The pelvis may not be what propels you along when you run, but as the place where the moving legs meet the stationary trunk, it's the centerpiece of the whole symphony. The hip and sacroiliac joints along with a slew of muscle and tendon attachments are all susceptible to acute and chronic pain and damage owing to this challenging mode of exercise.
Piriformis Syndrome
The pirifomis muscle, found under the gluteal group in the buttocks, can tighten and become inflamed owing to overuse. When this happens, the muscle often presses against the sciatic nerve as it runs through the butt. Pain is usually limited to the affected buttock, but it may radiate down the leg. The pain typically worsens after you've been seated for a long period. Rest, icing the area, stretching and anti-inflammatory medications can often reduce the symptoms. During healing, physical therapy exercises can help correct whatever imbalance probably led to the development of your piriformis syndrome.
Trochanteric Bursitis
Bursae are fluid-filled pouches that reduce friction between, and cushion, articulating surfaces and those that experience high stress loads, such as the heel. Inflammation of a bursa, called bursitis, occurs when repetitive stress exceeds the bursa's friction-alleviating or cushioning capacity. According to the Sports Injury Clinic, the trochanteric bursa of the hip is the most commonly injured bursa. Pain chiefly affects the outside of the hip and worsens with activity. Rest and icing the area are the usual initial treatments. When you can start running again, avoid hills until you're certain that your bursitis has fully healed.
Femoral Stress Fracture
Stress fractures of the femoral neck — the part of your thigh bone close to its attachment to the pelvis — are, according to Sportsinjuryclinic.net, most common in runners who undertake very long jaunts, such as ultramarathons — races in excess of 26.2 miles. With one of these fractures, you'll feel pain both during and after running. Discomfort can also occur with other upper-leg movements, even those that are not weight-bearing. Healing takes a month to eight weeks, with the growth of new bone confirmed using X-rays.
Other Causes
Less common causes of pelvic pain where the leg inserts into the hip include a sports hernia, in which the tendons of the adductor muscles pull away from their attachment on the pelvis; iliotibial band syndrome, marked by a wearing away of a band of tissue running from the top of the hip to the outside the knee; and problems with the hip joint itself, such as arthritis, tears to the cartilagenous labrum surrounding the hip socket, and necrosis of the joint owing to a compromised blood supply. In most cases, these can be managed with rest and anti-inflammatory drugs, though some loss of mobility is an inevitable consequence in some cases.
References
- Sports Injury Clinic: Hip Bursitis
- "Running Times"; Ask the Coaches; Piriformis Syndrome
- SportsInjuryClinic.net: Stress Fracture in the Neck of the Femur
- Cyber PT: Sports Hernia (Athletic Pubalgia); June 2008
- Wellington Chiropractic: Iliotibial Band Syndrome
- BeginnerTriathlete.com: Common Causes of Hip and Pelvic Pain in Runners
