some imbalances in your muscle usage.
You should consult a professional sports PT regarding the types of stretches you need. Talking to some very experienced yoga practitioners may also help. You can also google around for youtube just to get a rough idea what others have tried - it may give you some ideas for stretching or at least help a little with self-diagnosis.
I had Mri and all. Then my 2 year old was jumping on me and hit a spot on the front of my hip. Kinda top of hip flexor after that I could push in with my thumb and pinpoint it. You really got to push deep. I repeat do not run!! When it feels good wait another month. Then start short. The instant you feel even a twinge STOP. Trust me. I wasted all winter.
If it’s hurting on the outside of the bony protrusion on your hip, it sounds like your ITB (Illio Tibial Band). Caused by a tight ITB combined with tight hip flexors. Usually takes a while for the inflammation to reduce and needs longer term stretching program.
The tensor fascia lata is at the upper end of the ITB and goes right over the greater trochanter. It is engaged during the stance phase of the run stride cycle. If it is weak, or tight or the ITB is tight, this could be the cause. If so, strengthening, stretching and keeping your footfall quick and light (like Chi Running style), might help. Note: I’m NOT an orthopedist or a sportsmed doc, so I might be completely wrong on this.
Anyone have specific exercises to address this and/or the hip flexor? I know that I likely am a victim of both weakness and tightness. I think I have stretching down and will continue to work on flexibility, so any advice on strengthening is appreciated.