An Unhappy Hip

[firenze11]

I have been training for the 2 day breast cancer walk for a few weeks now and have noticed some new hip pain. I'm going to my doc in a few weeks for a physical and will probably ask her about it then because I know hip pain can be hard to diagnose. I did want to see if there was any advice in the meantime from you super-knowledgeable athletes.

The pain is on the outside of my hip, very localized, at the widest part of my right hip only. The pain is kind of sharp, not really aching, hurts the most when I take a step with my right leg, and is strong enough to really irritate me after about 4-5 miles. It generally stops not too long after I stop walking. I have brand new shoes which feel amazing on (and no more shin splints! yay!), so I don't think it is the shoes. I don't seem to have the problem when I am cycling and haven't even noticed it when I run, but I've only run once since this problem started. I have been doing some hip stretches and I think it might be helping a bit - mainly pigeon and bound angle pose.

I'm guessing it has something to do with my IT Band but I'm also a bit concerned about my actual skeletal structure. When I check my hip height in the mirror there is a huge difference, my right hip is a good 1-1.5 inches lower than my left hip. I don't know if this is just normal and everyone has a degree of it, though.

I'm going to go look into a foam roller today maybe. Thanks!

[tulip]

Ask your doctor. I had hip problems and found for me that chiropractor and Pilates really helped. But your doctor should be the place to start.

However, if he/she simply suggests painkillers, go to another doctor. You want to find the source of the pain so you can correct what's causing it.

[TahoeDirtGirl]

An uneven hip is usually muscle imbalances but which ones, you would need to see a physical therapist for that.

Foam rolling the IT band is probably a good start. I should be rolling mine too but uhhhhhhhhh ...I also roll my glutes, hamstrings and calves. I love rolling my back too.

Look online for some hip stretches as well. I know I have tight hip flexors from sitting and sometimes I get it with riding too, it's so hard to explain those stretches, but one is like doing a lunge but you tilt your pelvis like 'bad dog' so it's the opposite of sticking your butt out. This will stretch some muscles which might be tight, but not the one that is giving you pain. Sometimes that helps because the imbalanced ones aren't the ones that are usually painful, it's the other muscles that are doing their job that get painful. Usually not sharp pain tho...

Don't dismiss shoes either. I was just enlightened on how much my arch supports aren't working by a PT- he just pushed on the support and it collapsed. How is that for 'common sense'? :D

[alpinerabbit]

mmm have yourself be checked for pronation, dropped arches and the kind of things in addition to the length discrepancy you are describing. My hip acted up because of the kneeing-in you get from overpronating...

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

If this is a significant problem I would opt for the doctor's and getting an xray.

Stretching is probably good for it, as is moderate walking. If the pain is on the outside of the hip joint, then it could be an inflamed bursa like I had. OW.
My chiropractor told me that most actually hip joint bone problems hurt on the inner side of the hip joint, not the outside.
Still, sounds like a doctor visit is in order.

[firenze11]

Hmm, yeah it definitely sounds like I will be asking my doctor about this soon. I've also noticed that it acts up a lot when I swim, only when doing breaststroke, but to the point that I can't do the stroke at all after a couple of laps. And yesterday I was napping the fetal position and my hip aching actually woke me up from the nap - which is actually what prompted me to post.

The pain does feel like it is on the outside and when I googled it, I saw inflamed bursa could be a problem, too.

The muscle imbalance thing also sounds interesting.

I don't think the pain is from pronation. I just got brand new running shoes and was fitted/evaluated. Apparently I'm neutral and have a moderate to high arch. (As a side note, I have to thank TE again b/c you all convinced me I needed to get fitted and it was really worth it. Apparently I've been buying the wrong shoes for years.) And if it was from something going on with pronation or my arches I would think swimming wouldn't cause it. But it could end up being something with support or something the running room woman didn't see.

Tulip - I agree about avoiding the pain killers/meds the doctor might try to prescribe. I haven't taken anything OTC yet, either. At this point I feel like it should be fixable and I want be able to become more athletic, not mask anything right now.

Thanks for all the info. You've confirmed my suspicion that a doctor's visit is in order. Dang it! I'm heading to the mobility store today so hopefully they will have a roller.

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

And yesterday I was napping the fetal position and my hip aching actually woke me up from the nap - which is actually what prompted me to post.

In the meantime, put a pillow between your knees when sleeping on your side, to keep the joint straighter and you'll avoid the aching pain- if it's the bursa, that will help.
Make sure you are getting plenty of protein so your tissues and muscles can heal faster.

[tulip]

Oh, I'm not against pain killers when they are needed. At my hip's worst, I was so happy to have them; they allowed me to sleep. But getting to the cause of the pain is key.

sleeping with a pillow between the knees has really helped me, too.

[colby]

I have had seriously fun hip problems for a while now, and still don't know the answers - but mine are inside than outside problems so YMMV.

You'll want to be sure to stretch your hip flexors, quads, glutes, back, and core muscles where you can. You'll find that even if those aren't the cause of your problem, they are further irritation and symptoms of your problem, and will make the rest of your journeys less comfortable. Everything gets mad and tightens up, and you pay for your injury all over the place.

A chiropractor helped me out hugely making sure my joints were aligned and in the same "length" and position so I was more symmetrical - whatever was pulling me "off" had me in a vicious cycle where I'd compensate with the left or walk funny on my right, knocking off my joints and muscles and everything all over the place. Not all chiropractors adjust extremities, so you'll want to ask about that if it is something you consider. I had one guy who touched my hip once even though I constantly complained about it, and switched to a guy who has many techniques to adjust my back AND extremities (like my hips, ankles, and shoulders).

Massages helped me loosen stubborn muscles that even stretching didn't want to get rid of. Upper quads, lower quads, hip flexors, glutes, back, neck, you name it, all the way up the chain. I could get some of them by stretching, yoga, or luck, but the massage person (or my husband and the roller massager dealie) could work them out much more.

In a previous injury, I had acupuncture, which was really helpful, way more than I expected -- but this was AFTER I ruled out any medical cause for my problem (tears, fractures, separations, etc). I may end up there with my hip, too.

This time, I started with the chiropractor, a sports-specific dude that I trust, who referred me to a massage guy that he trusted, and an orthopedic dude that he trusts, too, if I need an MRI or anything. I did have x-rays to rule out stress fractures. I know in some cases they'll recommend the anti-inflammatories (okay, but only for a couple days to see if it makes a difference), then the evil cortisone injection (to which I say no no no). I have trepidation about PT after negative experiences, but if it was recommended by someone I trusted, I'd give it a shot again.

The whole process works much better if you are vocal, able to describe your problems verbally and possibly visually ("it hurts when I move like this, sharp pain" or "it feels like my hip has to rotate around at this part of my stride" or "when I sleep like this, it hurts here"), and take note of changes as you notice them. You're the most invested in the process (hey, it's your money!) but also have the most to gain from answers.

[KnottedYet]

Leg length discrepency can mess things up pretty good, and cause a gazillion symptoms.

What you want to find out is: is it a true LLD (bones are different lengths) or a functional LLD? (muscle behaviour is making you have a "faux" LLD)

A really rough screen is where the doc will measure from the pointy bit on the front of your hip crest (the anterior superior iliac spine) to the inner ankle bone (medial malleolus) on each leg. Then do the navel to each medial malleolus. If anything looks funny, the doc then orders an x-ray to get a true measurement and assessment.

Tell your doc you notice the hip heights in the mirror, tell him if you've always had pant cuffs mismatched, and if you tend to kick yourself in the ankles when you run, and tell him how many years you've noticed all this. Also tell him about any aches and pains. This kind of stuff can be very important info.

Everybody is lopsided. When your body isn't coping with its lopsidedness it will start hollering for some help. If you have a true or faux LLD, it might NOT be the cause of the problem, but always good to look at it to be sure.

[firenze11]

Wow! I feel like you all have given me great advice and armed me for my trip to the doctor. I'm (hopefully) going for a 6 mile walk tomorrow so I'll try to find the right way to describe it for her (maybe it won't even hurt! fingers crossed)

Colby, thanks for sharing your whole process and info, it's really helpful for me. I think you're right about being vocal and being really specific with descriptions.

Knot, thanks for more info about LLD. I've always known my hips were obviously at different heights but just assumed everyone else had the same thing to a degree. After having this weird hip pain it made me think that could be the cause. I will definitely be bringing it up with my doctor and hopefully, if she sees something off, she'll check into it.

And I'm sorry if I came off sounding anti-medication. I completely agree that medication can be like a savior in a lot of cases. The only thing I dislike about my doctor is that she does seem too eager to prescribe medication sometimes without doing more detective work first.

Oh, and I couldn't find a foam roller anywhere around here. I opted for some tennis balls instead, which I taped together. It was kind of like getting a really deep tissue massage and felt good afterward.

Thanks again, I'll let you know how my appointment goes.

[tulip]

taping tennis balls together--brilliant!!

You can also go to the local home supply store and pick up some big-diameter PVC pipe, cut to size. Then glue an old or extra yoga mat to it for padding. I haven't done that yet; I just thought of it. I think I'll go to HD or Lowes tomorrow!

[firenze11]

taping tennis balls together--brilliant!!

You can also go to the local home supply store and pick up some big-diameter PVC pipe, cut to size. Then glue an old or extra yoga mat to it for padding. I haven't done that yet; I just thought of it. I think I'll go to HD or Lowes tomorrow!

I read about the tennis ball thing here on TE when I was searching about hip pain! Love TE!

I never would have though of the PVC pipe + yoga mat, that's a great idea. I like the tennis balls but I think having the larger/longer roller would be beneficial too. Excellent idea, Tulip!

[firenze11]

I finally went to my physical appointment today and asked my doctor about my hip. She said that because the pain is where it is, she does not think it is necessarily related to the hip bones. She checked to see if the bursa were inflamed or tender and they were not. She also rotated my legs to see if there was pain in the socket and there wasn't any.

Basically she thinks there is a muscle issue going on (in both hips now, yay! :p) especially since it is so tied to exercise. She thinks it could be muscle imbalance, it could be related to uneven hips, or it could be causing uneven hips, or I don't know. So she's sending me off to a physiotherapist. She said it will probably be a couple of time per week for a few months. :( Boo. It doesn't really help much for the walk but I'm sure I'll survive.

I'm really glad I asked about it here and, thanks to you, I kind of knew what questions to ask and how to describe my pain. Hopefully, I'll get all fixed up soon. Since I'm going to school I'm hoping the PTs at school are good and will help me get stronger. So thank you again for your help!

I'm still using the tennis balls faithfully and I feel a lot of tender spots. Even today my hips feel. . .a bit fatigued I guess would the the word for it and when I feel around them there are tender spots.

[colby]

Good to hear it's nothing scary... muscle issues are one thing, joint issues that either you have to live with (like arthritis) or have to have surgery for are another.

Good luck with your PT, and thanks for reporting back :)

Reading back through the thread, I noticed in my x-rays that my hips weren't exactly identical. It was interesting. In my previous experience with my shoulder, I didn't get to see my own x-rays or MRIs. This time, the orthopedic surgeon brought them up on the screen, described what we were looking at, and will do the same when my MRI results are in. I find how our bodies are built fascinating... so interrelated, so complex, but still somewhat elegant how things all fit together.