Hip Pain

by Stacy
(CT)

While running and after running, I have been getting pretty intense pain on the side of my hip. It is near the top of the hip bone and on the side towards the front (nowhere near the back/butt). It is sore for about a day after a run and seems to "tighten" after I sit for a while after running (eg.if i run in the morning and then go sit at the office).


No pain when walking, even when walking a lot (we walked 8 days around Italy non-stop, and had no pain at all). I also seem to be able to do the elliptical with no or very minimal pain. Tried different shoes, cooling down, etc. Any idea? Any good specific stretches for this area beforehand? Thanks!


Answer by Dominique:


Hi Stacy,
Thanks for your question about hip pain.
It is hard to tell you what this is exactly. It sounds a lot like hip bursitis.

Hip bursitis causes pain over the outside of the upper thigh. A bursa is filled with fluid. It sits between the hip bone and the tendon that runs over it. This bursa can become inflamed, which means pain.

It sounds pretty mild at the moment. I mean you don't have continuous pain. And it only happens when you run, so only when the pressure is more than normal. So now is the time to take action, before this develops in a bigger issue.

I would recommend a few things:

Rest
For two weeks do activities that do not cause these issues, e.g. the elliptical trainer, walking, etc. Stay away from running.

Ice
Apply ice on the affected area. Once or twice daily for ten - fifteen minutes.

Ibuprofen / anti-inflammatories
When you have pain, take some ibuprofen.

Some running stretches could also help over time. As you do them after each workout you will get more flexible.

Please note: it may well not be hip bursitis but something else, and I am not a doctor. So if symptoms persist, visit your doctor and get a professional opinion.


Best of luck with this issue.

Cheers,
Dominique