Running is one of those activities that makes us feel unstoppable when we put one foot in front of the other so rapidly that the rest of the world just fades into the background. You get a feeling that is quite literally unlike any other. It’s addictive how the stress from your work, the constant notifications on your smartphone, the endless to-do lists all turn to nothingness with every mile you cover. You actively feel completely in control of your body and mind, and when you do it long enough, it becomes one of the most important parts of your life. That is, until one day, your hip starts hurting for some reason.
For an everyday runner, a dull ache or a sharp pinch in the hip region can be one of the scariest things ever. When it happens, you try to push through it in hopes that, sooner or later, it goes away. Sometimes that works; quite often it doesn’t, and generally, such an issue can leave anyone feeling quite dejected and worried about their future. Now, if you are here, chances are that you, too, are struggling with this issue. So, keeping that in mind, let’s figure out when it’s safe for you to run with hip pain, when you should run, when you should rest, and when it’s time to seek help.
What causes hip pain when running?
Our hip is one of the most important joints for all our movement-related activities, as it absorbs an enormous amount of force every time you run. If your running mechanics are not quite right, your muscle strength is not adequate, your body is on the heavier side, or the joint itself has something going on, this pain will be the first thing to show up when you run.
For runners, one of the most common causes of hip pain is simply overuse. A lot of people who run every day often try to increase their mileage with time – either the distance or the speed. The problem happens when you end up increasing it too quickly, adding load to your joints without giving them enough time to adapt or recover. In a similar vein, a returning runner aiming for consecutive sessions after a long break can overload the muscles and tendons around the hip, causing pain.
It is also common for this activity to place a load on your soft tissues, which, if taken too far, can cause issues such as gluteal tendinopathy, hip flexor strains, bursitis, or tendon irritation. If it is a problem you are facing, you may experience pain on the outside or front of the hip, which will ease with rest and worsen during or after a run.
Less commonly, there are situations of runners developing stress fractures or conditions like avascular necrosis. In both the former and the latter, you will need to go through a prompt medical assessment instead of trying to push through the pain by continuing your training. The same goes for conditions such as labral tears, femoroacetabular impingement, cartilage damage, or early arthritis, which can all cause growing pain, stiffness, and a clicking sensation during movement.
How can you prevent your hip pain from worsening when running?
Before anything else, the best thing that you can do for yourself when hip pain strikes is to rest or, at the very least, get yourself checked by a doctor. That said, if your pain is on the less serious side, there are a few things you can do to prevent it from worsening.
The first, and arguably the smartest, thing would be to temporarily reduce your running volume rather than stop all activity. You can also swap the activity for one or two days with less impactful exercises like cycling, swimming, or cross-training. All of these can help your irritated tissues settle down.
Then you have strength training to focus on. Try adding exercises like glute bridges, clam shells, side leg raises, single-leg balance drills, and bodyweight squats to your routine to help improve your joint’s stability and reduce unnecessary strain. Perhaps most important of all, ritualise your pre-run warm-up. Instead of starting your watch and immediately running, spend 5 to 10 minutes preparing your muscles for the repetitive impacts to come. Leg swings, lunges, hip circles, and gentle squats will go a long way toward preparing your hip joint for the run.
On the more technical side, please check for things like the wear and tear on your shoes, sudden increase in mileage, your sleep quality, and your recovery time. All of these can increase your risk of injury.
How can you ease your hip pain after a run?
First off, reduce your activity level for a day or two if possible, especially if the pain has worsened after a couple of sessions. Couple that with an ice pack treatment of around 15-20 minutes, several times throughout the day. It may help improve blood circulation and reduce muscle tightness. If needed, get some over-the-counter anti-inflammatory medication to help you get more peaceful rest, but only after discussing it with your GP or another healthcare professional. Over the next couple of days, if the pain is improving and is not returning during walking or other everyday activities, only then consider returning to running. Most importantly, try not to keep running through pain just because it feels manageable. Something like a small tendon irritation today can become a much bigger problem if you do not take care of it.
What are the long-term solutions for treating hip pain?
For most runners out there, physiotherapy is going to be a must from here on out once you and your doctor are able to identify the problem – whether it’s muscle weakness, poor movement patterns, flexibility issues, or any mechanical issues – you will need to go through targeted rehabilitation to be able to keep your joint functional and protected. Speaking of identifying the problem, you might also need to have an X-ray or an MRI to detect the actual issue you’re struggling with. This will largely depend on the symptoms you are experiencing and your doctor’s subsequent recommendation.
As for persistent pain that ends up being unresponsive to conservative treatment, you might need to seek help from a hip surgeon. These specialists can help you determine whether you will need more advanced treatment options to restore your quality of life. People like Mr Jerome Davidson, a hip surgeon in London and Essex, often help many runners with complex joint disorders and hip conditions, helping them understand the causes of their pain before recommending the most appropriate treatment.
Don’t ignore your hip pain and seek help
There is one thing that you should note. A sore hip may not need an urgent appointment, but if it becomes persistent and affects your quality of life, avoid making it your new normal. Proactively book an assessment and a consultation to get a proper diagnosis, rather than self-managing the issue and risking making it worse. Let’s be real, some hip-related situations do require immediate medical attention. If it’s already gotten to a point where you’re unable to bear weight on your legs, or there is a sharp, debilitating pain in the region, drop everything else and get help immediately.
It may sound troubling to someone for whom running is a core part of their life, but try to understand. Resting for a few days or just getting help does not mean giving up on the activity you love. Quite the opposite, actually. When you take a break, you will be in a much better position to identify the true cause of your pain and have a better chance of getting back to your prime much sooner. All that is to say, make sure that you don’t end up wasting away your dream activity with inaction, its antithesis.
