The pelvic girdle serves to connect the torso with the lower extremities by way of the hip joint, and assists with fluid, coordinated movements between the upper and lower body. According to the American College of Sports Medicine, the hip is designed to bear a significant amount of weight and thus severe injuries to this region are rare. However, the hip and pelvis are sites of frequent overuse injuries.
Movement of the Hip While Running
The hip is a ball-and-socket joint, and is one of the most mobile joints in the body. According to the American College of Sports Medicine, this highly mobile joint allows movement in all three bodily planes, allowing flexion and extension, abduction and adduction, and internal and external rotation. Running tends to promote small oscillations of the hip in all three planes of motion.
Sources of Injury
While the hip is designed to withstand enormous loads, the significant forces crossing this joint often make the hip susceptible to wear and tear. Small deviations in running biomechanics can lead to excessive rotation of the femur and thus increased stress on the ligaments and stabilizer muscles that regulate the normal function of the hip. According to "Joint Structure and Function: A Comprehensive Analysis" by Levangie and Norkin, the most common overuse injury is arthrosis, a deterioration of the articular cartilage of the hip joint.
Anteversion and Front Hip Pain
Any variations in the angle of torsion can affect hip biomechanics and function. Anteversion, a rotation of the femur toward the front of the hip, can reduce hip joint stability, resulting in a need for additional abductor muscle force. This can lead to arthrosis, as well as place excessive stress on the hip abductor muscles. Anteversion may also place excessive pressure on the knee joint.
Solutions
The Sports Injury Bulletin asserts that proper running mechanics are essential to maintaining a healthy and efficient hip. A visit to a physical therapist can ensure correct running posture and gait. Further, a pair of high quality running shoes is highly recommended. Low quality shoes may provide poor arch support and promote supination or pronation of the foot, which can lead to a variety of joint pains from the ground up.
Exercise Program
Front hip pain is often a result of excessive rotation of the femur, leading to muscular and joint stress. However, the causes of hip pain can be largely corrected through proper running posture and mechanics, high quality running shoes, and a well-rounded exercise program. An exercise program that targets the stabilizer muscles surrounding the hip and lower extremities, in addition to proper warm-up and stretching, can reduce unnecessary pressure on the hip joint.
References
- "ACSM's Resources for the Personal Trainer"; Walter R. Thompson (Ed.); 2006
- "Joint Structure and Function: A Comprehensive Analysis"; Pamela K. Levangie and Cynthia C. Norkin; 2000
- The Sports Injury Bulletin: Biomechanics of Running
