Hips and pelvis pain when running?
Injuries involving the hips and pelvis can have serious long-term implications. Hip injuries in particular are difficult to identify, because the symptoms of different injuries can be very similar. You should take any pain or discomfort in this area very seriously.
Anatomy of the hips
The hip is a ball-and-socket joint. The cartilage that lines the joint is called the labrum. There are strong ligaments attaching the pelvis to the thigh bone (femur) and the fluid- filled sacs that cushion the bones, tendons, and muscles of your hip joint, known as bursae. There are a series of oddly named muscles, such as iliacus, piriformis, and tensor fasciae latae, that allow a host of movements. The hips can flex and extend, abduct and adduct, and rotate internally and externally. In other words, bending the leg forwards (flexion), extending the leg behind you (extension), lifting the leg away from the body (abduction), moving the leg inward (adduction), plus internal and external rotation.
Anatomy of the Pelvis
The pelvis is a bone structure located near the bottom of your abdomen, and is responsible for supporting your upper body. Each side of the pelvis consists of three bones: the ilium, ischium, and pubis. These join together at the front to form the pubic region. Ligaments connect the pelvis to the lower back.
Hips and Pelvis injuries in runners
Hip Flexor Tendonitis
Hip flexors are a group of muscles that move the thigh forward and up. Tendonitis mainly occurs when your psoas muscle (a deep hip muscle) is overused and pulls on a tendon that attaches it to the iliac bone, causing the tendon to become inflamed.
Symptoms: You will often hear a clicking noise when walking or running. And occasionally there will also be an associated pain deep in the hip. It can even be a struggle to put your socks on.
Causes: The muscle of the hip flexor becomes inflamed. This can be due to muscle weakness or due to tightness in the muscle. It can also be irritated by overuse or a sudden injury, such as a fall or other type of trauma.
Pevention: Stretching the hip flexors, especially after long runs. Ensuring that your chair is appropriately set up if you work in an office. Strengthening exercises and core muscle work, especially for your gluteal muscles with squats and exercises like bridge pose. Foam rolling daily will help keep your hip flexors loose and relaxed and less prone to injury.
Treatment: Rest and possible the use of inflammatory tablets depending on how severe it is. Followed up by appropriate stretching and strengthening exercises that can be guided by a qualified Physiotherapist, osteopath or sports therapist.
Runner´s Pelvic Pain
There are a number of possible complications to look out for related to injuries to the pelvis:
Symptoms: Pain and soreness in the pelvic region. Discomfort in the pelvic area when sitting, standing or walking. Bruising or swelling around the hips. Diarrhoea, bloating or constipation.
Causes: Poor posture. Overtraining or training on rough terrain. Hip misalignment.
Pevention: Participate in activities that can help to improve your posture such as Yoga or Pilates. Strengthening exercises for the pelvic floor muscles. Varying the type of terrain you run on, and increasing training loads incrementally.
Treatment: Rest is vital with injuries to the pelvic region. You may need to take pain killers or anti-inflammatories as the discomfort can be very unpleasant. As things settle down, massage, physiotherapy, sports massage and strengthening and stretching exercises can help to get you back in to proper alignment.
If you are dealing with hip or pelvic pain and you cannot get relief, contact us, we are glad to help!
We hope this information is useful for you. If you need advice or have any questions about our treatments, please contact us. You can find us in Mill Hill Broadway and Islington. We are always happy to help. If you like this blog, please share!
