What Causes Hip Pain After Running?

Running is a very effective weight-loss exercise, but it can have certain downsides. You may experience some pain in your hip, which can make moving around difficult. However, this isn't normal, and we're here to help you out.

In this article, we will examine what causes hip pain after running, how to prevent it, and how to treat any hip pain you already feel.

Why Your Hips Hurt After Running

Running can help you stay healthy and keep fit in the best of ways. However, it can put your hips in a world of pain after spending minutes on the treadmill or running outside. These are some reasons why your hips hurt after running;

Muscle strains

Muscle strains happen when you run faster or longer than you're used to and tiny tears develop in your muscles. These rips can be caused by straining your gluteus medius muscle under your large buttock muscle. As a result, you feel a large pain outside and at the back of your hip. It's an expected bodily response as this same muscle is used for absorbing shock when your foot hits the ground while running. 

When you injure your gluteus medius while running, it could also affect other daily activities. Mundane tasks such as climbing stairs or casually sitting for long periods become stressful. It's worth noting that muscle strains affect the widest part of your hip muscles, causing discomfort along the front and back of your thighs. 

Osteoarthritis

If you're a constant runner suffering from hip osteoarthritis, it's no surprise you have hip pain. It's a condition that's more common in older athletes and causes the cartilage in the hip joint to break down and become brittle.

In some cases, pieces of cartilage can split and break off inside your hip joint. This cartilage loss means less cushioning for your hip bones, leading to pain and inflammation.

Bursitis

Bursae are fluid-filled cushions around your body's joints. If you have bursitis, it means these structures have become inflamed due to constant pressure and friction.

As a runner, there are two bursae that can cause hip pain;

• The trochanteric bursa is located behind the bony point of your hip. You can feel this near the top of your thighs and below your pelvis. 

• The iliopsad bursa is found on the front of your hip, near your groin. 

Trochanteric bursitis causes you pain exactly at its location on the outside of your hip. Activities like running and even standing up from a chair become tedious. However, the pain gets worse at night when you roll onto the affected hip while sleeping. 

Labral Cartilage Tears

The hip labrum is the cartilage on the outside rim of the hip joint's socket. Its job is to secure your thighbone within the hip socket. However, repeated running can cause it to tear. You can tell when your labral cartilage is damaged as the injury makes a clicking sound when you move. 

Regular movement also becomes difficult, and you could experience stiffness in some situations. You also need to keep in mind that it's not easy to spot symptoms. If you suspect you have a hip labral tear, it's vital to contact a doctor.

Tendonitis

Tendonitis is a condition caused by inflammation in your tendons. It's a common side effect of running longer distances than you're used to. You could also develop tendonitis if you're exercising your muscles too frequently without proper rest days in between sessions. 

Tendonitis can affect several hip tendons, including;

• Hip Flexors: Hip flexors are the muscles responsible for lifting your legs when you walk or bend forward. Your body has two primary hip flexors, the iliacus and the psoas muscles. The iliacus muscles extend from the inside of your pelvis bone to the thigh bone. Your psoas muscles, on the other hand, run from your spine to the thigh bone. When your flexors are strained, it means either the iliacus or the psoas mucles are injured. It could also mean your ilipsoas tendon has gotten damaged, resulting in severe pain. 

• Hamstrings: Hamstrings are skeletal muscles located behind your thigh used for controling your movement. This makes them essential for extending and rotating your hip joint. Your hamstrings can get injured during when you suddenly stop or change direction. Extending your leg too much during running could also overstretch the muscles, causing a “pulled hamstring”.

• Adductors: Adductors are muscles that run from your pelvic bone down to the inner thigh and knee. They allow your hip and leg to move forward inward across the body and steady the trunk. Straining your adductor can lead to mild strain with a slight pull and a little tearing. However, rare serious injuries would result in a full muscle or tendon tear. 

Bone Fractures

Hip fractures are serious life-threatening injuries, and they can happen due to a sports injury or car accident. While surgery can make things better, there could still be leftover damage. This can cause severe pain and swelling when you run.

Hip Pointer

A hip pointer injury is a deep bruise to your iliac crest, the outside part of your hip bone. It happens when you suffer a direct blow to your hip bone. You can experience this if you take a hard fall to your hip when running on a trail or uneven terrain. This causes the area around your hip bone to bruise and swell, limiting the amount of motion in your hips.

How to Prevent Pain in Your Hips

There are various ways to prevent hip pain and ensure you have a comfortable running workout. Some tips you can use include;

Always warm Up Before Running

No mattwr how fit or athetic, it’s important to prep your body before starting your running exercises. Movemets like high knee marches, and leg swings are key to loosening your hips and boosing your motion range. 

Add strength training to your fitness routine

Boosting your hip strength is an excellent way to solve muscle imbalances and reduce your exposure to running injuries. Building strength in your abductors and adductors will also prevent hip damage. Here are some exercises you can try;

• Trunk Rotation: For this exercise, lie with your back on the floor with your knees pulled into your chest, and hold for 10-15 seconds. With your knees at a 90-degree angle, use your right hand outside the left knee to guide your knees to the right. Pause, then use your abs and hips to guide your knees in the other direction while switching hands. You can start the exercise with both feet on the floor before progressing with them off the ground. Once you feel strong enough, extend your legs fully and keep your feet as close to the ground as possible. Repeat this for 10 to 20 reps on each side. 

• Standing Hip Abduction: To do this exercise, stand on one leg, possibly holding a wall or chair for balance. Bring your other leg across your body and hold. Next, swing the leg out to the other side and hold for 5 seconds. Do this 10 to 15 times before switching sides. 

• Floor Bridge: For this exercise, lie on your back on the floor with your knees bent and feet flat on the ground. Squeeze your glutes and lift your hips off the ground while pushing down on the heels. Drop your hips down and repeat for 20 reps. You can up the challenge by putting bands around your thighs or holding dumbbells while pushing your hips up. 

Stretch Your Muscles Out

Once you've warmed up your muscles, you must stretch your lower body to keep your hip joints mobile. Here are some exercises to help you do that;

• Clamshells: To do this exercise, lie down on your side with one hand holding up your head and the other placed on your hip. Place your legs on each other with your knees bent at 45 degrees in front of you. Your head, hips, and heels should also be in a line. Lift your upper knee as high as possible while your bottom knee stays on the floor with your feet together. Do ten reps on one side before flipping over and repeating on the other side.

• Side-to-side Lunges: For this exercise, take a wide step with your left leg to the side of you. Both your toes should be in the same direction with your feet flat on the floor. Bend your left knee and step outward while keeping your hips back. Release the position by pushing off your left foot and returning to the starting position. Complete one set of side lunges on your left leg before switching to your right leg. Repeat the sequence for additional sets. 

• Knee Pull-in Plank: To do this exercise, get into a high plank position with your hands directly below your shoulders. Keep your body in a straight line from head to toe with your core and glutes engaged. Lift one foot off the ground and bring your knee to your chest while engaging your abdominal muscles. Maintain this position for five breaths. Extend your leg to the starting position and repeat the movement on the other side. Keep alternating your knee-in movement for your preferred number of sets. 

Pause to Stretch During your Run

As a runner, it can be helpful to pause and stretch while on the track. You can talk to your physiotherapist to find the right stretches that fit into your routine. It's also important that you only stretch in well-lit areas and be clear of traffic. 

Some simple stretches you can try include lifting your knee to your chest or getting into a standing figure position.

Wear a Well-Fitting Pair of Running Shoes

If you’re a consistent runner, comfortable running shoes can absorb shock and reduce hip stress. You can also get a pair of stability shoes to maintain your hip alignment while running.

How to Treat Hip Pain After Running

If you already experience hip pain after running, there are various treatments to help relieve you. Here are a few of the top ones you can try;

Get Some Rest

Being the consistent runner you are, rest days are an essential part of your routine. If you experience pain after each run session, you should take at least two to three rest days. During this period, focus on low-impact exercises and stretches that can improve your hip movement. 

Take Over-the-counter (OTC) Pain Medications

You can take pain medications to relieve hip inflammation after your workout session. Some effective pills include Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) such as Advil (Ibuprofen) and Aleve (naproxen). Tylenol (acetaminophen) and Bayer (aspirin) are also excellent options for reducing hip pain. 

Train your Hip Adductors

Runners with weak adductors are more prone to hip injuries. It’s common in long-distance runners who rely on their adductors to move longer. By training your adductors, you strengthen the muscles surrounding the hip joint. As a result, you reduce the odds of feeling pain after running and also boost your stamina. 

Injections

If you've tried the oral medication route and it's not working, injections are a good alternative. You can try Corticosteroids, which are strong anti-inflammatory medications frequently used for treating tendonitis, osteoarthritis, and bursitis. After taking the injection, the medication takes two to three days to start working. However, it might not be very effective, so you should only use it two or three times in the same area. It's the best way to avoid steroid overuse, which could further damage your tissues. 

If you're suffering from hip osteoarthritis, you can treat it using hyaluronic acid injections. This substance lubricates your hip joint and reduces the stiffness caused by the condition. Over time, you experience better movement and less pain after your running exercises. 

Apply Heat Therapy

Heat therapy is an effective way to relax your muscles and relieve hip pain. It involves applying heat to the affected area, increasing blood flow and relaxing your tight muscles. You can do this therapy using a heat pad, warm towel, or hot water bottle on your hip for 20 minutes.

Adding heat therapy to your routine is especially useful if you experience chronic pain or stiffness. Not only does it boost your recovery process, but also improves your overall hip function. 

Use a Foam Roller

Foam rolling is a self-myofascial release technique that involves using a foam roller to apply pressure to your muscles and fascia. This causes adhesions to break up, boosting blood flow in your lead. The awesome part about this technique is how it targets areas of tightness and discomfort. All you have to do is slowly roll over your hip and pause on tender spots for 30 seconds. Doing this will boost your muscle flexibility and reduce injury risk. 

Consult your Doctor

If you've tried various exercises and the pain doesn't reduce, consult a doctor for more effective measures. This could involve a medication plan or surgery to correct any persistent conditions. Regardless, it will eliminate any pain that you experience while running.

When Does Hip Pain Become a Problem?

In most situations, you can treat hip pain with exercise and over-the-counter pain medications. However, there are rare cases where it could be a sign of an underlying medical condition. In this case, you need to visit the doctor to get it checked out. You should also see a doctor if you experience any of the following;

• Severe, unrelenting pain that affects how you handle difficult tasks

• Difficulty putting weight on one leg

• Pain that doesn’t improve despite taking medications and makes it difficult to move your hip

• Pain that moves from your hip to other areas.

Get Rid of Hip Pain With Hywell Socks

Now that we’ve gone through the causes of hip pain, let’s talk about a unique way to fix it. Introducing Hywell store, a premium socks platform for runners trying to get rid of hip pain.

To meet your running needs, the store offers a catalog of socks with different features. You can find excellent products from thick padded running compression socks that prevent hip pain to padded athletic ankle socks that. To get the best socks for your running exercise, visit Hywell Store to choose from our amazing socks collection.

Conclusion

Hip pain doesn’t have to ruin your exercises and workout sessions. That said, if the pain persists or gets worse over time, you must see a doctor to get better treatment.

FAQs

How do I protect my hips when I'm running?

You can protect your hips when running by wearing footwear with proper alignment and can shock absorption.

Can Hip Pain go away on its own?

Yes, hip pain can go away on its own with proper rest and over-the-counter medications. 

What is the most common reason for Hip Pain?

Arthritis is the most common reason you might experience hip pain. It is causes by the progressive wearing away of the cartilage in your hip joint. This leads to pain and reduced motion range.

Is it better to sleep or exercise with Hip Pain?

A few hours of sleep can improve hip pain. However, once the pain starts to ease, start doing low-impact exercises like swimming or walking.