Please diagnose my running injury.

fabafter5
fabafter5 Posts: 200 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
I generally run 3-4 times a week T-TH Sat, Sunday if I feel up to it. I put in between 4 and and 8 miles each day. Back in July I was feeling good on a trail run and pushed myself past my normal limit. Ran faster and longer, about 8 miles. Shortly after that I got a nagging pain in my right hip. This isn't a muscular pain, it's deeper than that. It mainly hurts when I lift my left to put on my pants or something. It feels stiff I would say.

I started feeling this after every run so I began to cut mileage. I also do spinning on M-W-F and it doesn't hurt it one bit. In fact I never feel it when I am Spinning, or walking, just running.

I am wanting to train for a half marathon so i went to a Sports Medicine Specialist yesterday to get it checked out. he took Xrays and didn't see anything glaring. He said maybe it was just pinched cartilage over my hip socket that gets irritated? He couldn't explain why I don't feel it while cycling.

His advice was to lay of running completely and take ibuprofen 3x day for 3 weeks and then ease back into running and see if it flares up again and if it does go fo an MRI. I haven't run in a week because I have been away camping so mostly hiked/ walked. Right now I feel 100%. I've never tried to push past the pain. If It hurt, I would back off on the mileage.

Form wise I know that I don't lift my knees very high when I run. I pretty much only stretch and foam roll on T-TH because that is a formal Boot Camp Class.

I have 5 kids and exercise is my release. I have some anxiety issues and running and spinning seem to keep them at bay. I would hate to stop. Really confused on this whole thing.

Replies

  • pt85
    pt85 Posts: 28 Member
    Suggest "Chi Running" By Danny Dryer - He might be able to assist.
  • WarriorCupcakeBlydnsr
    WarriorCupcakeBlydnsr Posts: 2,150 Member
    Did Sports Medicine Specialist consider Bursitis? Since it's a soft tissue injury, it may not show on an X-ray. Basic treatment, is ice compress, rest, and anti inflammatories. My doc also gave me some stretches to do, and said that if it didn't clear up or became a chronic prob, she would recommend physical therapy, aspiration, and/or cortizone shots.

    If your running shoes are 4-6 months old, get new shoes (I had a runner recommend this to me, she said that depending on the frequency and distance of running, the shoes lose their cushioning and support.) Shift to walking with light jogging mixed in (I usually start walking for 1/4 mile to stretch my legs, jog for 1/4-1/2 mile then drop back down to walk for 1/4 mile and continue to do intervals for my entire time, no hard running.

    Would also suggest seeing an Orthopedist that specializes in hips/knees (I know it's not a knee problem, but most of the Orthos I know specialize in hip/knee, shoulder/neck/back, or hand/finger)
    Good luck, stay safe
  • brandyk77
    brandyk77 Posts: 605 Member
    Sounds like burtitis to me or a hip flexor pull.

    does it bother you when sleeping?
  • JustJennie1
    JustJennie1 Posts: 3,749 Member
    Why not do what your sports medicine specialist told you to do and then go back for an MRI if it continues?
  • carey593
    carey593 Posts: 7 Member
    Agreed on the bursitis possibility. Google IT Band stretches...
  • RenewedRunner
    RenewedRunner Posts: 423 Member
    My sports chiro spotted my Achilles issues long after I had gone to see the doctor about how bad my foot hurt all the time (military doctors sometimes....grrr... sorry I digress). Sometimes I have found that not everyone looks at the injury from the same starting point and may come to different conclusions depending on who is doing the looking.

    I really responded well to ART as I had started to change my gait to compensate for the AT stuff, which was making the hip on the other side hip hurt. It took about 3 ART sessions and my hip was allllll better. I loved it, it hurt so bad in a good way!

    Do you use a foam roller? (Edit: saw the answer to that. How about stretching? You may need to get in to a good stretching routine).
  • amh1974
    amh1974 Posts: 79 Member
    If you feel it deep in the joint it sounds like bursitis. Hit the motrin/advil/ibuprofen or aleve 24/7 for a week minimum even if the pain goes away, don't stop taking the (NSAIDS) anti-inflamatories. Tylenol is not an anti-inflammatory. Stretching is always great when it is done correctly. Having an MRI is a great idea. Cross training and doing other things that don't aggravate it is great as well.

    I'm not a big fan of chiropractors so make sure you go to one that knows his/her limits and knows when true diagnostics, medications and physical therapy are called for. Cortizone is generally a diagnostic tool. If they inject you, it is a very viscous liquid and hurts like hell. If the pain disappears with cortizone therapy it's an inflamatory process (like bursitis). Generally for most people cortizone is not a cure and the pain returns in a few weeks. Anything that ends in "itis" medically means inflammation.

    If you're having problems with your hips you may need to examine your feet! It's all about alignment. Seeing a podiatrist or orthopedic doctor would be great and they can order physical therapy. Skip the family doctor if you can. Most are not so up on this stuff. I work in an ER, I see it all the time... :P
  • josiereside
    josiereside Posts: 720 Member
    I had hip pain with running for a year plus.... I was never able to get a definitive diagnose through several second opinions, PT did not help, chiropractor did not really help. It was not until I started seeing an acupuncturist that I became pain free... Not sure if it will work for you but it did for me. I also do an exercise to help keep my hips aligned which is standing on a stair (with the "bad" side) and dipping the opposite leg down about 10-15 times once or twice a day. If you want more details, you can message me...

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