Runners - Ever get severe hip pain?

I'm an athletic trainer (Got the pretty piece of paper from George Mason University)

It could be a couple things. If you wanna pm me, I could get more info and try to help you figure out what's doing if you'd like.

I have hip pain when I run and then for a day or so after....dr said its hip flexor and I need to strengthen and stretch those muscles. This may or may not be your problem. The other thing you need to be careful of is making sure you are wearing proper running shoes. If you plan to run, you should be fitted for shoes at a running store. It makes a HUGE difference.

Wow, I am going thru the same thing and I have been training on the TM to do my first ever 5K at the end of this month and I am so afraid the pain is going to keep me from doing it! I will keep reading your responses. If you get anything real good thru email please let me know.
Peace! :flowerforyou:

I kind of have this problem as well and I know a few things you can try. For me it was Sciatica. After asking around I got some advice to get the proper shoes. So I went to a running store (not like sporting good store, but a real running store) and they helped me find out the right shoes.. A good store will have people who can watch the way you walk and match the support you need. After I bought my shoes the pain went away pretty ( within a week or so). I am still new and trying to build up speed and endurance. Unfortunately I found if I try too much too fast I still can get that pain. The other day I did intervals at a much higher speed then I normally do and aggravated my back.. From now on I am going to build my way up. I am so glad I found those shoes. I've tried running so many times and stopped because of the Sciatica.

A few years back when I started dabbling in running my right hip was down right painful, couldn't even lay on that side when I was laying down. It turned out to be bursitis and I rested it and it went away but came back when I tried to run again (not really a runner but want to be).. I have been dabbling in running AGAIN and this time no hip pain. Try to rest it, stretch better. Might need new sneakers too.

Being in pain where you can hardly walk is not normal.
It could be any path the things that precut posters have suggested but none of us know for sure.
I highly recommend that you get yourself to a physiotherapist to help you work out exactly where the problem lies.
You might benefit from exercise... or rest, or stretching, or icing, or heat, or anti-inflammatories. Unti you know what the issues is you won't be able to treat it effectively.

Stretching and foam rolling IT, quads, hamstrings and piriformis muscles after each run really helps. May be a good idea to back off the interval runs to only 1x a week and substitute the other run outdoors at a slower pace but longer time frame. You might find you may enjoy running even more when you take the pressure off of yourself for all runs to be really fast. Good luck!

No, definitely not normal! It could be so many things. Go see a physio, especially if you can find someone who specializes in runners or athletes. Regular GPs are not very useful in sports injuries, in my experience.

Reduce activity or intensity level until you are not in pain and do that level for a few days - even if that means total rest. You have either injured something or are on the verge of injuring - rest is best. Believe me, you want to nip it in the bud before you do something more serious and have to take off weeks from exercising.

You say you are new to running, only been running "a couple of weeks." Truly new runners should not be adding intervals or speed work at all. Your body has to adjust to the work of running. First build endurance and train your soft tissues and develop good running form. Beginners should start by running at a comfortable speed a few times a week and slowly adding distance. I've read anything from 3 months to 1 year of building a base of running before adding speed work. Usually the guide is something like 20+ easy miles a week for at least 3 months. RunnersWorld or CoolRunnings sites have great info for speed work for beginners.

If you want to add intensity - add incline on the treadmill while walking, add in some jump rope, or use the stair climber. Sprinting when you have only been running for a few weeks will most likely end in injury - even if you are otherwise fit. Fitness on the elliptical is not the same thing as being running fit. You just can't compare other activities to running (or different activities, in general).

Here are sites with more info on adding speed for beginner runners:

http://www.coolrunning.com/engine/2/2_1/105.shtml
http://running.about.com/od/faqsforbeginners/f/Should-I-Try-To-Improve-My-Distance-Or-Speed.htm
http://running.about.com/od/speedworkouts/tp/8-Rules-For-Speed-Training.htm
http://www.runnersworld.co.uk/general/speedwork-for-every-runner/167.html

It could be something as serious as a stress fracture (a friend of mine developed one in her hip a year ago while training for a 25k race), or it could be overstressed muscles or tendons.

BUT...why are you doing speed work? Most running experts warn very strongly against doing any sort of speed work unless a person has been doing 20-30 mile weeks solidly for a minimum of 6 months. When I was a new runner I developed some relatively minor hip flexor tenderness about 6 months into my running "career," just before my first half-marathon. At that time I had been doing 30+ miles/week for only a very short time. I lived and learned and nearly was unable to run my race. Even now, after running for 6 solid years, I won't do any speed work unless I've been logging 20+ mile weeks consistently for at least a couple of months.

I'm going to go back and read everyone's responses, but please please please listen to my advice. Go to a doctor. I know it isn't what you want to hear. It wasn't what I wanted, either.

I run marathons. A lot of them. 3 weeks before the Boston Marathon I had hip pain. Not super severe and it would subside when I ran. I ran and finished Boston very strong. The pain didn't go away. I finally went to the doctor. I have a stress fracture in my femoral shaft - basically your thigh bone.

Even though I ran on it, I took care of it pretty early and I don't require as much time off. However, it could have been worse - it could have been in the femoral neck, which is part of your hip. Femoral neck fractures mean crutches and if not taken care of immediately could require surgery. If it's not a fracture, it could be a labrum tear in the hip.

Or it could be absolutely NONE of those things - which I sincerely hope. I was so against going to the doctor this time - I mean, I run 50-60 miles/week for the past 7 years - I know when enough is enough, right? I am just thankful I went when I did. I had my first physical therapy appointment yesterday and we targeted the weak muscle that might be responsible for this. You will be much stronger if you take care of it now. Running is a wonderful hobby!!!!!

Having read everyone's replies I thought is share my own experience of hip pain. Back in December I started to notice pain in my hip after running, in particular treadmill sprints, I seemed to be getting pain in my leading leg, the leg in use first in the running treadmill, after a few weeks the pain got excruciating, even after having rested for a few days, I also noticed I was tripping on nothing like my leg was catching behind me, so I went to the ER. I was told it was likely to be pulled muscle and was prescribed anti-inflammitories and muscle relaxants, I had to ask for crutches I was in that much pain! After several days the pain was still as bad so I booked into the Chiropractor and for a sports massage, I had this on 2 seperate occasions and they we're also baffled at the ammount of pain I was in. A week later I found out exactually what was wrong with me when walking holding a weight plate my hip popped, thinking I may have dislocated it I called my hubby to taker to the hospital,
I was taken through to X-ray and was totally dumbfounded when the doctor came through to tell me I had broken, yes broken my hip, the femoral head had litterally broken away from the bone, so that afternoon I was rushed into emergency surgery and came out with 3 pins hiding me together. I still keep asking myself how at 31 can I break my hip?? I'm fit and healthy with no underlying conditions, I exercise a lot and it would seem the constant impact has caused a stress fracture which went undiagnosed and got worse and worse until it broke. I'm 7 months post surgery and still not fixed and maybe facing further surgery! No more running for me