Running Hip Pain
Running Hip Pain
Sebastian Gonzales DC CSCS ART®
Huntington Beach CA
Most runners at one time or another will experience pain on the front part of the hip, as most as if it aches into the joint or the groin. The pain gets worse as you run and when your all done, you ice it and think with a good night’s rest it will be gone… hopefully. Unfortunately some runners aren’t so lucky. When you wake up you might feel pain with simple tasks, even putting on your shoes. I have had this and I defeated it. The trick is you have to know what you are dealing with in the first place.
What are some Signs and Symptoms of Hip Flexor Tendonitis? 
- Pain on the front of the hip around the groin
- Pain with long strides, putting on shoes, walking stairs, standing from a sitting position
- Pain with quick hip flexion
- Slow onset
- Pain increases with activity
- Possible radiation to knee
How do I know if I have Hip Flexor Tendonitis?
- X-ray’s will rule out if there is a problem in the joint
- Definitive answer is an MRI
- Physical Exam by a Medical Professional
What causes Hip Flexor Tendonitis?
- Overuse
- Acute Trauma
- Strain during eccentric contractions
Who gets Hip Flexor Tendonitis?
- Runners
- Triathletes
- Cyclists
- Baseball players
- Hockey players
- Soccer players
What are some common treatments for Hip Flexor Tendonitis?
- Rest
- Stretching
- Ice
- Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory medications
- Active Release Technique®
- Corticosteroid Injection
- Massage
- Platelet Rich Plasma
How does P3 Sports Care treat Patellar Tendonitis?
First you must understand how inflammation of the tendon could occur. Many times when tissues in the body become overused they have a tendency of developing small tears from micro-trauma. The tendon of the hip flexor is no exception. These tears within tendons and other soft tissues fill up with scar tissue overtime. This scar tissue is not as flexible and resilient as normal tendinous tissue and as a result can tear again easily and the cycle will continue, thus leading to the development of a repetitive stress injury. This is how the problem can become chronic.
At P3 Sports Care we believe much of the RICE method can be done at home when the injury is acute (fresh). However, rarely do we consider Hip Flexor Tendonitis as an acute or traumatic injury. When most people feel pain in the hip region it has actually had a “silent” problem for months, so it is perfect for our type of treatment. This condition normally responds quickly to types of treatment which focus on removing scar tissue, such as Active Release® and Graston.
Careful palpation of the area may in fact reveal the problem is not off the primary hip flexor tendon (psoas tendon) at all, but rather from tendonitis of other structures. The rectus femoris, obturator externus, pectineus, sartorius and the anterior portion of the hip capsule can be the primary structures causing pain similar in presentation. If you have a provider with skilled palpation skills, the exact structure is not hard to locate.
We focus on a systematic approach to improving the health of the problematic tendons/ muscles and give instructions for prevention of re-injury.
- Remove scar tissue from the problematic tissue using Active Release Techniques® (ART®) – “Gold Standard of Soft Tissue Care”
- Provide safe, yet effective strength training exercises
- Find the “silent” root cause and give neurological re-education exercises for correction – In cases of an overuse injury
P3 Sports Care provides “Hands-on” treatment, which has been proven to be effective more times than not.
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P3 Sports Care, previously Orange County Pain Management, has been serving Southern California for over 5 years. Although many of our patients live right in the city of Huntington Beach, many of them will come from a great distance to receive our Active Release Techniques®, Chiropractic Care, and Rehabilitation. Our customer service is second to none; our patients always come first. Even patients who are afraid of going to a chiropractor love our style of care.
Serving the cities of Orange, Irvine, Villa Park, Mission Viejo, Fountain Valley, Santa Ana, Newport Beach, Anaheim, Placentia, Yorba Linda, Costa Mesa, Stanton, Westminster, Buena Park, Aliso Viejo, Rancho Santa Margarita, Lake Forest, Seal Beach, Long Beach, Sunset Beach, Fullerton, Brea, Laguna Hills, Tustin, and Huntington Beach.
Check out our other articles and information on Active Release Techniques® and Injury Prevention Assessments to see if it can help you or any of your loved ones get out of pain and prevent new injuries.
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