Sidelined

So I’m kind of cranky over here at the HQ.  For the past several months my right hip has been bothering me after running.  It doesn’t hurt or bother me during a run but afterwards it would hurt a lot.  So much that it hurt to walk along with going up and down stairs.  I was limping.

The next day it would be fine.

For a while it only hurt after a longish run, 6 miles and up.  Eventually it got to a point where it hurt even on shorter runs.  Then I couldn’t even run a 2 miler without it hurting later.

Pretty soon it wasn’t going away the next day.  My hip would hurt for two days.

Cue the cranky.

I was debating on what to do about the situation.  Do I go to my sports doc and have it checked out?  Do I take a break from running?  Is something out of whack and I need to see a chiro?

My lower back then started aching a bit.  CRAP! So I decided to go see a chiro to see if something was out of alignment and causing me issues.

The doc took Xrays and I went back the next day to see just what was going on.  Over all my back looks fantastic and so do my hips (heck yes!).  My leg length is also exact.

There are a few spots that she’s working on to get some movement in there, along with helping to open my hips up and loosen them a bit more.

I have to go twice a week for about a month.  I’m also off running for the time being but can still walk, so I’ve been walking around the neighborhood.

Walking is not the same as running and goodness it takes a long time! But it’s something and it’s all I’ve got right now so I’m clinging to it like a life raft. My hip doesn’t hurt after walking, thank goodness!

I’m still wondering though if I should go see my sports doc and just have him give it a look over as well.  That way my chiro and sports doc can work together on the issue.  I wanna run!  I don’t even care if I can’t run any halfs this year.  I just want to be able to run pain free.

We’ll talk more this week about running and dealing with injuries.

Have you had to deal with a sports injury before? How did you handle it? Any tips you want to share that we can talk about in the upcoming discussion?

19 thoughts on “Sidelined

  1. Ugh!! Sorry to read this, but I understand runners have hip problems all the time. Mine injury was different, though. I had a stress fracture over the winter last year in my right femur. It took about 3 months to heal. I went to physical therapy at at OSU Sports Med and they taught me tons of great exercises to strengthen my core, my hips, and my legs. I was running again in no time!

  2. I have several chronic issues that cause pain when I do certain things. It’s so disheartening!

    I’m gearing up to go on a bike ride right now and I just know my tendonitis in the shoulder is going to hurt after. I saw a doctor two years ago who assured me that I wasn’t hurting anything permanently, so I manage the pain with drugs and have at it.

  3. Nicole says:

    Bummer! I know all too well how much of a hindrance injuries can be. I find running or too much walking can inflame my sciatic issue, yet somehow biking and dancing don’t seem to bother it. And I still haven’t figured out what triggers my arm pain (due to a pinched nerve or two in the neck) because that comes and goes more frequently.

    I’ve been to a sports doctor coupled with physical therapy, which seemed to help for awhile. Then I saw a chiropractor, which helped…but I still get flare-ups from time to time. I have yet to determine a long term solution that doesn’t rely on drugs or regular trips to a doctor.

  4. About two years ago, my ankle started bothering me during and after runs…sometimes it would swell up and it made it hard to walk. I saw a sports doc and got an MRI, which showed absolutely nothing…I went to see another sports doc and he told me to give it a rest and invest in some good running shoes (which I already had!)

    I basically took off from running for a while and made sure my legs were strong via yoga and weight lifting…now I’m running fine, although the break in the running threw me off my groove.

    I hope it works out for you, good that the X-ray didn’t find anything wrong!

  5. Yikes, I hope that all is resolved soon. I had to quite during the middle (literally) of my last 1/2 Marathon due to a sharp pain in my right hip. I’d had stiff, achy hips before, off and on, but that was a new, scary pain. It hurt to get up and down for a couple of days, but I only took a week off from running and all was ok again. I’ve been trying to do a lot more hip stretching, which seems to help. I bought a great yoga DVD called “Christine Felstead’s Yoga for Runners,” and I really like adding it in as part of my cross training. (Ok, it’s pretty much the only cross training I do these days!) It has different segments for basic poses, lower back, hips, and hamstrings, and you can do all or pick and choose.

    • Ginny, that’s exactly what is going on with me! My hips are tight and it really hurts to get up and down. Though I’m three weeks off of running right now and so far I haven’t had that pain again. Yoga for runners is a great idea!

    • Amanda, this is my second time visiting a chiro. I have to say that I really enjoy the experience. You have to be sure to find a good one though and one that follows a philosophy that you can get behind.

  6. Sorry, girl! You know my injury woes (back surgery, what?!), so I’ll spare you the sob story and just say that I hope you take some rest time and feel better soon!

  7. Dude, so sorry you are sidelined for a bit. I know that has to be so frustrating especially with this stretch of cooler weather we are getting! Although I’m so happy that it’s something you can likely move past with some rest. I’ve had on and off problems with my right hip, but nothing chronic. My friend who studied PT thinks it is something with the nerve there that situates itself incorrectly on occasion. Anyway, walking actually makes my hips hurt more than running so I’m glad to hear that walking is working for you. Hang in there! You’ll be back to your hardcore, road warrior self soon!

  8. Heidi says:

    Andrea, I hope your hip heals very quickly! Injuries suck. I’ve been thinking about going to a chiro for back problems I’ve been having. I may email you for the name of yours. I want to make sure I go to someone good. It sucks not to be able to run in this beautiful weather, but you’re smart to take care of your body and let it heal.

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