There are many reasons to develop pain in the hips. A few examples include trochanteritis, inflammation of the hip joint capsule or bursitis. A very common diagnosis is also osteoarthritis in the hips, or coxarthrosis, as it is called in Latin. Regardless of the cause, it is very important to get a diagnosis, so that the correct treatment can be started. When you contact a physician, it is also a good idea to try to describe exactly where the pain is located. Just saying “the hips” is not always enough, since different people are referring to different things in this area. Therefore, it is a good idea if you have the opportunity check how you feel after moving and provide more detailed information.
What is the cause if you have hip pain after running?
A few structures in the hips that can be affected in people who are runners, include muscles, tendons insertions, cartilage and bone tissue. A common complaint is inflammation that develops as a result of overstraining the muscles that run over the outside hip trochanter. This is called trochanteritis. In connection with this, a bursa in the hip can also become swollen, something that is called trochanteric bursitis. This results in pain in the hips, primarily during exertion – both during and after running. If symptoms are pronounced, you can also feel pain when you cross your legs or lie on your side against the hip trochanter.
This can be due to having increased the amount of training too quickly without properly preparing the body first. Other causes may be that you have changed shoes, not stretched after training or that you have exercised too much on one side. Treatment of trochanteritis is based on improving the initial problem. If the stability of the hips is poor, exercises should address this. If there is insufficient range of motion, exercises to improve flexibility are needed. If there is a lack of strength, strength training is necessary. And so on.
Other Causes of Hip Pain
Other causes of hip pain after running include osteoarthritis and stress fractures. Stress factors, however, are relatively uncommon, even if this is a serious condition that requires medical attention. In order to gain insight into exactly what is causing the discomfort, it is always recommended to consult with a physician, preferably a orthopedist or a physical training instructor.
Learn more about hips cracking when training here.
If you have hip pain when you walk
Pain in the hips during strain, such as walking or running, may be due to different things. If the pain is on the outside of the hip, this may be trochanteritis or trochanteric bursitis. More information about this is available above. Another diagnosis that also causes pain during exertion is osteoarthritis in the hip joints, or coxarthrosis. The first symptom of this is often stiffness in the hips, primarily difficulty rotating the the leg outwards. For example, it can be difficult to put your socks on or get out of the car. However, what gets most people to seek medical attention is the pain that comes with the disease.
The symptoms of osteoarthritis in the hips often appear very gradually, which many people feel is a natural part of aging. However, this is not the case – if the pain goes untreated, the disease will become worse. For this reason, it is good to get a diagnosis as soon as possible so that treatment can be started.
If you have hip pain at night
Pain at rest, in other words, having hip pain even during periods at rest, can be a sign of long-term osteoarthritis. However, this symptom usually does not appear at the beginning of the disease, rather it is something that develops as the disease develops. In certain cases, osteoarthritis can have progressed so far that it is difficult to sleep due to the pain. Pain-relieving tablets such as paracetamol, (usually Alvadon and Panodil) or NSAID (usually Ibumetin and Diklofenak), but exercise is the preferred basic treatment.
Read more about pain in the lower back.