Hip abductor

[Joe Dwarf]

I've recently acquired a sore hip abductor. Ran 21k on Saturday after a few weeks off and felt fine, did another 10k Monday night also OK, all of a sudden on Tuesday I've got groin pain. It's not agonizing, no trouble just sitting, somewhat sore/stiff when I get up. There's pain if I press at the top of the muscle near the attachment point. Lift the knee high and I can feel it for sure (that's that muscle's job). Seems to mellow out after I have been walking on it a while.

I iced it a couple of times last night, but that didn't seem to make much difference. Took the last couple of days off but wondering what my course of action should be - rest it completely? More ice? Anti-inflammatories (yay vitamin I)? Run on it and see what happens? Go see a doc/physio? It just feels like a strain. I have a half-marathon coming up end of the month, I really would like to get some training in the next couple of weeks. Anybody have experience with this injury? Can I seriously hoop myself by running on it?

[carm]

I had similar symptoms in my right adductor (albeit a bit more milder) after a 1/2 m race a couple of years ago. I went to a physio for it and he indicated that, in my case, it was due to tight posterior hip capsules. Lots of ART, IMS and massage loosened up the hips and I've never had that problem again.

eta. Mine wasn't so serious that the physio pulled me off of running.

[Jwolf]

Was it an unusual run or route that brought it on? A speed run? Sometimes these things seem to come out of no where, but often there is a trigger.

General rule is if it the pain doesn't get worse as you run on it, running is ok. Don't run through increasing pain. But sometimes the pain will lessen as you warm up, and then easy running is ok. If intensity bothers it, back off and see if that helps.

Depending on the degree of the strain, it could fade quickly or last a bit longer. I had something similar from skiing that lasted about 5 days and just gradually went away. Either way if it's just mild it should be gone soon. I did have ART to help release the tissue around it.

Good luck!

[Joe Dwarf]

Was it an unusual run or route that brought it on?

I'm inclined to believe 3 weeks off and then heading out for 21 k might have triggered it, but I didn't really have trouble until the day after the 10k run. But come to think of it, it was feeling mildly strained after each of the last two judo tournaments I've been in. Maybe this is a sort of background injury I haven't been paying enough attention to until now.

[lorei]

ART has worked wonders for my hips! If they get any stiffer, go get 'em worked on...

[Joe Dwarf]

I just gave running a rest for 4 or 5 days and no trouble since.

[phorunner]

I was getting that during hill training. Foam-rolling the whole area helped.

[Dstew]

One of my legacy injuries from back when.

For me the cross leg stretch - sitting down, bring the ankle up over the opposite thigh works the best.

The Foam roller as mentioned.

As probably only for me, squats with a barbell and a fair amount of weight. Seems to both strengthen and stretch.

If it starts to bother you on the run, what works for me is to really slow down the pace and make sure I have good form. Make an effort to really turn the hip and that seems to loosen it up during the run.

[Joe Dwarf]

I'll keep the advice in mind if it happens again, but no recurrence since May when I originally posted this.

[phorunner]

If it starts to bother you on the run, what works for me is to really slow down the pace and make sure I have good form. Make an effort to really turn the hip and that seems to loosen it up during the run.

Funny you say that. It would hurt more the slower I went. Not saying it didn't do more damage going fast, but it sure hurt a whole lot less.

[Dstew]

If it starts to bother you on the run, what works for me is to really slow down the pace and make sure I have good form. Make an effort to really turn the hip and that seems to loosen it up during the run.

Funny you say that. It would hurt more the slower I went. Not saying it didn't do more damage going fast, but it sure hurt a whole lot less.

In my previous marathon training years ago, I had the same experience as you that when I ran faster it felt better. The problem was it got to a point about the only time it did not hurt was when I was running. It was one of the injuries that eventually lead to me not running for a year. It got some bad I actually went to the doctor and he told me that it is a common problem of bicyclists and not to worry about it.

Now when it hurts, I will slow down and then make sure to do some squats - 12 reps - and stretch after the run and that seems to do the trick.

[phorunner]

If it starts to bother you on the run, what works for me is to really slow down the pace and make sure I have good form. Make an effort to really turn the hip and that seems to loosen it up during the run.

Funny you say that. It would hurt more the slower I went. Not saying it didn't do more damage going fast, but it sure hurt a whole lot less.

In my previous marathon training years ago, I had the same experience as you that when I ran faster it felt better. The problem was it got to a point about the only time it did not hurt was when I was running. It was one of the injuries that eventually lead to me not running for a year. It got some bad I actually went to the doctor and he told me that it is a common problem of bicyclists and not to worry about it.

Now when it hurts, I will slow down and then make sure to do some squats - 12 reps - and stretch after the run and that seems to do the trick.

That was what had happened with my PF. Eventually I found a chiro to grind it out.