Why Does My Hip Hurt When I Run or After a Run?
There’s nothing quite like getting out for a run along the Northern Beaches. Whether you’re squeezing in a quick run after school drop-off, training for a race, or simply trying to get some exercise into a busy week, running is one of those activities that’s easy to fit into life.
Until something starts hurting. It could be a knee, a tendon, a foot or your hips.
Hip pain when running or soon after is common, but that doesn’t mean you should simply put up with it. Hip pain can come from a number of different things, including your training load, muscle strength, running technique, footwear or the way your feet and legs move.
So, why does your hip hurt when you run, and what should you actually do about it?
What causes hip pain when running?
Your hips work hard when you run. They help stabilise your pelvis, absorb and transfer forces and generate power with every stride.
When your body isn’t sharing that load efficiently, certain muscles, tendons or joints can end up doing more work than they’re used to.
Some common causes include:
Increasing your running too quickly
This is a common one, particularly if you’re getting back into running after a break.
You might start with a couple of short runs, feel good and then quickly increase your distance because your fitness feels ready for it.
The problem is that your cardiovascular fitness can improve faster than your muscles, tendons and joints can adapt.
Increasing your distance, speed, hills or number of running days too quickly can increase the load on your hips and other parts of your body.
Muscle strength and flexibility
Your hips don’t work on their own. Your glutes, hip flexors, hamstrings, core and the muscles around your pelvis all contribute to how you move when you run.
If certain muscles aren’t providing enough support, other areas may compensate.
This doesn’t automatically mean you need to spend hours doing strength exercises. It does mean that if your hip pain keeps coming back, it can be useful to have your movement and strength assessed by a professional chiropractor rather than repeatedly treating the sore spot.
Changes to your running patterns
Have you recently started running more hills? Increased your pace? Changed from treadmill running to road running? Started training for a particular event?
Even changes that seem relatively small can alter the load you’re putting through your hips.
For those of us running around the Northern Beaches, there’s also no shortage of hills, stairs and uneven surfaces to keep things interesting.
Your feet and footwear
It might seem strange to look at your feet when your hip is the problem, but the way your foot and ankle move can influence what happens further up your leg.
Your footwear may also be worth considering, particularly if you’ve recently changed shoes or your current pair has done a lot of kilometres.
A podiatrist can assess your feet, footwear and lower-limb mechanics and determine whether these factors could be contributing to your hip pain.
Sometimes looking at the whole picture is more useful than focusing solely on where it hurts. A chiropractor can assess each element of your body position, identifying whether your feet, tendons or something else entirely could be contributing to hip pain while exercising.
What should I do if my hips hurt after a run?
This is where it can be tempting to ignore things and just get on with your day. But pain is your body’s way of saying hey, something isn’t right here…
If the pain is mild and settles fairly quickly, you may simply need to look at your recent training and give your body some time to recover.
A few things you can consider:
- Take a break or reduce your running load. You don’t necessarily need to stop all activity, but temporarily reducing distance, speed or hills can give irritated tissues a chance to settle.
- Don’t immediately test it with another long run. If your hip hurts after today’s run, repeating the same run tomorrow isn’t the best way to find out whether it’s better.
- Pay attention to when the pain appears. Does it start during the first kilometre? Only when you’re running uphill? Does it appear afterwards? Does it hurt when walking or sitting? These details can be useful when you’re trying to work out what’s going on.
- Look at your recent changes. Think about your training over the last few weeks. Have you increased your kilometres, added hills, changed shoes or started running more frequently?
- Don’t rely on stretching alone. Stretching can feel good, but if the underlying issue relates to strength, movement, training load or another factor, stretching isn’t necessarily going to solve it.
If the pain continues after your runs, keeps coming back or starts affecting your everyday activities, it’s worth getting it assessed.
Should I see a chiropractor or a physio for hip pain?
This is a common question, and there isn’t always one right answer.
A physiotherapist often focuses on rehabilitation, strength, exercise prescription and helping you progressively return to activity following an injury.
A chiropractor can assess your musculoskeletal system, including your joints, muscles and movement patterns, and identify factors that may be contributing to your symptoms.
Depending on your individual situation, either may be appropriate.
As a general guide, a physiotherapist may be a good option if you’ve had a specific muscle or tendon injury, need a structured rehabilitation program or are returning to running following an injury.
A chiropractor may be helpful if you’re experiencing recurring musculoskeletal pain, stiffness or movement restrictions and want your hip, pelvis and spine assessed as part of the bigger picture.
And if your feet, footwear or lower-limb mechanics could be contributing, a podiatrist may also be worth seeing.
The important thing is getting the right assessment for what’s actually causing your pain, rather than choosing a professional based purely on the location of the pain.
When should you get hip pain checked?
Not every ache after a run means something is seriously wrong. Running places load on your body, and some muscle soreness after increasing your activity is normal.
However, it’s worth getting professional advice if:
- Your hip hurts every time you run
- The pain is becoming more frequent or severe
- You’re changing your running style to avoid the pain
- You’re limping
- Your hip continues to hurt well after your run
- The pain is affecting walking, sleeping or everyday activities
- You’ve had a fall or specific injury
- You’ve reduced your activity but the pain isn’t improving
If you experience severe or sudden pain, significant swelling, weakness, numbness or an inability to put weight through your leg, seek appropriate medical assessment promptly.
Don’t let hip pain become part of your running routine
It’s easy to accept a recurring niggle as just part of being a runner.
But if you’re constantly thinking, “My hip always hurts after I run,” that’s probably worth paying attention to.
Whether you’re training for your next event, trying to get back into running or just fitting a few kilometres into a busy week, you shouldn’t have to plan your runs around how much pain you’re willing to tolerate.
Dr Claire Howell specialises in sport injury rehabilitation
At Body Pro Chiropractic in Warriewood, Dr Howell can assess your hips, pelvis, spine and overall movement to help identify factors that may be contributing to your symptoms. She’s been treating clients with sports injuries for decades, check out what they have to say.
If hip pain is getting in the way of your running, get in touch with Body Pro Chiropractic to book an assessment.
