Joint and muscle pain can occur during and after exercise, but the causes of these symptoms vary, and could warrant a trip to your doctor. There are several possible explanations if you are experiencing pain in your hip area while performing specific exercises such as running or cycling. Contact your doctor to discuss your symptoms and possible treatment of your hip pain.
Tendinitis
The hip bears a large amount of stress during the movements of the legs in running and cycling. The repetitive motion involved in consistent running and bicycling may lead to hip tendinitis. Tendinitis occurs when the tendons of a specific area are overused, the iTendonitis website explains. Those suffering from tendinitis may find it difficult to perform certain leg movements due to pain in the hip area. This pain often continues when the leg and hip are at rest, and inflammation may trigger a warm sensation in the hip area. Proper stretching exercises, heat and ice therapy and use of anti-inflammatory drugs may help to alleviate the pain associated with this condition.
Bursitis
Bursa are found throughout your body, but are primarily located around joint areas such as your knees, shoulders, hips and elbows. Bursa are small sacs of fluid that help to cushion joints and bone as muscle moves around these areas. Bursitis occurs when the bursa become irritated or inflamed due to repetitive motion of these joints, bones and muscles. Runners and bikers may experience bursitis in the hip area from the constant rotating movement of the hip joint and surrounding muscle, the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons reports. Bursitis may cause a sharp, shooting pain in the hip joint area or may graduate to an achy feeling throughout the surrounding hip area. Resting the hip area along with anti-inflammatory drugs and ice therapy may help reduce the swelling of the hip bursa.
Iliotibial Band Syndrome
The iliotibial band stretches from the outside hip along your outer thigh to your outer knee. Runners and cyclists can injure this band because of the consistent repetitive motion these exercises produce. Constant friction of the iliotibial band and the surrounding hip joint can cause a sharp pain in the hip area and inflammation of the iliotibial band and hip joint. The pain associated with this type of injury should subside with rest, but may reoccur with certain exercises such as walking, running, bicycling and moving up and down steps. Resting the hip joint and applying ice to the inflamed area are common, effective treatments for iliotibial band syndrome, the Vasyli Medical website reports.
Labral Tear
The labrum --- cartilage surrounding your hip joint --- can become torn through repetitive movement of the hip joint, such as in running and cycling. Symptoms of a hip labral tear include a catching sensation in the hip joint in which you feel that the ball and socket are not moving smoothly, hip pain and stiffness of the hip joint, according to MayoClinic.com. A labral tear may need to be corrected through surgery in which fragments of the joint are cleaned out of the surrounding area and the labrum is surgically repaired.
