Chris, Where is the pain exactly. It could any one of a number of causes. see http://orthopedics.about.com/cs/hipsurgery/a/hippain.htm O had a sharp pain about 8 in the hip many years ago. My seem to be the joint itself. The bad news is that in took two years or more to get over it. The good news is that I got back to running half marathon distance eventually. The cause was lifting something very heavy (a water logged railway sleeper in the garden) on my own. It probably ruined the Here is how I overcame the disability. Exercise - rest untill the pain goes away. Then do walking. If it hurts, STOP.! After about a month try running but only short distances and a gently jog. It if hurts STOP running and walk home. Extend your distance very gradually. You may find that your hip has a tollerance limt of say 2 to 3 miles. Always stay under the limit. Rest - Never run on two consecutive days. Give you body more time to recover and rebuild. Diet and Supplements - I started taking glucosamine and chondroitin together with MSM and vitamin C. This is most important. You have to exercise AND take the right dietary supplement to build and strengthen the joint. Drink plenty of water when recovering and training. Treadmill is a better way of starting back running as it enable you to stop without having to walk back. Well it worked for me. Occssaionally, even years later I got carried away and stepped up my distance too quickly or carried something heavy again in the garden. The result was pain again It's a gradual careful process of building up the joint. But recover can be accomplished. One day you'll reach your peak again. Have faith in yourself to acheive this recovery. Paul | 
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Paul Millsom
