Hip Pain and Cycling - Need some advice

[auntiebobo]

Last Friday while playing 9 holes of golf (I'm not a golfer, I merely own clubs) my left hip really started bothering me. I was able to ignore it because the blisters on my heels from my new golf shoes hurt more than the hip. I finished the planned 9 holes and went on to work. The pain continues to today, Tuesday. It is worse when I first get up from sitting down. The first few steps are quite painful and then it seems to get better as I walk but there is some pain with each step. If I stand on my left leg just right I can make it hurt, especially if I stretch the hip to the left. But there’s no pain when sitting or lying down. The pain is right at the hip bone, not lower where the leg bends.

On Saturday I was supposed to go for a 70-mile ride and decided I better not. I was worried that the repetitive motion of cycling for that long might irritate my hip. Plus being in limited positions for so long didn’t seem like a good idea.

The pain doesn’t seem to be getting worse but it definitely isn’t better. Advil helps but doesn’t eliminate the pain. I’ve iced it some but that doesn’t seem to do anything. I’ve done a few stretches but that makes me a bit nervous – am I helping or making it worse?

My questions – should I refrain from cycling until this is better? How long should I go before seeing a doctor? Quite frankly the pain isn’t unbearable and normally I would wait this out for weeks before even considering seeing a doctor but I’m training for my first STP (2-day 200 miles) and it is getting close (mid-July). I need the miles and I’ve already lost one training weekend. But I don’t want to do anything to make this worse and I’m not sure I can go the distance the way it is now.

Your advice appreciated

[mimitabby]

if you can hardly walk you ought to go to a doctor.
BUT if you've been riding a lot and the cycling is causing the problem,
lay on your back and pull your knee up to your chest. Hold it there for a minute.
Now take that same leg and pull it across to the opposite side of your chest.
Then hold it there for a minute. do the other side as well.

Now if this pain is not FROM cycling, you might try getting on your bike, it might not hurt at all. Or... I have no idea, go see your doctor..

I am not a health care professional, so i can only talk from my own experience.
As the muscles i use for cycling get stronger, I find i have to do this particular stretch more often. (also, the pigeon pose in yoga)

good luck
Mimi

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

I pulled my outer hip muscle by roller skating a couple months ago. I didn't fall- that day I began practicing crossover turns where you swing the front leg over the other leg as you turn. I didn't hurt much that day but the next mroning i was practically a cripple. Apparently I pulled the muscle and also the bursa cushion pad then got inflamed and the pain was excrutiating. My strain was that I could not bend my leg at the hip at ALL- could not sit or tie my shoe or anything....very bad.
It took 3 weeks to heal. Cycling was totally out of the question. I couldn't even raise my leg up from a standing position more than 2 inches off the floor for 2 whole weeks!

I think you should rest your hip except for easy slow walking. Personally, I would not even try those stretches Mimi suggests for a while yet either. You don't want to aggravate your hip joint while it has been strained/pulled by your twisting golf swing movements. If it gets inflamed it will become much worse.
Gentle walking can be good, but don't overdue! Drinking protein powder helped me heal faster.
I now know that it is not a good idea to do a new body movement excessively at first- you must let your body get used to a new movement.
Our hip joints are easily damaged.

I find that alternating biking with fitness walking is the best thing for my hip joints. When i only bike, my hips start getting achy in the morning. Brisk walking keeps them healthier because when walking your leg goes way BACK, straightening your hip joint out all the way. When biking, your hip joint never gets totally straightened out. Even just schlepping/walking around the office doesn't quite do it- has to be a brisk walk of several miles to give me the benefits.

just my 2 cents.

[mimitabby]

just my 2 cents.

my two cents was probably only worth 1 cent. I wouldn't have even mentioned it except that as I ride more regularly, this seems to be a recurring theme in my life... MUST stretch.

[Zen]

There are lots of things going on at the hip joint. Lots.
It's difficult to diagnose from here.
See a sports medicine specialist, a physiatrist, or a good PT.

[sundial]

There are lots of things going on at the hip joint. Lots.
It's difficult to diagnose from here.
See a sports medicine specialist, a physiatrist, or a good PT.

+1. It would really be in your best interest to see your family physician or orthopedist for an evaluation. If you have joint deterioration, now is the time to begin treating it.

[auntiebobo]

Good news. I went to the Dr today and he diagnosed it as an irritated IT band. He gave me a Rx (not sure I'll fill it unless the pain gets worse) and recommended some stretches but said cycling should be fine. It may take awhile for all of the pain to be gone but he doesn't think I will make it worse by riding - "Train through it" and so I shall! Now, if it would just stop raining I'd be back on my bike.

Thanks all!