An annoying, nagging, pain for runners.

I’ve been dealing with a problem in my hip flexor the past few weeks. It does stem from my Scoliosis because I have uneven hips. But this pain can happen to anyone, most common in women. A hip flexor injury is a strain or tear in one of the muscles in your hip flexor and extends to your groin area. Mainly in the front part of your hip area.

Hip-Flexor-Strain

The area I had a problem with was the iliopsoas, the most common area of injury with hip flexor pain.

Muscles of the anterior right hip and thigh

 

I didn’t go see a Doctor for many reasons, but I did take care of it myself and got rid of the pain myself. =) The weird thing was that it wasn’t hurting while I ran, it bothered me when I wasn’t running. I knew what the problem was and added a few more stretching to my days. I already stretch it every day being it is a problem area for me so I try to keep it loose and ready. One of the stretches I do everyday is the pigeon yoga pose. It opens up the hips and stretches out the piriformis muscle. I also stretch my piriformis as it can contribute to hip flexor tightness.

collagepir
The highlighted area is the area of pain for piriformis, aka the pain in the butt!

 

Before heading out for a run, these are the stretches I would do to get my hip ready for action:

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collagep

 

I have also done some swimming to help ease the pain. It is a great form of cross training and a great way to loosen those stiff sore muscles! I did some laps a few times a week to help release the tension in my hip flexor muscles. I also did some running in the water to simulate the movements done while I run. As soon as I would finish, I would feel an immediate relief.

collagesw

 

My hip pain was so bad that I could barely stand up straight or even walk. I wasn’t comfortable in any position and sleeping was a challenge. I knew I had to fix this problem and going to a Doctor wouldn’t solve it. They rather just dope me up on meds and send me on my way. I am not one to take medication, I feel that there is a more natural way to cure pains and heal them. Yes, in some cases medicine is much-needed but not here!

I did these stretches and ate foods to fuel my achy muscles, like anti-inflammatory and proteins. I also kept some KT Tape on because it speeds up recovery and helps me be active at a tolerable level. I also use KT tape to keep me from getting re-injured. I use it for many injuries and the most effective app I use are the hip flexor ones.

I alternate between two apps, the front 2 strips app, or the star on my hip itself. Both are highly effective and both allowed me to run and continue with my Goofy Challenge training.

collageh
KT Tape Hip Flexor applications

Another thing I did was foam rolling and massaging. Even though the hip flexor is a hard to get to with a foam roller, the surrounding muscles get tense too. So even with foam rolling the area, I felt some relief. Ladies, we are more prone to hip pain than men, so make sure you are strengthening, or stretching the hips to prevent injuries!

happy baby pose

leg

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All the stretches and moves here will help with hip pain and your piriformis pain. Both common problem for runners, but can be easily taken care of with these moves. Preventing them before it happens is the most effective way to solve it 😉

-cheetah g

 

 

Comments

12 responses to “An annoying, nagging, pain for runners.”

  1. laurenwayjurlee Avatar

    Love this! I’m in the same boat with hip issues because of my scoliosis, and I LOVE to hear other people’s tips and tricks. I have super weak hip flexors and its a constant struggle to get my hips more open and stretch out all of my tightness in my lower body! I have never tried KT tape, I might need to give it a try.

    1. runner unleashed Avatar
      runner unleashed

      It makes a world of a difference! Try it!

  2. megztap Avatar

    I think I may have a hip issue as well, its affecting my left knee quite badly. physio gave me some exercises I need to do which will help strengthen my lateral rotator muscles of my hip. These stretches are good too, I will add these as well! X

    1. runner unleashed Avatar
      runner unleashed

      If you are having knee issues too it could be your ITBS. It’s a muscle and ligaments that run from your hip to your knee. On the side.

  3. […] is going OK. In August it was a few steps back since I was in the hospital and was out due to my hip flexor pain being out of control. But glad I was able to overcome it with some therapy and KT Tape. My […]

  4. […] 21. If you haven’t tried them..DO SO!! OH! Another thing I noticed is that my usual hip flexor pain was not there!!! Sometimes just running 6 miles will have me in pain walking like a zombie. I […]

  5. fittoservegroup Avatar

    This really inspires me…thanks for sharing your journey

  6. bagreendog Avatar

    Thanks for your tips. I have a pain in my groin area that (weirdly, as you say) disappears when I put on my sneakers and go for my walk. On on my feet in the house it comes and goes with no warning. Thinking it’s the psoas major and will work on exercises before the doc.

    1. Runner Unleashed Avatar
      Runner Unleashed

      You’re welcome. Hope they help you!

  7. Justin Avatar
    Justin

    I just recently finished Physical Therapy for a psoas injury. My SI joint was out and my psoas and oblique were basically in spasm, I had pain radiating into my testicle. It took a lot of manual manipulation and strengthening of my core/abductors/aductors/butt. I’m back to running 10 miles pain free. Physical Therapy was the best thing for me as my doctors just said “well it’s not a hernia, just take some advil and rest” I do have a long race coming up and was thinking of using KT tape, I’ve had success with it for shin splints. Does it really work for psoas issues? I mostly just want to be extra protective and not re-injure myself.

    1. Runner Unleashed Avatar
      Runner Unleashed

      When is your race? How long is it?

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