Historically I have run about 15-25 miles per week and ridden the bikes maybe 3-4hrs a week.

Over the last 2 years when finishing a run and go in to a sitting position ie in the car or a chair, I can be be in agony standing back up again, especially motions of opening my legs are transferring weight between legs. It also makes it difficult to weight bare on my right leg.

Back in early November it got that bad that I obviously started compensating loads whilst out running which meant I got bad very bad sciatica. Partially a result of getting older and perineum need a cut out saddle! My back has all been checked out with an MRI and no issues.

I have always done lots of basic stretching, but since early December of done more back/hip related exercises.

Yesterday I went for a walk with the dog, and purposely walked quickly as I want to start building my fitness back.

Got home and limping again, sharp pain in the groin area/down inside of right thigh and weight baring issues. Back fine but I could see why it could develop to sciatica again.

Any ideas apart from Cat Aids, thanks!

The symptoms you’ve described are very similar to my own that I had several years ago.

Eventual diagnosis was labral tear in the hip and femoroacetabular impingement.

The journey to diagnosis took some time. The GP focused on the back pain, this lead to a rheumatologist and MRIs on the back and SI joint, but no clear diagnosis. Eventually I found an osteopath, who it turns out they themselves had the same injury. This lead to an orthopaedic consultant and an MRI on the hips. Then a definitive diagnosis and treatment plan.

You may well not have the same issue. Good luck.

Possibly Piriformis. Sounds similar to my issue.
Always been a cyclist and very occasionally a runner (I hate running).
A couple of years ago, I foolishly ran on holiday because I couldn’t access a bike.
Cue excruciating pain in my groin, inner thigh and making my knee feel like the blood had been cut off.
A physio diagnosed Piriformis issues, made me cry for weeks and pay for the ‘pleasure’!

I would suggest to perhaps look into improving your strengthen and mobility in your hips. Internal and external rotation of your hips. Since learning about CAR’s exercises, my lower back and hip function have completely transformed

I’ve had something very similar for years but not to the point of crippling pain. Main sore areas cycle between groin, glutes, hamstrings and thigh but can also effect calf, shoulder and lower back. Most often it’s in the groin.

Talking to very fit triathlete pal and he suggested working more on the hip flexors as running and cycling do not work them enough. Sure enough if I’m disciplined with my stretches I can really limit the pain. It always comes back though so obviously not quite as simple as that. Always down my left side btw.

Unlikely, but could be cartilage damage in the hip joint. I have this from braking my pelvis and your symptoms match mine.

I’d get an appointment with a good sports physio, it could be many things, but to narrow it down you need to have a few tests, which should be 1 or 2 appointments, and if you have an issue they can write up a letter for your doctor to then use to pass you to the appropriate department (Ortho Dept).

I suffer FAI (femoroacetabular impingement), same thing Andy Murray had and unfortunately same diagnosis, hip replacement, which is delayed a bit, so injections to sort it out just now, but it might just be a tear or whatever for you, so harder to diagnose but easier to sort!

I would highly recommend following movement101 on Instagram. Buy there mobile4life program, best money you will ever invest

As said already, an appointment with a sports physio will hopefully tell you what the issue is and how to fix it. From my own experience, i’d suggest looking at how your feet are, feet are the foundation for movement and can be the cause of many issues up the chain (ankle, knee, hip and lower back issues), e.g from things like collapsed arches.

Some good sources of info and exercises to develop and maintain good flexibility and mobility i’ve found are:

https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=calimove
https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=bodyweight+warrior

A couple of years ago I did a movement screen programme at the physio, as I was constantly getting neck and shoulder pain and tweaking muscles (cyclist and basketball player). It initially tests your mobility and flexibility then the physio focusses on the weak areas with specifc exercises to correct poor mobility, increase flexibility and increase strength. At the end of the programme you are tested again, I was quite surprised at the improvement and got rid of my neck and shoulder pain. It was expensive yes, but I learned what the causes of my issues were and that mobility and flexibility are things that needs to be maintained. I can say that since doing the programme and being proactive in maintaining good mobility and flexibiity, i’ve not pulled a muscle since.

Go to the doctor, get a referral to someone who can diagnose it properly. Your symptoms are compatible with more than one possibility, our anecdotes about those options won’t narrow it down, and the solution depends on what the problem actually is. At that point the forum can be a really valuable source of (relevant) shared experiences

Hi

I’m a physio. I strongly recommend you get a referral to physio. Despite the pandemic things are still running. It may be a bit different than normal as many services are utilising phone / telerehab. You need to have a proper assessment rather than go down the rabbit warren of hearing other’s experiences and relating it to your own. The lumbar spine, SI joints and hips can create a variety of symptoms and it is important to have a detailed conversation at the very least with someone who is qualified to try and set you on the right path. You are clearly an active healthy person so the general advice of be more active, move more, stretch etc is unlikely to be very helpful in your case.

Options are private, speak to GP and ask for physio referral or many NHS services take self referral. Worthwhile you doing some digging with you local services.

Hope this helps.

Obviously you need a specialist diagnosis , but…. if you have weight bearing issues and you feel that it could be your hip, even though you experience stabbing pains all around your groin or aches in the night which prevent sleep as I did . Then I would suggest googling ‘Oxford Hip Score’ and see how you do , a low score is bad , which threw my GP but got me an X-ray and a total hip replacement in double quick time, good luck.

Jamesco this is a valid point. There is no mention from FunkyDunc as to whether he has had a basic xray of his hip. The symptoms as you have suggested could indicate a degenerative osteoarthritic hip. However we lack the absolute basics in terms of relevant info including age and past medical history. If FunkyDunc is 25 then arthritic hip much less likely a diagnosis but if he / she is 50’s 60’s plus then much more likely. Hence the need to put yourself in a position where you can provide all the relevant info to a professional

No harm in doing the oxford hip score and seeing what results come out of it though if you are interested

Thanks for all the input.

I have been seeing a private physio for some weeks, but she has just been doing generic exercises with me, and I have had enforced absolute rest for 4 weeks due to a chest infection / COVID. But I have continued to do stretching and light mobility exercises.

I have a few years of right side injury problems, starting with a dislocated knee cap, then plantar and achilles tendinitis issues.

I am booked in to the docs next week and the next step hopefully will be a hip xray

I walked/jogged 1.5 miles yesterday and last night could not even weight bear on the right side. Its gone past being slightly annoying if I cant even do simple exercise.

Doing that Oxford hip score thing I come out scoring 26/28 depending on how I answer, I think I would really only want to do that scoring with a clinician as if I do no exercise I would score ok, but even going for a walk would alter the scores.

I would get a referral to orthopaedics. An X-ray will show some pathology but not everything. A proper assessment by someone with the right skills will get you the right answer, probably with an MRI. I have impingement and have had surgery on a torn labrum (Andy Murrays issues). I’ll end up with a hip replacement somewhere down the line. Stopped running 10 years ago. Still riding, SUP, Snowboarding. Get the odd flare up and I think I’ll be lucky to get to 50 without a new hip (44 now).

It might surprise you to find that Mrs FD is an orthopaedic surgeon.

In the past with injuries she has done manipulation tests etc and examined me. This one, she has stayed completely away from and said I need to get sorted through my GP.

I can see why she wants to stay out of this one as she knows how important sport and running are to me. If the outcome isn’t great, it’s not exactly the best news to have to give your husband!

But still remain positive for now and await next round of imaging

Hiya,

Is it a sharp pain on the outside of the leg? When you move bring your knee towards your chest and back down again can you feel a snapping feeling on the hip? It may be something called snapping hip. It happens when your ITB rubs against the hip joint and gets inflamed. I had it for many years Orthopaedic surgeons and specialists never spotted it, where I originally lived. When I moved house I got so fed up with the pain I went to see my new doctor, he was an ex surgeon from SA. Looked at it in five minutes diagnosed the issue and had me booked in for an operation which was by cutting a z in the ligament to elongate it. Three years later it happened again, they gave up and cut a hole in it. No problem for ten years.

https://orthoinfo.aaos.org/en/diseases–conditions/snapping-hip/

Hope it helps.

JeZ

So an update incase anyone is interested

Back MRI was completely clear, in fact commented on for being very good condition for a 47 yr old.

Unfortunately a subsequent hip & pelvis X-ray has shown irregularities in the right hip, and now awaiting mri on that.

Looks like my running days could be over 😔

What is your hip flexor mobility like (look up Thomas test).

I have similar problems and blame it on sitting and tight psoas, maybe lower cross syndrome.

Don’t stress about that Xray, I had one that said I had an impingement (FAI), the MRI said I didn’t.

Sorry to hear the hip x Ray is not normal. To some extent the mri will give you a better idea.
No running could mean more biking. Always important, though not easy, to try and look on the bright side. Best of luck

If it is hip replacement time don’t think everything is over. Working with a proper Strength and conditioning coach I was back sprinting 7 months after my operation at 47. Head over to hiprunner, loads of endurance runners there.
My surgeon also competes and he’s super supportive. You’ll be told you know when you need it doing, it’s true. I spent 6 months on 8 zapain in a day. I could still make myself train and compete but couldn’t do the day to day. The final straw was seeing the kids on my class staring at my face wincing as I stood up.

Hip operation at your age.
How often are moving your joints, spine through their full range of motion?
Modern day life has some many people crippled due to not moving enough. Always sitting, on phone/laptop etc etc…

2 people I would absolutely recommend before considering operation are:
David Grey rehab
Movement 101

Cheap programmes that will transform how you move and feel

If it comes to it a Total Hip Replacement will revolutionise your life as long as you follow the guidance and give it time to heal. My problems were caused by too much heavy work and exercise , not too little, and possibly a genetic issue, the consultant will want to know if a close relative has suffered similarly , in my case it was paternal grand mother who had two of the very first Total Hip Replacements. The pain release is unbelievable if you have suffered badly from disjointed sleep and stabbing pains during the day, interestingly cycling was the most comfortable exercise I did , getting in and out of a low sports car was absolute agony and my work meant I would have been a cripple inside two years without the operation. Good luck and do not fear the knife !

Similar to me, my left hip came back with irregularities as they say, Hip Impingement diagnosed and checked, had the injection, worked a treat, but they don’t want to give more, and want me to look at options in a couple of weeks, so total hip replacement looks like the one they’re pushing, will try and make it something to get this winter if possible, not wanting to lose a summer to injury!

I wondered about the right time to have it done, in the end I got no choice in the matter it was done late spring , and to be fair I really appreciated the summer weather for convalescence, I would have gone mental confined during winter in hindsight, each to his own though- I found lounging in the sunshine very therapeutic and back to work in autumn set me up for the winter pain free.

Yeah, to be fair i have to get my shoulder done as well this year, so i’m basically stuffed no matter what!

Thanks for the advice.

It will be interesting to see what happens but my day to day isn’t too bad. Sleep can be an issue as is sitting on a soft sofa.

I’ve so far been told so far to just stop running do nhs physio and it could possibly stabilise. ie fluid in joint reduce.

As to what’s caused it? I skied raced for many years, but then you think both hips would be knackered. I have had lots of right side issues though since an MTB accident 6 years ago. Starting with a knee cap that wasn’t tracking properly to then Achilles and plantar fasciitis problems…who knows.

Half of me thinks whip it out now whist young, but then at 47 how many more will I need, and each time they get less stable.

Will have to see what physio and mri results are

this exercise does magic!!!

Interesting as my g/f has similar issues, however the medical professionals have said, at 46, she doesn’t justify an MRI and she should manage it with cortisone…. she nearly collapsed 5 minutes ago in the bathroom….

Hopefully she’ll get an MRI and a proper diagnosis 🤞🏼🤞🏼

medical professionals have said, at 46, she doesn’t justify an MRI

And that is partly unfortunately the way the nhs is set up. As long as you meet basic criteria the Orthopaedic Surgeon would prefer early diagnosis and management, but the CCG’s who pay the bills can’t afford to pay for everyone to get a diagnosis.

Can your GF at least get referred to nhs physio? The physio then does actually have the ability to request an mri if they think it is warranted.

Or go back to GP and ask for private referral for an MTI scan which would cost you approx £300

Oh and to actual diagnosis it’s a

Femoroacetabular Impingement (at least I don’t feel a wuss now as been told this can be very very painful) and a slight labral tear.

I need to have consultant review but as it stands been advised that there is degenerative things going on in the hip, so an op to repair the rear wouldn’t be justified as it would only put more pressure on the remaining tissue.

In essence cut back on impact, keep mobile, and wait until the day comes I need a total hip

Cheers FD, something we’ve discussed and we’re prepared to pay for the MRI. We’ll see what orthopaedic say; the physios were less than useless and they were dragging their feet over the MRI.

I suspect she’ll need to wait like you, but at least we’ll get a proper diagnosis.