Recurring Painful hip after IT Band Syndrome?

So as the title says I'm having an awful time with this left hip. It hurts to lay on it at night. It's in the side of my hip slightly to the front and up from the protruding part (trochanter) of my hip bone. It's been keeping me awake sometimes. I take Advil for it when it's bad. I notice the pain almost immediately after running on the treadmill or outside and sometimes after mountain biking. I also notice it when I get up after sitting for a while. If I don't exercise for a few days it's calms down but I'm still 'aware' of it. It is seriously impacting my ability to exercise, I've gained about 15 pounds since this started almost a year ago when I hurt my IT band cycling. I suspect I may have one leg longer than the other but not sure. I'm actually trying an insert in my right shoe to see if that helps at all. I'm getting really frustrated because I want to run and bike and not have pain. I've been doing IT band stretches and rolling my IT band but it's just not keeping the pain at bay which makes me think something else is making it worse. That's why I'm trying the insert. I'm pretty much just experimenting but if any of you have had a similar experience let me know what helped you. I am just getting so annoyed and frustrated. I NEED to drop this weight because my family had a strong genetic propensity for Diabetes. Meaning EVERYONE in my family has it. I have been staying relatively fit by using the elliptical and weight training but I cannot do the type of exercise I like or want to do and it is depressing.

Replies

  • ModernNerd
    ModernNerd Posts: 336 Member
    I've had issues with this too after a nasty sports injury (yayy rugby!). The only thing I can recommend is talking to a physical therapist and simply remaining sensitive to your limitations, frustrating as it may be. Trust me, I get it but at the end of the day if it hurts, it hurts. Be patient, and don't aggravate it further if you're finding certain movements trigger pain.

    Best of luck :flowerforyou:
  • georgieb23
    georgieb23 Posts: 76 Member
    I would go and see your doctor and investigate it further. They may prescribe physio or may want to run further tests.

    I went to the doctors over 3 years ago with extreme hip pain and went through a lottttt of tests before they finally found out what was wrong with me. I was passed from doctor to doctor and surgeon to surgeon before they got to the bottom of it and I had 2 lots of surgery and intensive physio. Don't put off going to see your doctor, I could have done much further damage had I kept grinning and bearing it.

    And if it is just your IT band thats the problem (my problems were a bit more complicated) then a good physio will be able to teach you correct technique and exercises and may prescribe hydrotherapy to help too :) (I went through all this before they found the real problem!)
  • TheGymGypsy
    TheGymGypsy Posts: 1,023 Member
    I had a similar problem. I only felt mine while I was active though. Really the only thing that helped was staying off it for a week or two, stretching and rolling frequently, and then restarting.
  • jennalor
    jennalor Posts: 84 Member
    I have a similar pain though it only flares up when I'm doing cardio ( jogging, biking etc ), hurts for a couple of days (especially if I lay on my side), then goes away. My trainer said its my TFL. There are some stretches you can try. Of course I'm no doctor or licensed health anything so you should check with them.

    Here's a bit more info on TFL
    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tensor_fasciae_latae

    Hope you are pain free soon!
  • QuietBloom
    QuietBloom Posts: 5,413 Member
    Do you have a foam roller? I suffer from hip pain as well, and have found I can really target the sore spots with the roller. I have recently begun doing a serious of hip stabilizer strengtheners, as I suspect an imbalance is coming from somewhere, putting undue stress on my iliopsoas, inner thighs, and quads.

    http://blog.myoforce.net/articles/six-must-have-exercises-for-hip-stability.html
  • dlionsmane
    dlionsmane Posts: 674 Member
    I have hip, leg, butt pain I have had for several years. Been through everything from PT, to MRI, to Massage, chiropractor, acupuncture, meds, rest, ice, heat, etc.

    I only felt the pain mostly shooting down my leg while I was laying down... AKA.. Trying to sleep! Though it was also painful to walk and I often have a tightness or difficulty standing up from sitting for a long time (on the couch, watching a movie for example) I finally went to a orthopedist and he diagnosed it as Trochanteric Bursitis = inflammation of the bursa in the hip) The bursa can be pressed on by the IT band and cause issues with inflammation, which is what happened to me.

    Get it looked at by a professional. I would suggest an orthopedist.

    Also just as an FYI - exercise is NOT, I repeat NOT, necessary for weight loss. A Calorie deficit is the only thing necessary for weight loss. Exercise is a good way to raise endorphins and gain strength in muscles which may help with rehabilitating the affected area, But it is NOT necessary for weight loss.

    Good Luck!
  • HealthyFocused715
    HealthyFocused715 Posts: 340 Member
    I am just coming out of a running injury and your symptoms sound similar to mine (pain while trying to sleep, increased pain after exercise, etc) - I went to my primary care doc who put in a referral for physical therapy. PT started me on a regimen of ultrasound/massage while I was there and then frequent stretching when I was at home. Also ice immediately after working out, heat at other times. I kept running through the treatment the entire time (with their knowledge) because I wanted to heal while I was active (although I did cut back on how far I was running (4 miles every other day, down from HM training)). And I am feeling MUCH better!!

    I also had a leg that was longer than the other...that was because my hip "was out." Once they put it back "in" my legs were the same length again. And it felt so much better! Because my hip was out for so long, it kept going out, but over the course of treatment, it has started staying in more and more. They have also taught me how to put it back in on my own since I'm almost done with treatment.

    I have really had to up my stretching routine and I try to use my foam roller and go to yoga regularly.

    I can't emphasize enough how much this is helped and how happy I am to be feeling better doing the activities that I want. I probably waited 6 months before going to the doctor expecting the pain to heal with rest days and such but it never did...now of course, I wonder why I waited so long before going.

    And of course, it will be important to find providers who are supportive of your being active while addressing this issue. Some of the PTs did not want me exercising, doing yoga, etc...but that didn't make sense to me as I plan to be active after treatment (I start marathon training in Feb) so I just started scheduling with the ones who were supportive.

    Best of luck! Go find someone who is experienced in these sorts of injuries and get back to what you love! If you have any other questions you think I could answer, let me know.
  • Persephone7676
    Persephone7676 Posts: 91 Member
    You guys are great! Thanks so much for you quick responses. You are confirming some things I already suspected, like the trochanteric bursitis and leg length discrepancy brought on by a misaligned pelvis. I do have a foam roller but like I said the benefits are never more than an hour or so and then the pain returns. Over a couple of days it will mostly subside but is still tight / stiff and uncomfortable. I guess I am certainly going to have to watch my calories much closer since I can't work out like I want. I hate counting calories so much. As an avid cyclist I have not needed to do much of it till now. My BF is a PT and he is telling me to use heel cup inserts but he said to put them in both shoes. I'm not sure I agree, but then again, I'm not a PT. It just seems like if one leg was longer then you'd want to correct that first, right? He hasn't extensively accessed my situation as we live 600 miles apart.
  • Azdak
    Azdak Posts: 8,281 Member
    You guys are great! Thanks so much for you quick responses. You are confirming some things I already suspected, like the trochanteric bursitis and leg length discrepancy brought on by a misaligned pelvis. I do have a foam roller but like I said the benefits are never more than an hour or so and then the pain returns. Over a couple of days it will mostly subside but is still tight / stiff and uncomfortable. I guess I am certainly going to have to watch my calories much closer since I can't work out like I want. I hate counting calories so much. As an avid cyclist I have not needed to do much of it till now. My BF is a PT and he is telling me to use heel cup inserts but he said to put them in both shoes. I'm not sure I agree, but then again, I'm not a PT. It just seems like if one leg was longer then you'd want to correct that first, right? He hasn't extensively accessed my situation as we live 600 miles apart.

    The heel cups are meant for stability control, which is good in your case regardless.

    I would look your whole hip complex, including working to strengthen your glutes and also your hip rotators-. There are some researchers now suggesting that IT band issues are more related to weak glutes than a tight IT band.

    Here is a stretch that some people have found helpful:

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2qZ517Rw7ME

    I certainly did.

    The problem with some of these long-standing injuries is that they can sometimes start as one thing but then evolve into something else. In any case, these interventions won't make things worse .
  • mahanaibu
    mahanaibu Posts: 505 Member
    Going through this myself. Thought I was all cured after a few months at PT. uh, not so.

    One thing, your description of it hurting to lie on sounds like bursitis rather than IT band. You can have both--I did. The roller is great for IT band, not really for bursitis. building core strength, doing exercises such as elliptical rather than dance or floor cardio (which pull the joint into funny positions, and at a fast pace). Another symptom of bursitis--is the pain lessened after you've warmed up and been moving for awhile?

    Ice after working out has been a huge help. and ibuprofen before working out, to prevent inflammation. I wish it weren't so and that I didn't need all this coddling to do some basic exercise, but so it is.

    Not suggesting myself as a diagnostician, but these might be questions you want to raise with your doctor or PT.
  • papyapa
    papyapa Posts: 24 Member
    Hey. I have had a killer hip for the last 6 weeks. All began one day after running. I have been in so much pain ( getting up from the couch, toilet etc ) BUT sleeping was the worst. Cried a couple nights. Out of pain and exhaustion. Anytime I moved I woke up it hurt so bad. Went to Dr, went to a Chiropractor. Went back to Dr. Turns out i have Bursitis. Common in runners. Google it. Not much you can do. REST IT. I tried pushing through, I tried waiting 3 weeks till it felt a little better- set myself back again. I'm now at 6 weeks and it almost feels about 90%. I am going to start seeing a Physio next week. Dr. wants me to try that before resorting to Cortisone shot. Try Advil. I took 2 a day for 5 days. Took away much pain and helped speed the healing ( takes away some inflammation in the bursitis. Ice packs, and stretch stretch stretch. Anytime I had a few free mins. I would stretch. SOOOOO BORING but I think that was key to my healing. Check your shoes, run on opposite sides of the roads ( as the roads will curve for rain etc so running on the same side you are always going to have one hip slightly higher then the other ) Dr also suggested walking with a cane for a while. Just to take most pressure off that hip for a bit.
    Good luck. It sucks. I put on weight. I was depressed cause I couldn't run and running was my thing! So I've stopped for a while and have started the 30 day shred and walking on a heavy incline on my treadmill. I will run again one day!
    Good luck!
  • The_WoIverine
    The_WoIverine Posts: 367 Member
    I have horrible IT Band Syndrome. I'm still trying to find a solution for it. Among the many things I have read, part of the problem is due to weakness of the abductors of the hip. This of course, will cause pain to some people with ITBS on the hip.

    Among may of the articles I have read online, part of the road to get rid of ITBS and hip pain is to strengthen the abductor muscles of the hip.

    Although my knees still hurt, since I started doing exercises for this muscles at the gym, whenever I run (until my knees start to hurt) I don't get this hip discomfort/pain anymore.

    Hopefully you'll get to figure out what's going on and take care of it.
  • Persephone7676
    Persephone7676 Posts: 91 Member
    You all are so amazing and I really appreciate your responses. I've been in LOOOOONG classes lately prepping for my board exams and sitting for nearly 8 hours. Azdak I did those sitting stretches you posted and it DID help. I wasn't getting so stiff sitting. I just have to keep that up.

    Papaya I was thinking the same about the bursitis and pretty sure I have both going on. I will try the heat. That may be why my PT boyfriend was suggesting heating it before bed. I also noticed the roller was aggravating the hip right over the bony part so I stopped doing it there and just use it high up. I actually don't 'roll' it as much as just lean on it with a little movement to stretch that front hip muscle out and that really helps it plus I don't have to put my other knee in a weird torqued position and hold it.

    Wolverine I have really upped my strength training. Been using the hip add and abductor machines. Doing lunges (carefully), really trying to target the glutes when I do them. I also do the other machines for back, abs, arms etc. I too find the elliptical the best option and the incline on the treadmill.

    I have an appointment next week with a chiropractor. I highly suspect my IT band has somewhat retracted causing the misalignment of my pelvis. I just need someone there to confirm that.