The many benefits gained from long-distance running -- weight control, stress relief, better cardiovascular health and increased muscle tone in the legs -- don't come cheap. Injuries are inevitable in running, and the hips are a common site of running-related malaise. When you feel pain in one or both hip sockets, the discomfort probably results from an injury located nearby.
Iliotibial Band Syndrome
The iliotibial band, or ITB, runs from the top of the hip along the outer thigh to the outside of the knee. An injured ITB may manifest as lateral knee pain, but is also a common cause of discomfort in the hip and butt. The ITB helps stabilize the pelvis and extend the leg at the knee. Chronic imbalance during running leads to tightness and pain on the affected side. If your hip socket hurts, it may be a result of running too many laps on a track in the same direction or always training on the same side of a cambered road -- both of these lead to an effective lengthening of one leg during the running stride.
Piriformis Syndrome
A frequent malady among longtime distance runners, piriformis syndrome affects a small muscle beneath the gluteal muscles called the piriformis, one of many muscles that helps stabilize the pelvis during running. The repetitive motion of running combined with the small size of the piriformis results in tightening, swelling and pain between the buttock and the hip socket, usually on one side. Treatment includes not running, sports massage and the use of anti-inflammatory drugs as directed by a health professional.
Sports Hernia
Also known as athletic pubalgia or Gilmore's groin, a sports hernia is different from an intestinal hernia. The latter involves protrusion of a loop of intestine through a weak spot in the abdominal wall and into the inguinal canal of the groin. A sports hernia also involves abdominal muscle weakness, but the pain -- typically referred to both the groin and the hip -- results from a tear where the abdominal muscles connect to the pelvic bones. Treatment may involve surgery, but your physician will probably recommend more conservative measures at first, such as rest, anti-inflammatory drugs, icing and physical therapy. If these fail, surgery involving the placement of a synthetic reinforcing mesh in the weak area of the abdominal wall has proven curative for many runners.
Osteitis Pubis
Osteitis pubis is inflammation at the site at which the two pubic bones meet each other in the midline, a few centimeters below your belly button. The resulting pain can radiate down your inner thighs, into your abdomen, and into the hip sockets. Pain usually comes on slowly, and once present it may be either sharp or dull. Osteitis pubis usually occurs as a result of a biomechanical imbalance that manifests as instability in your running stride, especially if your training mileage is on the high side. Icing, rest, strengthening exercises and stretching often are the most effective therapies.
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