{"id":25392,"date":"2023-09-20T14:13:11","date_gmt":"2023-09-20T12:13:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.220triathlon.com\/?p=7646"},"modified":"2023-09-20T16:47:18","modified_gmt":"2023-09-20T14:47:18","slug":"hip-pain-when-running-diagnosis-and-causes","status":"publish","type":"rss_feed","link":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/220triathlon\/rss_feed\/hip-pain-when-running-diagnosis-and-causes\/","title":{"rendered":"Hip pain when running: diagnosis and causes"},"content":{"rendered":"

Sore hips, while common among triathletes, are difficult to diagnose and treat. Luckily 220 physio Emma Deakin knows the signs, symptoms and solutions for hip problems and injuries <\/p>

By Emma Deakin\n \t\t<\/p>

Published: Wednesday, 20 September 2023 at 12:13 PM<\/p>

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Due to the demands of the sport, hip pain is a common occurrence in triathletes, particularly hip pain when running.<\/strong><\/p>\n

It can be difficult to correctly diagnose and treat, as pain can come from structures within the hip joint itself, or from structures surrounding the hip joint.<\/p>\n

It may be felt in front of the hip as groin pain, on the outside of the hip, or at the back in the buttock.<\/p>\n

The hip is the largest ball-and-socket joint in the body, connecting the thigh bone (femoral head) snugly into a cup-shaped socket (acetabulum) in the pelvis. It bears our body\u2019s weight (up to six times in running) and the force of the muscles of the hip and leg.<\/p>\n

In addition the hip joint is also one of our most flexible joints and allows a large range of movement.<\/p>\n

Muscles, tendons and ligaments all support the hip, as well as several fluid-filled sacks or bursea. In short, there\u2019s a lot to go wrong!<\/p>\n

Most hip issues are simple and involve overuse or tendonopathies of the muscles that attach into the hip such as the hip flexors and hamstrings.<\/p>\n

Illio tibial band<\/strong><\/a> and piriformis syndrome are also common in running sports and need to be ruled out by assessment from a physiotherapist.<\/p>\n

If these common ailments have been ruled out, then a number of deeper structures may be responsible for your pain.<\/p>\n

Here we\u2019ll look at three such injuries and the common signs and symptoms associated with them.<\/p>\n

3 potential causes of hip pain when running<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Labral tears<\/strong><\/h3>\n

What is it?<\/strong><\/p>\n

The labrum is a band of cartilage surrounding the hip, providing additional stability of the joint.<\/p>\n

The labrum can be torn or injured as a result of trauma, such as a fall or bike crash, but is most commonly caused by repetitive trauma to the hip joint.<\/p>\n

Running with poor biomechanics or with ineffective muscle balance and function around the hip can be responsible. A labral tear results when a part of the labrum separates or is pulled away from the socket.<\/p>\n

What causes it?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Hip labral tears may result from a combination of several different variables, including: bony abnormalities in the hip joint (hip impingement); hip muscle tightness; hip muscle weakness; poor technique or biomechanics with repetitive activities; and high volumes of running.<\/p>\n

The signs and symptoms include\u2026<\/strong><\/p>\n

A deep ache in the front of your hip or groin; painful clicking or \u2018catching\u2019 with hip movements; increased pain with prolonged sitting; a sharp pain in the hip with end-range hip flexion.<\/p>\n

Stress fractures<\/strong><\/h3>\n

What is it?<\/strong><\/p>\n

During running the hip joint has to absorb a lot of load. Repeated load and overuse can result in a stress fracture of the hip, most commonly the neck of the femur.<\/p>\n

A stress fracture is a small break in the bone in an area that is repetitively put under stress where the bone can\u2019t recover.<\/p>\n

What causes it?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Sudden increases in training load and volume; training when fatigued; poor run mechanics causing overload; unsuitable footwear; nutritional factors; low vitamin D levels; poor lower limb muscular conditioning.<\/p>\n

Trochanteric hip bursitis<\/strong><\/h3>\n

What is it?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Bursas are small sacks of fluid, found between bones and soft tissues, particularly tendons. They protect the soft tissue from rubbing against the underlying bone, reducing friction.<\/p>\n

If the overlying tissues are too tight or biomechanically ineffective the bursa itself can sometimes become inflamed and irritated.<\/p>\n

There are lots of bursas around the hip joint, but the most commonly injured is the trochanteric bursa. It sits on the outside of the hip, over a bony protrusion of the femur (the greater trochanter), and separates the bone from the ilio tibial band.<\/p>\n

What causes it?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Overuse\/repeated friction; large increases in run volume; muscle tightness (ITB); faulty lower limb biomechanics; weak glutes, causing overload through the hips; direct trauma to the area.<\/p>\n

The signs and symptoms include.. <\/strong><\/p>\n

Pain on the outside of the hip; pain worse after running; pain radiating down the side of the thigh; pain lying on the injured side; pain on palpation directly over the site of the bursea; swelling over the lateral side of the hip.<\/p>\n

So as you can see, the hip is a complicated joint. It\u2019s important to see a doctor or physiotherapist to get any issue correctly diagnosed, so that any investigations and treatment are effective.<\/p>\n