Hip pain after running?

DesertStar86
DesertStar86 Posts: 41 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
I'm new to running (and exercise in general). I'm currently doing C25K and completed Week 2 Day 1 last night. It went well, but today my right hip is hurting - most noticeable when my right foot hits the ground. Not terrible pain but definitely not normal. My left knee was also aching but that seems to have stopped.

I'm somewhat out of alignment - I think from many years of bad posture (I lean to the right) - and do have a very slight curve higher up in my spine but apparently nothing to be concerned about.

In the last year and a half I've had two flare ups of piriformis syndrome on my right hand side. Saw a chiropractor initially and wasn't convinced so saw a physio, but by then the pain had gone so she just gave me some stretches to do at home. My doctor gave me the run around for a month so I didn't get anything useful done while I was actually in huge amounts of pain...

Not sure if everything is interconnected? I have EXTREMELY tight hamstrings. If I lie on my back I cannot put my legs up straight - even when I was 6 years old I couldn't...

On the rare occassion I've been massaged, in general all of my muscles are very tight and painful.

Any thoughts? Stretches I can try?

I'm not happy to abandon the running program as I can already feel an improvement in my fitness and I'm enjoying it, so if it's something I can run through then I will.

I live in the Middle East so it's not easy for me to just find a bunch of practitioners to try, like I would if I was in UK.

Replies

  • Carrieendar
    Carrieendar Posts: 493 Member
    THE MYRTL ROUTINE!

    www.njsportsmed.com/files/myrtl_routine.pdf
  • ritan7471
    ritan7471 Posts: 99 Member
    THE MYRTL ROUTINE!

    www.njsportsmed.com/files/myrtl_routine.pdf

    Thank you so much! I've had a tight left hip for years resulting in a lot of pain after running and I've been looking for a routine to help with that!
  • KayandBelle
    KayandBelle Posts: 22 Member
    You need to strengthen your core. I had the same issue and it took a year of core strengthening but it WORKS! Go online and find videos for bridges, hamstring strengthening, knee strengthening and side lying leg lift , single leg bridges. You must do these correctly. Here is one video link http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jgh6sGwtTwk. Don't give up. I went to a running clinic and had pt for a severe hip injury from running. I did these religiously 3-5 x a week while training for a double race, a 10K and half marathon. I am 53 and stronger than ever. I had a tilted pelvis all my life, but when I started running at age 51, it caused much pain. The pt worked and now I walk without a duck foot and run without hip pain. Good Luck.
  • katlala84
    katlala84 Posts: 14 Member
    I'm no doctor so just speaking from my experience. I have a history of leg alignment issues and I generally get knee pains and pain in my right hip after I run. When I saw a dr about it he said I had bursitis (an inflammation of sorts) and flat feet - in addition to the joint pain, the bursitis generally makes the side of my legs very tight and sensitive to touch.

    I've found that the pain has greatly been improved by strength training - doing lunges, squats, etc. By making my legs stronger, the pain in my hip is reduced so much.

    Also ibuprofin helps to manage the pain (as it helps with the swelling).
  • Carrieendar
    Carrieendar Posts: 493 Member
    THE MYRTL ROUTINE!

    www.njsportsmed.com/files/myrtl_routine.pdf

    Thank you so much! I've had a tight left hip for years resulting in a lot of pain after running and I've been looking for a routine to help with that!

    Changed my running life after having kids! this was the only thing that seemed to help get my hip area back in running shape.
  • Jennkies
    Jennkies Posts: 382 Member
    THE MYRTL ROUTINE!

    www.njsportsmed.com/files/myrtl_routine.pdf

    Awesome. I'm going to try these stretches as well. Thanks :)
  • hbrittingham
    hbrittingham Posts: 2,518 Member
    I had a lot of hip pain when I first started running. I found that if I did a lot of stretching before and after, that helped. Mine was my sacroiliac joint. Now that I run regularly (3-4 times a week), I think my muscles have adapted to my using them and I just don't have much hip pain at all any more. I do still stretch before and after because I find if my hamstrings are tight, I have more hip pain.
  • MinnieInMaine
    MinnieInMaine Posts: 6,400 Member
    THE MYRTL ROUTINE!

    www.njsportsmed.com/files/myrtl_routine.pdf

    These would be great to do before (as a dynamic stretch) and after a run! Thanks for sharing!

    OP, how about the stretches that doc gave you - try doing those again.
  • Janlo26
    Janlo26 Posts: 30 Member
    You need to strengthen your core...

    Yes, this sounds right. Especially since you say you've never been able to raise your legs up straight. Weak abdominal and back muscles probably contribute to this.

    Core strength seems to me the most neglected area of training for most people I've talked to who've start new training programmes without the advice of a professional trainer.

    A bit off topic but you seem to realize that you also need to stretch more - having a daily stretching routine is highly under rated.

    Best of luck!
  • knitapeace
    knitapeace Posts: 1,013 Member
    I have three generations of hip issues in my family. When I first started running I experienced some pain in my right hip, but I just adjusted my workouts to it and pushed through (not to the point of injury). I took the winter off running and did indoor workout videos that incorporated strength training, and that seems to have helped my hip immeasurably. My flexibility is better on that side too, thanks to all the stretching. So I'd say add strength and stretches and give it time. I'm back to running again and while I sometimes "feel" that hip I wouldn't call it pain anymore. Of course if as you say it just feels "wrong" then you should see a doctor about it.

    I'm off to check out that Myrtl link now!
  • saskie78
    saskie78 Posts: 237 Member
    I second the myrtle. I've also dealt with piriformis on the left side and hip pain on the right. Myrtled it mostly away :)
  • DesertStar86
    DesertStar86 Posts: 41 Member
    Thanks for all the suggestions! I shall try and get my Myrtle on tonight...
  • DesertStar86
    DesertStar86 Posts: 41 Member
    So, following on from my initial post... 2 days after posting the pain had subsided so I headed out for C25K Week 2 Day 2. I completed the session but halfway through the hip pain came back and has been with me ever since...

    I was running on a slight incline, down hill on the way, uphill on the way back. I haven't done any running since then and I'm not really seeing any drastic improvement. I've been doing stretches and also some yoga for hips/hamstrings/lower back but if anything they make the discomfort more pronounced the following day...

    It's not super painful, but it's constant. I don't feel it when I'm sitting down but every time my right foot hits the floor when I walk or go up/down stairs, I feel it. Tender is the word I'd use to describe it. Almost like a bruise.

    I also have pain on the inside of my left knee. Started at the same time. The hip pain is on the right.

    My running shoes are Nike Free and I find them really comfortable. I have access to a track for running that I will use if I ever mend - I just prefer the street for the changing scenery...

    My online looking seems to suggest bursitis, maybe?

    Any thoughts/ideas or should I just keep stretching until the pain stops? I might try a JM DVD later and see how that goes... It is SO FRUSTRATING that I was just beginning to enjoy exercise and this happens... I'm annoyed :(
  • playadelcarmen2
    playadelcarmen2 Posts: 38 Member
    I have had this problem many times, my hip pops
    out which gives you runners knee. I go to my chiro,
    and he puts it back into place and after a day or two
    off, all is well. I would look up runners knee, and see
    if the symptoms fit.
    Good luck
  • _Terrapin_
    _Terrapin_ Posts: 4,301 Member
    Stretching pre and post run is vital for keeping soreness in check. In Run Less Run Faster 9 separate stretches. Something which takes a while to get through is the muscles and tendons are all interconnected. So IT can be impacted by a knee issue or a hip issue. If you look up chains and various stretches be sure to include, legs, hips, glutes, calves, and so on. A good 8-10 minutes of stretching and easy and deep breathing usually leads to a more enjoyable run. Best of luck.
  • hbrittingham
    hbrittingham Posts: 2,518 Member
    If your hip started hurting while you were running, you were likely favoring it a bit, which would affect your knee on the opposite side. Have you tried icing your hip after you exercise? That would help with any inflammation that might be going on.
  • wilsoje74
    wilsoje74 Posts: 1,720 Member
    New runners generally have some discomfort, so it's not unusual.
  • timeasterday
    timeasterday Posts: 1,368 Member
    You might give Active Release Therapy a try. That helped a lot for my hip issues. A good therapist can *kitten* hip weakness. Or just try some single-leg squats in front of a mirror. If your knee wants to dive inwards you have a weak hip on that side. A weak hip can cause pain in a lot of other areas. Also, running on the side of streets doesn't help, if that's where you are typically running. The crown of the road causes all sorts of issues.
  • Lori02139
    Lori02139 Posts: 60 Member
    Hi - How you've been doing since your last post?

    I am new to running, too, and started having hip pain in my right joint when I switched to a new sneaker - that I was fitted for!

    I'm doing C25K, but haven't been able to run for the past week. It's very discouraging. I'm going to try the stretches recommended earlier in the post. I may also switch back to my old sneaker and try walking with the new shoe until it's broken in a bit.
  • snowflake954
    snowflake954 Posts: 8,399 Member
    bump--cause I love stretches before a workout.
  • lemurcat12
    lemurcat12 Posts: 30,886 Member
    You need to strengthen your core. I had the same issue and it took a year of core strengthening but it WORKS! Go online and find videos for bridges, hamstring strengthening, knee strengthening and side lying leg lift , single leg bridges. You must do these correctly.

    This. I had issues with my hips (right at the top, side to front), kind of alternating, when I used to run some years ago, and when I started up again after a length layoff I ended up with the same problem which progressed to my knees. I ended up seeing a PT because of a likely unrelated knee injury (I stepped on a rock and twisted my knee), but we talked about the other issue and worked on my form, and doing this reminded me of how I'd cured the problem before. For me, at least, it's muscle imbalances and the fact that some muscles are underdeveloped and aren't doing their part when running, so you end up putting too much pressure on the other ones. Working the core in general helps, but in addition I've been focusing on the hamstrings, glutes, and hip abductors.

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