I don’t want to write this post, I really really don’t. I don’t want to admit I’m injured (and that I have no idea how it happened!) If you’re anything like me, you avoid going to the doctor like the plague! So this is not my comfort zone.
A few weeks ago I started noticing, every now & then – a mild pain in my right hip. and it was a sharp, shooting pain that came in pulses. It felt like it was inside the hip joint? Though I can’t be certain… I’m no doctor, it just feels like that “general area” and it is definitely not muscle pain.
At first, it didn’t happen very often && when it did it was fairly mild. I noticed it most often after sleeping on my side for a long time, or sitting in one position in the car on our many road trips. But, recently is has came more often and grown in intensity. It’s been happening multiple times a day and has become debilitating. It will just HIT me… These sharp, quick, pulses of intense pain, like high volts of electricity sheering exactly in my right hip joint area. The attacks range from a few seconds up to a couple of minutes!!!It feels like something pinching the nerve terribly sharply, but it is not a continuous pain, it comes in short bursts.. I can’t even describe it really. It’s like a spasm but it feels deeper and sharper than any muscle pain I’ve experienced (and I’ve torn, ripped, sprained… you name it)
I don’t know what to do at this point. I’ve googled up a storm and no one seems to have an answer. The closest thing I can find to it, is Hip Bursitis but that doesn’t even sound 100% right. (Why do we try to diagnose ourselves???!!)
Since Warrior Dash on Sunday it has been happening at least once an hour. I can’t get comfortable because the pain comes sharply! Even after the volts of pain it remains tender today. It’s a dull ache all the time now.
ughughugh
I can not afford to be injured! I really truly can not right now.
Not to mention my job demands me to be on my feet at least 5 hours a day (at LEAST)
Not to mention my job demands me to be on my feet at least 5 hours a day (at LEAST)
wah. This post is pure whiney whine whine fest. sorry y’all!
I just don’t want to go dish out tons of money to a doctor and get a result that tells me I can’t run for x amount of time and need to take time off work to rest my hip. ugh.. Plus, what kind of Dr would I see? A chiropractor? A regular Practice Doctor? Sports? oooof.
So I guess my question is.
How long do you wait out aches and pains before you get them checked out by a Dr?
Aww girl, that sucks. I work as a paralegal in the disability law sector and immediately my thought is a pinched nerve/ sciatica. Obviously I’m not a MD. I suggest resting/using a heating pad. Maybe wait a week (that’s my norm give/take) and see a sports doc or a pain specialist. Take it easy and feel better!
eeeek I hope it’s not a pinched nerve.
Ack! I’m so sorry girl!!!! Keep your chin up.
My advice? A chiro is not a board certified physician…so don’t ever go to one of them first. They cannot provide for you what even a general doc can. Try your general doc first and he/she will refer you to a specialist if need be. If it’s becoming debilitating it’s probably time to have it checked out. Better safe than sorry…especially since you rely on activity as a major part of your lifestyle.
Sending healing thoughts your way, girl!
Thanks lady xoxoxo!!! I made a Dr. appointment… OOOF I can’t wait until I’ve been at my new job for 90 days so I can have insurance… of course I get hurt a month and a half before it goes into affect. so the story of my life!
H broke his finger while he was still in his 90-day probationary period. So we went to urgent care, and turns out that because we didn’t have insurance it was MUCH cheaper than if we had insurance. $141 for xrays and all…and it would have cost at least $250 just for the copay. They usually cut a deal of some sort for those paying up front. Ask them about it.
I waited over a year after having little injuries just compound on my left leg, I finally went to a dr but it was too late. I suffered massive damage to my nervous system and almost lost my leg due to necrosis. I had a common runners issue(torn solieus) which eventually turned into compartment syndrome. Long story short, when people say they have a nagging pain go see your DR! I don’t have feeling in my leg and can’t run more than 5kms, sprint or do stairs. See your DR!!
YIKES!! way to scare me into making an appointment
I did though — so we’ll see tomorrow (hopefully.. hopefully this isnt the start of a really lengthy process.)
i have to disagree with above…. i would see a chiro first (best if you can find one that is a runner also (mine is!)…. they will tell you if it is something you should go to a regular doc for. i have had great results with my chiro
good luck. don’t ignore it…
i always have the worst luck with doctors who just don’t get our inability to sit still… Hopefully this time I can find one who could relate…
Boo to being injured. Sometimes you just have to bite the bullet and go see the doctor, before you legitimately cripple yourself.
That being said, I would go to one that offers acupuncture. I have found that it works wonders for any “site specific” pain, and quite quickly at that. Plus you don’t run the risk of having to take steroids, get cortisone shots, etc… Right off the bat for something that could heal quickly on its own with the right combination of acupuncture and manipulation.
Most health insurance will now cover acupuncture as well if it’s not for something cosmetic. If you’ve yet to try it, it’s worth a shot!
Unfortunately, I am about a month and a half away from when my insurance with my new job kicks in…
I’m self employed and didn’t have health insurance for a long time. When I got acupuncture it was about 60 bucks a treatment for 4 treatments if that helps at all when it comes down to the numbers aspect of it.
Good luck either way! Hope it’s an easy fix!
Oh no, so sorry to hear that.
It sounds like a trip to the doc might be in order, better to make sure all is well. I hope you heal fast!
Thanks hopefully we figure this thing out tomorrow!
You earned your whiney whine fest so go for it! I really hate being in an uncomfortable body when something aches so I understand your frustration. Let us know what transpires. http://funandfit.org/2012/05/post-workout-protein-soy-revisited/
nooooooooooooooooooo– get your little booty to an orthopedic office STAT. My mom had this issue a few weeks ago and it was a sprain in her hip and no cartilage in her lower back.. he just told her what she could do and can’t do, I suggest you do the same just so it doesn’t get worse
yikes. no cartilage does not sound like fun.. wold explain my back issues though, that I’ve had for like… ever. (oh the lovely results of being an exgymnast. everything is a mess)
I have hip bursitis and it sucks. go to a runner/sports chiro first, then if that doesn’t help I would see an orthepedic dr. your regular dr won’t do anything but refer you anyway. icing helps me and yoga. I have scoliosis and therefore bad hips which causes my hip issues. you may just need to stretch and strengthen.
I do a lot of stretching, but bursitis really does seem to be the most similar to my symptoms. I made an appointment so hopefully ill figure this out soon!!!
sorry girl
hope you get some good advice today to help you get it figured out! all i got for you is ice ice ice
Thanks lady!! hopefully my appointment tomorrow will give me a few answers
Get yourself to a doctor, silly girl! Everyone has a preferred first doctor they see- any good chiro/PT/sports med/general doc will be able to point you in the right direction. I personally prefer to go to a chiro first, but that is just me, and everyone will tell you something different. The important thing is to go! It sounds like you are really hurt and it’s getting worse, not better. It may be true that you “cannot afford to be injured” but you can’t afford the long term consequences of ignoring an injury either. You may pay tons of money and find out that you have to take time off from running and possibly work- but you can’t avoid a diagnosis/treatment just because you don’t like the potential treatment, and you are always better served by going to a doctor than trying to google an answer.
I will get off my high horse now.
haha. thats why i love ya, straight forward & to the point
I definitely need to & as you know bit the bullet & made an appointment.
Oh no! Boo to injuries! If it’s something that’s progressively getting worse, and especially if it’s consistently bothering you like you seem to describe it, I would go to the doctor. I know it sucks and there’ll be tests involved but in my opinion, it’s better to see a doctor sooner rather than later before it gets worse and you’re potentially out for a long period of time. Personally, I would see a sports doc/orthopaedist if you can who are trained to deal with these issues with athletes. (I may also be biased since my sister is an orthopaedic surgeon). Your regular doctor can’t really give you the answers you’re looking for and will likely refer you anyways. Good luck and I hope it goes away. In the meantime, I would also ice and take some anti-inflammatories to help with the pain.
ice has been helping, until I stop icing it
but I’m staying off my feet as much as possible & going to the dr tomorrow. So hopefully we figure this thing out. I’m hoping it just needs some rest & TLC
Oh no! I think seeing a sports doc would be your best option. I hope you have a quick and speedy recovery!
Thank You!!
Wow – people are writing some really scary stuff here…Your symptoms don’t sound worrying to me. I’m a physical therapist and have just finished my first website (!) dedicated to hip bursitis – check it out. I’d love to get some thoughts/feedback on the site – please post a comment on the site if it’s helpful:
http://www.hip-bursitis.net
Is your pain in your groin or on the outer aspect of the hip? If the pain is in the groin you may have some hip impingement (femoroacetabular impingement), or pain referred from your back/sacroiliac joint. Without pins and needles, numbness, weakness there is nothing to indicate nerve root pain/sciatica…
Assuming the pain is on the outer aspect of the hip, the chances are you have a touch of bursitis. Hip bursitis is a bit of a catch all term as I explain on the site. My guess is that this is to do with the biomechanics of your running. I would see someone in person as cyberspace diagnosis is pretty impossible. Go and see a PT who has an interest in running, ideally someone with a gait analysis lab. You may need to work on the gluts and your running form.
The pain is in the outer aspect. Its not near the groin or hip flexor. It feels like its in the ball n socket joint of the hip almost? & there isn’t any numbness or needles feeling. I really don’t think its nerve pain.. It’s not consistent enough. & It doesn’t shoot pain when I move, it almost comes randomly, or after I put my weight on my right side.
Also your website is really informative!! Thank you so much for this comment, made me feel a lot better. I scheduled an appointment with a Dr so we’ll see soon hopefully!
Doesn’t sound like your hip – true hip pain invariably presents itself as pain in the the groin and the front of the thigh. As I say bursitis is a bit of a catch all term, most of the time it’s actually a gluteal tendinopathy. Sometimes the ITB flicks over the greater trochanter which can feel a bit nervy but without objective neurology (pins and needles, numbess, weakness etc) nerve pain is very unlikely. Hopefully your doc will reassure you.
If he/she thinks it is a hip bursitis I would highly recommend strengthening you gluts. No need to stop running unless it’s too painful, just ease it up a bit. If you don’t go to a gait lab, get an experienced runner/coach to watch you run. Your pelvis should stay fairly level and your knee shouldn’t collapse inwards. Buying an off the shelf orthotic or speaking to a podiatrist may be helpful if you have a flat foot. I can’t be more specific as I’m working blind here but good luck! Some scary stories here – I think you’ll make it
Kieran
Oh man, something is definitely up there, for sure. I think you should go to your dr. and they’ll most likely tell you that you’re going to need PT for whatever ails you (hip bursitis sounds kind of likely? or tendonitis in your hip?) and they can write you an Rx for the PT, that way its covered by insurance. I actually really liked PT when I was injured a few years ago, I learned so much about my body as a runner and its helped me to stay injury-free ever since. good luck!!
I’ve really only heard good things about PT experiences with runners, so that would be one of the better outcomes. They considered me going to PT when I had knee issues before but it was mild enough that the dr didnt find it a priority.
Unfortunately I just started a new job about a month and a half ago, so I still have about a month and a half before my new insurance kicks in… STORY OF MY LIFE
haha
oh man… “we have an injured latte, i repeat, a latte is down.” As you can see above, and as you already know, go to a Dr… more importantly go to a Sports Dr. who might be able to pinpoint the pain, symptoms and cause more precisely. It’s worth the money to see a Sports Doc followed by a physical therapist to recover. We want you 100%… i don’t want no half-ass latte.
haha thanks for the laughs! I made an appointment for tomorrow so we’ll see! hopefully…
I would go to a Sports Dr who is familar with runners not a Chiro or something. PT would be Ok, but not as good as Sports Doc. I would think possible pinched nerve but could also be pirformis which is deep in the butt/hip area and therefore can feel like this. keep your chin up! you’ll be back to full latte strength in no time!
Oh my goodness, I know how you’re feeling right now! I had pain in my ankle while training for my first half marathon a couple years ago. I tried to ignore the pain and kept running/ training. There came a point when I just couldn’t take it anymore and went to a podiatrist. I turned out I had tensor fasciitis and it caused a stress fracture.
Take it from a former injured runner, it’s important to check things out with a doctor before your injury gets worse. It sucks that you have to put your training on hold. But at least you’ll be able to recover faster if you diagnose the problem faster.
Good luck!
YIKES. my brain keeps saying “could be a stress fracture. don’t let it become a stress fracture” then I read this haha. I need to stop trying to diagnose myself.
I made an appointment so we’ll see! thank you
I think once you write about it, it’s time to go to a doctor. I’m a big fan of chiropractic, but some doctors will steer you away from that. Just go, see what he/she says. I highly recommend a sports medicine doctor initially. It could be piriformis syndrome, it could be some sort of minor strain, it could be a stress fracture, etc., etc.
Ugh I’m soooo sorry! I’ve been having some bad hip pain as well. I went to the ortho and they diagnosed me with hip bursitis. I had to rest for a bit. Then I iced for 30 minutes like 3x a day and I try to stretch out my IT band every time I exercise. It has definitely helped! Mine felt like it was right in the hip joint as well and if I touched the outside of my leg, it was right over the greater trochanter…is that where yours is?