What is runners hip pain?

Runners hip pain is a condition caused by repetitive stress during running, leading to discomfort or injury in the hip region. It can involve tendons, muscles, or the bursa.

What are the symptoms of runners hip pain?

Symptoms include hip pain, tenderness, stiffness, and limited mobility, often exacerbated by running or physical activity.

What causes runners hip pain?

Common causes include overuse, improper running form, muscle imbalances, and inadequate footwear. It may also be due to previous injuries.

How is runners hip pain diagnosed?

Diagnosis typically involves a physical examination and may include imaging tests like X-rays or MRIs to assess any underlying issues in the hip joint.

What treatment options are available for runners hip pain?

Treatment often includes physiotherapy to address muscle imbalances, improve flexibility, and strengthen muscles. Rest and proper footwear may also be recommended.

Can physiotherapy help with runners hip pain?

Yes, physiotherapy can help alleviate pain, improve mobility, and prevent future injuries by correcting running mechanics and strengthening the hip muscles.

Runners hip pain? It could be a femoral neck bone stress injury

Femoral neck bone stress injuries are becoming more prevalent in private practice as the running boom continues. These injuries occur when the bone is continuously loaded beyond its capacity and the bone begins to break down. This usually happens when we increase our training load, intensity or we aren't fuelling correctly. In lower grade bone stress injuries, we usually experience pain just during running. However, with more severe injuries, we may experience an ache at rest or at night and it may be painful to walk.

How Does It Happen?

Overtraining: Increasing our running volume or intensity too fast can lead to a bone injury

Under-fueling: Under eating or calorie restriction can dramatically increase our chance of developing a bone injury. This is formally known as being in a state of RED-s(relative energy deficiency in sport).

Hormonal factors: For men, having low testosterone levels, iron or vitamin D can increase the risk. Similarly with women, low iron or issues with your menstrual cycle can be a risk factor.

Strength deficits: Having low strength can be a risk factor for sustaining a bone injury

Previous bone stress injury: Sustaining a previous bone injury can increase our risk of developing one in the future

Common Signs and Symptoms

Recognising the early signs of runners hip pain is crucial for preventing the condition from worsening. Common symptoms include:

Pain during running: The most common initial symptom is pain felt only during running or high-impact activities.

Pain after running: Some may experience discomfort or aching after completing a run, especially if they've increased intensity or distance.

Pain at rest or at night: As the injury progresses, there may be a dull ache even when not moving or at night, interfering with sleep.

Localised tenderness: Some may experience tenderness in the hip area when touched or pressed.

Muscle weakness or compensation: Weakness in surrounding muscles as the body compensates for pain or discomfort in the affected area.

How is it diagnosed

Subjective history: The most important diagnostic criteria is through discussing your symptoms, background, previous injury history and training with a Physiotherapist.

Physical examination: A Physiotherapist will complete physical tests to rule out other structures as the only way we can 100% diagnose a bone stress injury is through an MRI.

Movement tests: In some cases movement tests e.g. hopping will be implemented, however, given this injury is quite high risk, they are usually avoided.

Treatment Options at Urban Physiotherapy

Education: Educating the patient on the nature of their injury is of utmost importance. The Physiotherapist will explain to you how to use crutches, what activities you should avoid and provide an injury timeline.

Home exercise program: Once the time is right, a progressive resistance training will be implemented. Plyometrics are also very important.

Return to run plan: Creation of a return to run plan will be actioned once the bone is fully healed and the patient has a good level of strength behind them.