Sore hip

I have run several half marathons and am currently training for the New Forest Marathon in September - my first. I have completed a 15, 18 and 20 mile runs with the last two being hard but manageable. My right hip has just started giving problems, and causing mild pain even on short runs. While I know I need to let my hip heal, I'm concerned about losing fitness with the marathon 3 weeks away. I have new shoes - Asics 2070 which suit my running style and weight. Does anyone have any suggestions or advice????

Get to a physio fast! My hip pain turned out to be a sacro-iliac joint problem which meant no running. However, my physio let me carry on walking (in my running shoes) and also on the elliptical trainer at the gym. If I remember rightly, I had about 5 weeks off before running again (although it seemed like an age).

Best not to delay - check it out and then you will know exactly what you're dealing with. Can you have a 3 week taper???

Good luck
Amanda

Where exactly is the pain, Walter?

Thanks to Amanda for the comments. As for where the pain is (Velociraptor)- upper right hip, very noticeable if pushing the right hip out, feels very tender over hip exterior.

Exterior as in the side of your hip rather than the front or back, Walter? And tender as in hurts if you touch it or if you lie on that side? Above or below where your leg appears to join your body?

Sorry - not being a nosy git - just trying to narrow down the possibilities!

Cheers, V-rap.

The tenderness is mainly lateral, although v slightly towards front. Not so much tender to touch but when pushing hip laterally to the right. The tenderness is mainly right on/over the hip bone.

It's difficult to put on a definite label over the internet, Walter, but top of my list is a condition called trochanteric bursitis. When you get a lot of repetitive traction on the tendons that attach the muscles of your thigh to the greater trochanter (the sticking-out bit at the top of your thigh laterally), or the short tough ligaments that hold your hip in its socket, you get inflammation and pain develops.

It's a soft tissue rather than a joint problem, and anti-inflammatories (though don't take pills to allow you to train - listen to the pain), ice, and cutting your mileage may settle it down. But it would be worth getting your GP (or a sports physio) to give your hip a good going-over. If it is what I think it is, a steroid injection can provide excellent pain relief and get you training again.

As overuse is likely to be the cause of the problem, it would be worth reviewing your training schedule, reducing your weekly mileage (you should be starting to taper now anyway) and substituting a non-impact activity like swimming or rowing for some of your sessions.

Good luck with the New Forest Marathon. As long as your symptoms don't get worse between now and then, my advice would be to take a painkiller on the day if you need it and run, not to pull out.

Cheers, V-rap.

Thanks a million, sounds like good advice, and worth trying. After all the training I've done it would be shame to miss out on my first marathon but I will bail out if it looks like risking damage.

Thanks again.

Thanks V- rap, I was just looking through the "hip" threads and came accross this last message ,I have what would seam the same sort of pain , Left hip about eight inches down exactly on the side, not painful to the touch,I suspect I overtrained after gt nth run as on the tue run the hip became sore but not enough to stop me though the day after could hardly walk,have not done anything scince but getting frustrated now.

Hi Nibbs, well I took about 2 weeks off to completely rest the hip. I then did a small warm up run and iced the hip, and applied Ibuprofen gel. I then ran the Grt South run, took it easy, watched my pace and again iced and gelled the hip. I did this for another two weeks, light run mid week, ice, rest and gel, longer run on weekend. I completed the marathon, not quickly, and a little sore but the hip was fine. I think I have learnt that rest is one of the best cures for injuries and I'd also highly recommend ice too. But it really comes down to the injury, and how desperate you are to stick to a training schedule. Anyway hope this helps....

Thanks Walter , it's been a week since I last ran and though still a little sore I am going to give it a go tomorrow otherwise I will go mad, when I get back I will ice it and get the Ibuleive on it thanks.

I also have hip pain and sounds what v-rap says. Went to physio and was told to completely lay of running as I evan had trouble walking. It was like a life sentence. Im normally up and out at 6am for 6-8 miles every day before work and had to totally stop. I was really miserable, now after physio and rest I am back out running after a 5 week break and also missed out on 3 runs inc GNR. This year though I have done 2 marathons and 4 half marathons so maybe my body had had enough. The feeling I had when I first went back out was second to none. Evan though it was 6am and pouring with rain!!