Many lower-body workouts place a lot of stress on joints, including those in the hips. The repetitive movements of the legs during cardiovascular workouts, such as running and cross-country skiing, are especially demanding on the hips. Overworking the hip joints can result in sometimes painful conditions that are not always directly related to the hip, though it may feel that way. Speak with your doctor if your hip is consistently bothering you during or after working out.
Bursitis
Exercise that involves frequent repetitive motions can cause bursitis, a painful condition that affects the hip joint. The space between your hip bone and the muscles and tendon near the hip joint is filled with bursae. These small pads contain fluid and act as cushioning for the joint. Repetitious movements, such as running, cause painful inflammation in the bursae. This type of inflammation can also occur near other major joints, such as the elbows. Doctors generally recommend rest and physical therapy to treat bursitis inflammation.
Hip Tendinitis and Muscle Strain
Hip tendinitis and muscle strains share many of the same symptoms and are treated much the same way. These conditions can occur when a muscle near the hip is strained or a ligament is inflamed. The pain from the muscle or ligament is often misleading. Even though it may feel like hip pain, the affected muscle or ligament that covers the hip is actually the cause. Most cases of hip tendinitis and muscle strain are mild and simply require rest and applying ice packs to the area. In more severe cases, physical therapy may be prescribed by your doctor.
Stress Fracture
Another painful condition that is often misleading is a femoral neck stress fracture. The pain usually originates during exercise and may feel more like a thigh or lower back problem. The injury can also spur on pain after exercise, when your body is at rest. Because the pain is often difficult to localize accurately, diagnosing the stress fracture can be a challenge. Generally, rudimentary physical examinations are not thorough enough to detect a femoral neck stress fracture. Doctors typically rely on X-rays and bone scans for an accurate diagnosis.
Loose Bodies
The hip bone is an ideal place for loose bodies to accumulate. The natural concavity of the pelvis, known as the acetabulum, acts as a collecting pool for the bodies. When enough loose bodies intra-articulate in this area, and you engage in exercise involving repetitive leg motion, hip pain is a common consequence. The condition is diagnosed by your doctor through a log roll, which rotates your lower body inward and outward. He may also perform medical tests, such as magnetic resonance arthrography and radiography. In severe loose body intra-articulation, arthroscopy may have to be performed.
References
- MayoClinic.com; Bursitis; Sept. 26, 2009
- American Academy of Family Physicians; Hip Impingement--Identifying and Treating a Common Cause of Hip Pain; Geoffrey Kuhlman and Benjamin Domb; December 2009
- American Academy of Family Physicians; Hip Pain in Athletes; Samuel Adkins and Richard Figler; April 2000
- "Orthopedics"; Intra-articular Loose Body Removal During Hip Arthroscopy; Filippo Randelli, et al.; July 2010
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