10 Causes of Hip Pain During and After Running

5. Hip, Thigh or Hamstring Muscle Injury-Tear

Injuries and tears in the glutes, hamstrings, quadriceps, and groin muscles are common among runners. Some of these conditions may manifest as pain in the hip region,

Hip Flexor Strains

The hip flexors are a group of muscles located in the front portion of the hip that work to lift the thigh upward and assist in a forward motion when walking or running.

If you’re experiencing pain at the front of the hip, especially where your thigh meets your hip near the leg crease, then you might have a hip flexor strain.

A hip flexor strain is the overstretching or tearing of these muscles.

Gluteus Medis Muscle Injury

Since the gluteus medius — one of the three main glute muscles — and the hip joint are located in the same area, inflammation or injury to this muscle may affect the whole hip region and vice versa.

A runner with injured/strained glutes may feel a tender, aching pain on the outside of the hip region

Hamstring Injury/Tear

Made up of three distinct muscles that run down the back of your thighs, hamstring injuries happen when muscle fibers are forced to bear a drastic load while fully or almost fully extended.

Inflammation or injury of the top of the hamstrings can result in pain and tenderness in the top of the back of the thigh and the lower buttocks.

Quadriceps Tears

If you experience pain or tenderness in the front of the thighs, then this may indicate inflammation or injury to the quadriceps muscles.

When you overwork your quads, they can become strained from overuse, especially if they’re relatively weak and/or when doing too much downhill running.

The Solution

Treating muscle injuries is not complicated. Mild cases can be treated with the RICE protocol.

As a rule, avoid any activities that put weight on the injured hip for the first few days after onset.

Also, stretch and strengthen your critical running muscles, such as the glutes, hamstrings, quads, and calves, on a regular basis.

For more on that check my post here.

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6. Cartilage Tear

If you’re suffering from intermittent pain in the hip region, accompanied by a clicking or locking sensation, especially following a recent hip fall or twist, then you might blame it on a cartilage tear.

Also known as a labral tear, the condition is a tear of the acetabulum, which is a thick ring of cartilage that cushions the hip joint.

Cartilage tears can be a gradual onset caused by overuse and repetitive strain on the hip.

These tears typically take place where the ball and socket joint insert. Typically, this injury is caused by trauma, as in a sudden fall or twist.

They can also be acute, caused by a traumatic event such as a bad fall, collisions, etc.

The Solution

Again, stop running for a few days.

Depending on the severity of the tear, your choice of treatment largely depends on the condition.

In case symptoms didn’t improve, then see a doctor immediately.

Some may recover with simple treatments in a few weeks, whereas serious cases require arthroscopic surgery to repair or remove the torn labrum and clear out a fragment from the joint.

Here are some useful links:

7. Iliotibial Band Syndrome

If you experience sharp pain on the outside of your knee and/or hip region, you could have iliotibial band syndrome (ITBS). This is especially the case if you tend to run on paved roads or track all season.

ITBS is an inflammation or irritation of the iliotibial band, which is a tough tendon that runs down the outside of the thigh from the hip to the knee, connecting the hip to the shin bone.

Tightness in the band, as well as weak hip and glute muscles, can lead to the onset of the condition.

The Solution

Your first line of defense is to reduce running by 30 to 50 percent or stop altogether if pain interferes with your gait.

Also, strengthen your glutes and hip muscles and correct any muscle imbalances in the area.

Other measures include:

Changing your running routes
Avoid running on roads that slope laterally
Alternating direction on the track
Replacing your running shoes
Stretching your IT band, hamstrings, and glutes

For the full guide on how to deal with ITBS, check my post here.

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9. Avascular Necrosis

Also known as osteonecrosis, this condition occurs when blood supply to the femoral head — the ball of the hip — is limited, resulting in the death of bone tissue.

Avascular necrosis can be brought up by a host of causes, including;

Excessive alcohol intake,
High-dose steroid medications,
Radiotherapy,
Sickle cell diseases,

When Ignored the condition can result in tiny breaks in the bone, leading to the bone’s eventual collapse.

The Solution

If you just got diagnosed by your doctor, then it’s crucial that they refer you for an immediate MRI scan to confirm that you have avascular necrosis.

As soon as you the result, start treatment, which may stop the condition from getting worse (and thwart the onset of arthritis).

Check this post for an in-depth overview of how to slow and stop the progression of avascular necrosis.

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