Top Five Running Injuries
Iliotibial Band Syndrome
ITBS is the most common cause of lateral knee painin runners.2 As your foot touches down in the stance phase and your knee absorbs the initial impact you will feel a sharp pain on the side of the joint. Researchers still debate the mechanical cause of the ITBS pain, possible causes are weak glutes, tight hips, poor running technique, and excessive pronation.2
Counterintuitively, you may have lesspain when you run at faster speeds.3 This is because the ITB band is compressed most at around 30 degrees of knee flexion. Therefore workout schemes like high-intensity interval training may be a good option as a temporary respite from longer runs.
Strengthening and mobilizing are the preferred treatment methods suggested by many physical therapists. A particular emphasis is put on the outer glutes. These muscles help stabilize the pelvis during the stance phase.
Patellofemoral Pain Syndrome
PFPS is characterized by pain and inflammation under or surrounding the knee cap during the stance phase. Similar to ITBS researchers and clinicians have not nailed down the ultimate cause of this issue.4 Sex, body weight, age, and joint alignment do not appear to be risk factors for PFPS.4 Quadriceps weakness is the only variable that has consistently been associated with the injury.4 If this condition is affecting your running, consider taking some time off, trying some cross training, and most of all, getting in the gym to strengthen your thigh muscles.
Osteoarthritis
Lateral Compartment Knee Arthritis
Physicians will often want to inject steroids to help reduce pain and improve swelling, but we now know these shots kill off knee cartilage . Other options, if you have mild to moderate arthritis, include hyaluronic acid , which is a lubricating gel or prolotherapy which is a shot that causes a brief inflammatory healing response . Another injection that has been shown to be better than HA or prolo is platelet-rich plasma . Finally, if the arthritis is more severe, bone marrow stem cell injections have shown promise . If nothing else less invasive works, partial knee replacement is often recommended.
How Do You Prevent Trochanteric Bursitis
Because most cases of bursitis are caused by overuse, the best treatment is prevention. It is important to avoid or modify the activities that cause the problem. Underlying conditions such as leg length differences, improper posture, or poor technique in sports or work must be corrected.
Apply these basic rules when performing activities:
- Take it slow at first and gradually build up your activity level.
- Use limited force and limited repetitions.
- Stop if unusual pain occurs.
Some tips:
- Avoid repetitive activities that put stress on the hips.
- Lose weight if you need to.
- Get a properly fitting shoe insert for leg length differences.
- Maintain strength and flexibility of the hip muscles.
- Use a walking cane or crutches for a week or more when needed.
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Surgical Treatment For Hip Bursitis
Surgery is rarely a treatment needed for hip bursitis. If the bursa remains chronically inflamed and painful despite conservative, nonsurgical treatments, surgical removal of the bursa is an option. Removal of the bursa does not typically interfere with normal hip function. Newer techniques allow arthroscopic removal of the bursa through a small incision over the lateral hip. With arthroscopic surgery, a small camera and surgical instruments are used to excise the bursa – usually providing a faster recovery with less pain.
If surgery is required, a short rehabilitation period will be involved and may include using a cane or crutches for a few days, taking oral NSAIDs for postoperative pain and progressive movement and strengthening with physical therapy or home exercises.
How Are Gtps Conditions Diagnosed
Diagnosing lateral hip problems begins with Ohio State Sports Medicine experts gathering a detailed medical history, physical examination and a list of reported symptoms. Well see what types of activities and motions seem to provoke more pain.
X-rays are typically part of the initial evaluation to help solidify diagnosis and rule out other significant problems. This image includes a view of the whole pelvis and anterior and lateral views of the affected hip.
Magnetic resonance imaging may be used for better visualization of the hip joint, bursa and gluteal tendons.
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Most Common Cause Of Side Hip Pain
Side hip pain is a common complaint I hear from patients and is often caused by Bursitis. Bursitis is inflammation of a bursa â small fluid-filled sacs located within joints. Bursa are positioned between bones and soft tissues , and function as cushions to help reduce friction. The main bursa in the hip covers the bony protrusion on the outside of the hip bone , called the greater trochanter. Inflammation of this bursa is called trochanteric bursitis, and it can cause significant pain.
An additional bursa, the iliopsoas bursa, is located on the inside of the hip. Inflammation of this bursa is also considered hip bursitis, but the pain is located in the groin area. Iliopsoas bursitis is much less common than trochanteric bursitis, but is treated in a similar manner.
Outer Hip Pain: Why Does The Outside Of My Hip Hurt 4 Common Reasons
In this video, Im going to answer the question, why does the outside of my hip hurts, Ill be covering the four most common reasons for outer hip pain. And the last one Im going to talk about is the more serious one. And Im going to mention another one. Thats kind of a notable one, but its not real reason for outer hip pain. So you want to listen to all of that coming up next.
Im Dr. David Middaugh, and Im a specialist physical therapist at El Paso manual physical therapy. And this channel is dedicated to helping people stay healthy, active, and mobile, while avoiding unnecessary surgery, injections and pain medications. Please consider subscribing to our channel so that you dont miss out on any of the helpful videos we upload every single week.
And before I go into the four reasons, I want to let you know that in the description below this video, if you drop down that description, Ive got links to all the reasons Im going to mention your next, Ive got playlist of videos to help you more specifically with the reasons for outer hip pain. So if youre looking for exercises, more tips and advice on how to address the problems that Im going to talk about, just go down into the description and find the links that are relevant to what youre dealing with.
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Types Of Lateral Hip Pain
Hip joint dysfunction and lateral hip pain – is when the problem is in your hip joint. Commonly this is due to a joint restriction and muscle imbalance, which if left untreated may develop into arthritis in your hip joint.
Treatment requires early detection through examination and x-ray diagnosis. Manual therapy and strengthening exercises are a necessity in the treatment and long term resolution of this type of lateral hip pain.
Lower back pain and lateral hip pain – is when a movement disorder in your back causes an impingement on a nerve resulting in a referral of pain into your hip. Common causes are disc, joint, muscle, nerve and ligament injuries.
Treatment needs to be directed towards your back in this situation using manual therapy and exercises to resolve your hip pain.
Lateral hip pain can be also be symptom of, but should not be confused with Hip Bursitis.
Treatment of Lateral Hip Pain
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Figure Four Glute Stretch
Why it works: Stretching, as always, is important for injury prevention. The figure four glute stretch allows the IT band and surrounding muscles on the bent leg to feel a stretch. To go deeper into this IT band stretch, use your elbow on the side of the bent leg to gently push your bent knee away from your body.
A. Lie on back with knees bent and feet flat on the floor.
B. Cross right ankle over left thigh to make a figure four shape with legs.
C. Interlace fingertips around back of left thigh and gently pull left thigh toward you until you feel a stretch. Left foot comes off the ground.
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What Causes A Tight It Band
“The IT band is a thick band of connective tissue called fascia and it connects from muscles in the outside or lateral part of the hip down to the outside, lateral side of the knee,” says Samantha Smith, M.D., a board-certified physician in internal medicine, pediatrics, and sports medicine at Yale Medicine. When your IT band gets “tight,” it gets shorter and could limit your normal range of motion and body mechanics, she explains.
A tight IT band can present in a number of ways. “Some people will just experience a sensation of tightness, so just feeling like they don’t have the range of motion or flexibility that they would like to have around their hip and thigh area,” says Dr. Smith. “But more commonly, people present with pain either of the outside of the knee or the outside of the hip.”
Some of the tightness can stem from muscle weakness around the IT band itself. “Most people think they have IT band issues, really they have tight hips,” says Corbin. “So,what you thought were IT issues are really secondary, and they start to dissipate or go away completely.”
Use This Simple Exercise To Relieve Pain On The Outside Of The Hip When Standing Or Walking
That’s pretty much it! EASY… right?
Now there a few other small details, for example keeping the arch of your foot lifted and not allowing your foot to flatten out. See the video at the top of this page for more details.
How long should I hold it?
It doesn’t really matter! Practice doing this consistently. Each person is going to have a different starting point, but if you practice doing this exercise regularly, it will get easier to balance over time.
As you get stronger and your balance improves, the pain on the outside of your hip should start to improve as well.
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How Do You Relieve Pain On The Outside Of Your Knee
Strengthening the knee and improving the iliotibial bands flexibility are also useful exercises. Ice on the outside of the knee is also an option. Anti-inflammatory medications, such as ibuprofen , naproxen , or acetaminophen , can help to reduce inflammation.
The most common complaint for which a person goes to their doctor is knee pain. Inflammation occurs in response to an injury and acts as a natural defense mechanism. It can be broken down in two ways: by controlling the substances that cause inflammation and by limiting the extent of the damage. Protection, rest, ice, compression, elevation, and ice are all common home care techniques for knee pain. If you cant put weight on your knee, feel ill, or have a fever, you should go to the emergency room, as your knee may be red and hot. This rule can apply to newly injured knees as well as those that have not yet been disabled. The doctor will usually request that the patient specify the exact nature of the pain.
Acute and chronic knee pain are two possible diagnoses. It is possible to have acute knee pain as a result of an infection or injury. Chronic knee pain is often caused by an injury or inflammation . Aside from these general precautions, there are some additional precautions you can take to reduce the likelihood of an injury to the knee.
Lateral Collateral Ligament Sprain
A lateral collateral ligament injury is another common cause of lateral knee pain. This ligament is located on the outer side of your knee. Injury to this ligament can come on gradually, but its more likely that a tear or sprain might occur as a result of sudden impact.
Twisting your knee or a direct blow to the side of your knee can cause an LCL tear or sprain which will undoubtedly cause lateral knee pain.
Other symptoms of an LCL injury include:
- Swelling of your knee
- Instability of the knee joint
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When Should I See My Doctor
You should talk to your doctor or physiotherapist about your hip pain if you have ongoing hip pain.
You should see a doctor as soon as possible if:
- the pain is sudden or intense
- the pain is a result of an injury or a fall
- you can’t move your hip or leg
- you can’t put weight on the affected leg
- you notice swelling or bleeding
- you experience a fever, which can be a sign of an infection
If your child has pain in their hip, talk to your doctor.
Hip Bursitis Symptoms & Treatment
Hip bursitis is inflammation in the hips bursa, a cushion that protects the tendon and muscles from rubbing against bone. Because an adult’s body contains 160 bursae , you can also have bursitis in other parts of your body, such as the shoulders, knees or elbows.
Hip bursitis can occur in bursa on the outside or inside of your hip. The type of hip bursitis you have depends on where the affected bursa is and if its infected. The major types of hip bursitis are:
- Trochanteric bursitis: The trochanter is the bony knob at the top of the thighbone on the outside of your hip. You may have pain on the outside of the hip and the outer thigh.
- Iliopsoas bursitis or ischial bursitis: Sometimes, a bursa on the inside of the hip becomes inflamed, causing pain in the groin or upper buttock.
- If your bursa becomes infected, it is septic hip bursitis. Septic hip bursitis can be serious and causes additional symptoms, like feeling feverish, tired and sick.
The hip inflammation of bursitis can be caused by injuries like a damaged tendon or by chronic rubbing or pressure within the hip.
Hip bursitis is the most common cause of hip pain.
Whether you know you have hip bursitis or arent sure whats causing your hip pain, we can help. Our orthopedic team can identify the source of your pain and offer personalized treatments that will help you find relief.
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What Causes Hip Pain
Usually if the problem is with the hip itself you will feel pain inside your hip or your groin.
Conditions that cause hip pain include:
Hip arthritis can be due to a variety of causes. Osteoarthritis is the most common, especially in people older than 50 years. Conditions such as hip dysplasia can also lead to hip pain if untreated.
Hip infection is also known as . This is not a common condition.
What Muscles Are On The Side Of Your Hip
Tendons are thick pieces of connective tissue that enable a muscle to attach to the bone. There are many important muscles that attach to the top of the waist bone. These include:
Tensor Fasciae Latae: A thin yet powerful muscle that stabilizes the hip, extends the hip and along with the gluteus maximus forms the iliotibial band.
Internal and External Obliques: Important abdominal muscles that assist with respiration and produce trunk rotation and side-bending.
Latissimus Dorsi: A large, triangular muscle in the back that is important in the flexion, extension of the trunk, and various shoulder movements .
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Stinging Pain On Outside Of Knee When Kneeling
Lowering your body and squatting may aggravate your pain. A possible cause of this type of pain could be iliotibial band syndrome, runners knee, or tears in the meniscal lining. A doctor will evaluate you if you are experiencing burning pain on the outside of your knee while kneeling.
It is critical that you seek medical attention if you experience burning pain on the outside of your knee while kneeling. Other causes that can be attributed to knee injuries include iliotibial band syndrome, runners knee, and meniscal tears. The treatment of these conditions can be conservative, such as rest, ice, and physical therapy, but injections or surgeries may be required in some cases. The ligaments that connect the inside portion of your knee to your bone are known as the lateral collateral ligament . The knee is commonly injured in a variety of sports, including football, hockey, and skiing. When there is a loss of hyaline cartilage, the knee becomes inflamed. The knee is protected from shock by the knees cartilage, which is a cylindrical structure located at the knees joint surface. The patellar tendon runs down the shin of the kneecap . Patellar tendonitis, also known as jumpers knee, can affect anyone.
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How Do I Know If I Have Gluteal Tendinopathy
The most common symptom is pain on the outside of your hip. The pain can become quite acute and it can refer down the outside of your leg to above or occasionally below the knee.
The pain of gluteal tendinopathy tends to be worse:
- Lying on the affected side
- Sitting with crossed legs
- Going up or down the stairs
- Walking â you may develop a limp with longer walking distances
If you are having lateral hip pain you will benefit from a physiotherapy assessment to determine your specific situation and an individualized treatment program. Special testing, such as x-rays and ultrasound imaging is not usually necessary, but if the physiotherapist has any concerns they will communicate with your doctor.
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