Sore hip

[paulw1969]

hopefully someone can help/guide me on the right track with this, be gentle .......
My left hip has been troubling me this week. It is aching from the lower left back region (and across my lower back to some extent) and around my hip itself. It seems to ache more after a ride but on the way home tonight it was aching a little during the ride.
Now a couple of weekends ago i did have two clipless moments where i fell on my left side, however i dont think this is the reason, not this far along.
I have only had my bike for 5 weeks and done approx 310 miles so i would have thought my set up would have thrown any problems up before now??
I did suffer with aching feet from my road shoes to start with on mostly my right side but that rarely occurs now.
i'm starting to wonder whether i am favouring the use of my left side which is causing the discomfort or whether there is indeed something wrong with my setup. My saddle height seems ok, i feel i'm neither over streching or bunching up on my pedal stroke.
Any ideas folks on where i should start in order to get on top of this discomfort?
Sorry for the long post and i guess i am taking a stab in the dark here with only sketchy info, but i would appreciate any ideas on how i can move forward, perhaps someone has had the same and can advise?

 

[fossyant]

Get a bike fit. I did my bikes before the t'internet from a Bernhard Hinault book, to the mm.... all are set up the same now.

If you really are not sure, pop into a good bike shop.

 

[summerdays]

When you mention only having the bike for 5 weeks, have you just returned to cycling or do you just mean a change of bike? It could be that you are trying to cycle too much too quickly? Have you been doing any stretching exercises?

 

[paulw1969]

Hi folks,
For the record i have just returned to cycling after a 20+ year lay off so this is a bit of a shock to my unfit and overweight system i guess....just wish my body would follow my mind a little more I'm have been terrible for not stretching after a commute i must work on this!!
I have been to my LBS today Fossyant, good call, he said i was possibly over extending due to having raised my saddle a little too high so have dropped the height by 10 mm approx and will see how i go.
However he did ask if i had anything go wrong and when i mentioned my two clipless moments he said that this would do it with the hip particularly since i had been cycling a few weeks without any real problems and i was only experiencing the ache now (after meeting the pavement twice in a week).
So i will probably go and see my chiro next week to get straightened out since i have not been for a while and i am overdue and i will get the hip seen to.
I will also see if dropping my saddle helps in general.
thanks folks!!

 

[Brandane]

Will be interested to hear what your Physio has to say, as I posted a few weeks ago regarding a similar problem... http://www.cyclechat.net/threads/hip-injury.98117/

 

[paulw1969]

Will be interested to hear what your Physio has to say, as I posted a few weeks ago regarding a similar problem... http://www.cyclechat.net/threads/hip-injury.98117/

i will post what my chiro says once i have managed to get an appointment

 

[brockers]

It's going to be your gluteus medius - the major hip flexor. It's almost always the gluteus medius when cycling (and running) and hips are concerned. It doesn't sound like the top part your ITB -the tensor fascia lata - as you'd probably be getting niggles around your knee too. Your hip flexors have either become tight through initial overuse (you need to google some stretching exercises - the best one involves lying on the edge of a high bed facing inwards and sort of hanging your uppermost leg off the side so you can feel the muscle stretching out, or are weak (google glute med. strengthening - the standard NHS one you get from the GP is called a hip-hitch exercise). Obviously, still go to your quack-of-choice just to get a diagnosis and treatment from someone who's had proper training, and to see if you haven't picked up an impact injury such as bursitis.

 

[cyberknight]

It's going to be your gluteus medius - the major hip flexor. It's almost always the gluteus medius when cycling (and running) and hips are concerned. It doesn't sound like the top part your ITB -the tensor fascia lata - as you'd probably be getting niggles around your knee too. Your hip flexors have either become tight through initial overuse (you need to google some stretching exercises - the best one involves lying on the edge of a high bed facing inwards and sort of hanging your uppermost leg off the side so you can feel the muscle stretching out, or are weak (google glute med. strengthening - the standard NHS one you get from the GP is called a hip-hitch exercise). Obviously, still go to your quack-of-choice just to get a diagnosis and treatment from someone who's had proper training, and to see if you haven't picked up an impact injury such as bursitis.

+1
I sometimes suffer from this and i found stregthening + streching exercises stop it happening(assuming your bike fit is ok to start with)
For bike fit i find this is excellent , any time i fiddle with my settings from this i suffer and i now know not to alter what works.
http://www.jimlangley.net/crank/bikefit.html
As for exercises i found this helps..

And stretches.
http://www.thestretchinghandbook.com/archives/piriformis-syndrome.php
Cross left foot over right knee. Clasp hands behind right thigh and gently pull the leg in towards you, keeping upper body relaxed. Switch Legs

 

[paulw1969]

thanks Cybernight and Brockers, checked out the links and will try some of the exercises. Still a little sore today and this is the second day of rest, mind you did ride the 1/2mile to the LBS
I will see how the new seat position goes.
I have just checked the muscles to which you refer Brockers, not so sure i am going to rule out the tensor fascia lata as the front of my legs are sore going down to just above the knee cap, not sure whether i am on the right lines but the fact that i might have been over extending may have a bearing here as well.....could be both knowing my luck. I'll see what my chiro says, he's good so he will find the problem very quickly. Reading wiki on the subject of the hip muscles, being sat at a computer all day doesn't help!!
I really want to get out tomorrow morning, weather is going to be good and i have had a couple of days off....though still sore...not sure i might do myself more harm than good or maybe the adjustment in saddle will help, its either that or wait and do just the minimum next week on my commute until i can see my chiro, what do you reckon? would a nice steady run out in the morning get me in trouble?

 

[paulw1969]

Saw my chiro on Thursday. Brockers and Cyberknight sounds like you were spot on
Possible overuse of the hip muscles due to my mileage, possible over extension due to saddle height.
However as i had hip pain that morning (not been on bike) he did say there was probably a good chance that i had a little bursitice due to the knock. Remedy compression, elevation and ice.........seeing as the first two are not possible unless i want to stay off the bike it looks like its ice if i get pain after a ride.
So a deep tissue massage on both legs whilst i was there =pain, including what he referred to after as "stripping the ITB" whooaa i nearly chewed the treatment bed. And at least two days off the bike. I am still sore after the treatment so that rest off the bike may be a little longer.