Some pain after exercise is normal. Exerting muscles creates micro-tears that build back stronger during the recovery phase. It’s how you build strength.
However, you can take exercise too far. For example, someone new to the gym could overexert themselves in intensity and form. A more experienced athlete may also strain themselves by poorly controlled repetitions or adding too much weight.
As with any joint, you can injure your hips during exercise. Fortunately, our Sports Medicine specialists at Princeton Sports and Family Medicine, P.C. understand the mechanics of hip movement during exercise. We can help with diagnosis and treatment, and we’re also ready to help you optimize your routine to avoid injury in the future. Let’s look at four conditions indicative of a hip injury.
You can strain your hip suddenly due to an impact injury or fall. The strain could also be caused by overuse. A strain injury occurs when a muscle supporting the hip tears or stretches beyond its natural limit.
Strains range from mild to severe and cause discomfort and pain. Other symptoms include swelling and muscle weakness. You may also experience reduced range of motion, bruising or redness, or muscle spasms in and around the area of the strain injury.
Bursae are fluid-filled sacs that cushion joints and reduce friction. They are vulnerable to repetitive strain from overtraining. In hips, once the bursa sacs become inflamed and swollen, it causes sharp pain that might spread down through the outside of the thigh. This condition is known as bursitis. The initial sharp pain often becomes a dull ache that spreads throughout the hip. You may notice the pain more at night or when rising from sitting.
Tendons connect muscles to bones. They are vulnerable to repetitive strain, although tendonitis can also begin with an injury. Tendon tissue can become inflamed from repeated motion or tear due to overextension resulting in pain.
Snapping Hip Syndrome is a condition in which tendons move over bony spots, creating a snapping or rolling sensation as the hip moves backward and forward. If you first notice the sensation without pain, you may develop bursitis in the sac located near the iliotibial band.
When felt on the outside of the hip, it’s likely due to tightness in the iliotibial band. You can also experience snapping in the front part of the hip from the hip flexor tendon under certain hip motions.
Whether your hip pain is chronic or this is the first sign of new hip pain, plan a visit to Princeton Sports and Family Medicine, P.C. You can request an appointment by phone or online to meet with our team of Sports Medicine specialists. Book your visit now.
