Hip/groin injury - frustrating - no real diagnosis or solution

[Ronstar]

I would try a PT or chiropractor. Maybe they would prescribe exercises that would help. If not, try taking a month off hiking, biking and swimming and see if it gets any better.

The overuse injuries that I've had eventually healed through Chiro visits and/or time off.

 

[JoeWras]

Thank you. I hope I will come out of this without significantly reduced options for exercise. Our City just closed our beautiful heated public pool because so many staff are out with COVID, they can’t operate it.

Ouch! Our city pool was starting to have issues even before the pandemic due to the labor issue. The pandemic put it into overdrive. The city has reduced hours, and many times at our 50M pool (set up as short course yards in width) has 1/2 of the lanes closed since they need 2 lifeguards to cover 18 lanes. If they only have 1 lifeguard it is down to 9 lanes. This happens frequently now.

Being retired, I know the most quiet times and go then, attempting to swim in a lane upstream of the flow to the air return vents. This just reduces my risk of COVID, but doesn't eliminate it. I have to balance body health vs the virus these days.

 

[ItsAllGood]

Last year in January, I injured a hip flexor (pain in groin area, mid thigh). Took about a month to diagnose correctly. Similar to your pain on uphill, but also very sharp stab of pain when standing up from a sitting position. I am an avid hiker and entered a course of PT. It did the trick and in 2 months was back on the trails. Good luck!

 

[braumeister]

I had exactly the same symptoms suddenly develop during a hiking trip in 2015. The pain got so bad I was using a cane just to go from room to room in my house.

Went to a highly recommended ortho doc and after X-rays and an MRI he gave me the bad news. "Moderate to severe bone-on-bone arthritis. You're definitely on track for a hip replacement, sooner rather than later."

I was devastated. But by taking it extremely easy, using a cane as much as possible, I gradually got back to normal within about six months. Today, over five years later, a slight twinge in the same place occasionally, but nothing a couple of aspirin can't handle. The severe pain has never returned.

Hang in there!

 

[Scuba]

Last year in January, I injured a hip flexor (pain in groin area, mid thigh). Took about a month to diagnose correctly. Similar to your pain on uphill, but also very sharp stab of pain when standing up from a sitting position. I am an avid hiker and entered a course of PT. It did the trick and in 2 months was back on the trails. Good luck!

That’s awesome that you were able to return to hiking so quickly!

 

[Scuba]

I had exactly the same symptoms suddenly develop during a hiking trip in 2015. The pain got so bad I was using a cane just to go from room to room in my house.



Went to a highly recommended ortho doc and after X-rays and an MRI he gave me the bad news. "Moderate to severe bone-on-bone arthritis. You're definitely on track for a hip replacement, sooner rather than later."



I was devastated. But by taking it extremely easy, using a cane as much as possible, I gradually got back to normal within about six months. Today, over five years later, a slight twinge in the same place occasionally, but nothing a couple of aspirin can't handle. The severe pain has never returned.



Hang in there!

Thanks for the encouragement, and glad you recovered so well.

 

[daylatedollarshort]

Have you checked your posture / muscle alignment? If that is off you can have constant pain from muscle imbalances. What helps me are rollers and acupressure balls. I found some Pubmed studies that what helps with tight muscles the most are dynamic stretching and vibrating rollers. I've been buying all sorts of highly rated massage tools and rollers, including vibrating acupressure balls, on Amazon and most of them actually work pretty good.

If you were walking uphill a lot your leg and hip muscles might be really tight. When mine get really tight yoga alone isn't enough to help. Just the rollers and acupressure balls do the trick.

Nutritional imbalances can also cause really tight muscles. I had a lot of tight muscle problems last year and my vitamin D levels were super low, despite living in California, being outside a fair bit and taking a vitamin D supplement. I switched to taking fish oil and that helped. I was still low in D but not having as much muscle tension. Now I'm on D3 with K2 and waiting the latest lab tests. Magnesium deficiency can also cause tight muscles. Arthritis has been linked to high uric acid levels, and being too acid may also contribute to tight muscles.

Good luck finding something that works for you.

 

[daylatedollarshort]

If your groin hurts the problem may actually be in a surrounding muscle that is too tight and pulling on your groin. One of my yoga therapy books says that often the offending muscle may be directly below where it hurts. You may want to check your upper and side thighs for trigger points, and if you find any use acupressure balls or roller to roll them out.

Also, I have found this Youtube guy has some pretty good advice on muscle alignment and pain - The Ready State - YouTube.

 

[SoCalGirl]

Corny - but super effective

Watch a few Bob and Brad (so corny, I KNOW, I KNOW) physical therapists on hip pain:

Also, flip flops DO ME IN. Always. And someone already said - watch your shoes. Yes. New Balance. Go get measured at the store. And don't leave until you find THE pair. You will know it.

Finally, what chair are you sitting way too much upon? Certain chairs do my hip in, go figure. And too much netflix. But Covid. lol

Good luck!

 

[KarenF]

Last January/February, I did a fitness challenge to help me drop holiday weight gain. I aced the challenge, averaging about 15K steps per day. Many of the steps were obtained by hiking steep trails, not just walks. However, towards the end of the challenge, I started to feel sharp pain in my right groin area, especially but not only when I walked up an incline.

Between then and now, I’ve seen my PCP, a sports medicine specialist, and a hip surgeon who is nationally renowned. I’ve had X-rays and an MRI. The MRI definitely shows degeneration of the right hip, but none of these docs think hip replacement is necessary or would even necessarily solve my problem. The issue is they don’t have any other advice either. I’ve been told:
- Surgery is unlikely to help, definitely not a sure thing
- Physical therapy would not likely improve the situation
- I can take anti-inflammatory meds but those aren’t intended for long-term use
- I can just put up with the occasional but sharp pain

The pain isn’t bad if I limit my physical activity to very little, but I’m an active person and this isn’t good for my health in many other ways. I’ve tried lower impact things like swimming and biking, but the repetitive motion still causes pain.

I have an appointment with one more orthopedic surgeon in February, but three docs have already told me similar things. I don’t want to be inactive the rest of my life, but don’t want to live with more pain either. I wish someone could come up with a plan so that I can return to my usual activity level with minimal pain.

What would you do if you were in this situation?

I would find a good sports PT. If "they" don't know what the problem is, how do "they" know PT won't help? I would try chiropractic as well. I would also up my protein intake considerably with a very high quality protein supplement like Body Health Perfect Aminos. I am an engineer and former endurance athlete - I retired from triathlon at 59 but still stay very active. I am also interested in biohacking and protein seems to fix a lot of lingering injuries. If you address that and whatever mechanical is going on, you may improve.

 

[sjwoo]

Have you ever considered retro walking?

https://www.verywellfit.com/does-walking-backwards-have-any-exercise-benefits-3436890

When I run my weekly three miles, I actually run backwards for about quarter of a mile (not on roads for that quarter mile but a parking lot). It will take some practice to run backwards, so definitely start with walking backwards. It has solved just about all of my hip/groin issues.

 

[Murph]

Same issue

Last January/February, I did a fitness challenge to help me drop holiday weight gain. I aced the challenge, averaging about 15K steps per day. Many of the steps were obtained by hiking steep trails, not just walks. However, towards the end of the challenge, I started to feel sharp pain in my right groin area, especially but not only when I walked up an incline.

Between then and now, I’ve seen my PCP, a sports medicine specialist, and a hip surgeon who is nationally renowned. I’ve had X-rays and an MRI. The MRI definitely shows degeneration of the right hip, but none of these docs think hip replacement is necessary or would even necessarily solve my problem. The issue is they don’t have any other advice either. I’ve been told:
- Surgery is unlikely to help, definitely not a sure thing
- Physical therapy would not likely improve the situation
- I can take anti-inflammatory meds but those aren’t intended for long-term use
- I can just put up with the occasional but sharp pain

The pain isn’t bad if I limit my physical activity to very little, but I’m an active person and this isn’t good for my health in many other ways. I’ve tried lower impact things like swimming and biking, but the repetitive motion still causes pain.

I have an appointment with one more orthopedic surgeon in February, but three docs have already told me similar things. I don’t want to be inactive the rest of my life, but don’t want to live with more pain either. I wish someone could come up with a plan so that I can return to my usual activity level with minimal pain.

What would you do if you were in this situation?

I don’t have any advice. I’m just taking some comfort in seeing I’m not the only person with this problem. My wife, on the other hand, had been having much greater pain in her hip and finally got the hip replacement back in October. It has not improved her pain and in some ways has worsened.

 

[aja8888]

Scuba, I was a serious long distance runner for nearly two decades (age 30 - 40 decades). At 60, my right hip was bone on bone (or nearly), at 65 I had a total hip replacement (Anterior procedure) and at 76, I had the second one done the same way.

Perfect now and playing golf every week and walking 10 K steps a day. I feel like I was given new legs!

Do all you can to minimize having to do the surgery, but when the day comes, it's not nearly as complicated as a total knee replacement.

Good luck!

 

[meridiver]

PT may or may not help but it's absolutely worth a try. The frustrating part is that you have to prepare mentally for the injury to take 6-12 months to get better. It may not take that long, but you've got to commit to the long haul, even if you see no improvement. The older we get, the longer the issue takes to heal.

I've been an avid hiker for about 30 yrs now. Almost 3 years ago, I developed insertional Achilles tendonitis and couldn't walk more than a mile or two without severe pain. One unnecessary surgery/recovery, several months in a boot (repeated twice), one month in a full foot cast, and 9 solid months of PT later, and I'm finally back to hiking 7-8 miles. I still have occasional pain that will probably never go away completely, but it made me trust the process, even when it seemed hopeless.

Good luck!

 

[guvnerwl]

per my experience - seek out a PHD PT that specializes in pelvic floor issues. I call mine a miracle worker. Many years of pain, many doctors, many tests. Pain gone.

ya never know! if the pain persists for a few years, you'll do it

good luck!

 

[Buckeye]

Last January/February, I did a fitness challenge to help me drop holiday weight gain. I aced the challenge, averaging about 15K steps per day. Many of the steps were obtained by hiking steep trails, not just walks. However, towards the end of the challenge, I started to feel sharp pain in my right groin area, especially but not only when I walked up an incline.

Between then and now, I’ve seen my PCP, a sports medicine specialist, and a hip surgeon who is nationally renowned. I’ve had X-rays and an MRI. The MRI definitely shows degeneration of the right hip, but none of these docs think hip replacement is necessary or would even necessarily solve my problem. The issue is they don’t have any other advice either. I’ve been told:
- Surgery is unlikely to help, definitely not a sure thing
- Physical therapy would not likely improve the situation
- I can take anti-inflammatory meds but those aren’t intended for long-term use
- I can just put up with the occasional but sharp pain

The pain isn’t bad if I limit my physical activity to very little, but I’m an active person and this isn’t good for my health in many other ways. I’ve tried lower impact things like swimming and biking, but the repetitive motion still causes pain.

I have an appointment with one more orthopedic surgeon in February, but three docs have already told me similar things. I don’t want to be inactive the rest of my life, but don’t want to live with more pain either. I wish someone could come up with a plan so that I can return to my usual activity level with minimal pain.

What would you do if you were in this situation?

This sounds like my (DH, 72) who got a new hip in early November 2021. He went undiagnosed for about 2 years after he stepped in a hole/stumbled in the yard while mowing. The x-ray about a year from the injury showed some hip degeneration. The x-ray about 2 years out from the injury looked terrible and he was immediately approved for a hip replacement. All I can say is you might be looking at putting up with the pain for a year and then get another x-ray. He did several rounds of PT but it never resolved the pain. He has a very high tolerance for pain so he rarely took meds. Sometimes I had to 'ask' him to come inside and sit down because he was limping so bad while working outside in the yard.

DH's experience with the hip replacement has been fantastic. He had the anterior method done from an excellent surgeon who we found because a neighbor had had 2 hips done by him. He was walking without assistance 5 days after the surgery. 3 days using a walker for stability and 2 days using a cane. He stayed strong and flexible by doing Pilates for the last 6 months. The cost of seeing his PCP, getting an MRI, follow-up with PCP, initial consultation with the ortho surgeon, pre-surgical ortho surgeon visit, surgical clearance activities, surgery, and PT after surgery cost about $275 with Medicare and a Part N supplement. $203 of that was his 2021 Part B deductible.

So, I guess the good news is the condition of your hip might deteriorate to the point where you will qualify for it to be replaced.

 

[anothercog]

Following. This is timely. I also joined a weight loss challenge and due to back issues I am mostly walking off the pounds but now have pretty significant left hip pain. Good suggestions to check orthotics and will look into it.

 

[UKadventurer]

As an extremely active person, now 58 years old, I've had my share of sports injuries. There's plenty of good advice on therapy. In my case, injuries did heal (herniated discs) and knee injuries, but they took an annoyingly long time to do so. I've had no surgeries at all. I just continued with the exercises that I could tolerate focusing on core strength. When I hike, I use hiking poles and when I lift heavy weights I avoid using my back exclusively.

Even when we're older, we do still heal many injuries, it just takes a lot longer.

 

[Jenna]

Have you considered red light therapy? You might also find some alternative therapy's by looking into Dr Ray Peats work. He is a scientist but I have found his information to be sound. He is fascinating to listen to. He does a podcast on Youtube with Danny Roddy-a younger dude. Thought provoking for sure.

 

[Scuba]

Watch a few Bob and Brad (so corny, I KNOW, I KNOW) physical therapists on hip pain:

Also, flip flops DO ME IN. Always. And someone already said - watch your shoes. Yes. New Balance. Go get measured at the store. And don't leave until you find THE pair. You will know it.



Finally, what chair are you sitting way too much upon? Certain chairs do my hip in, go figure. And too much netflix. But Covid. lol



Good luck!

Thank you! That toupee was bad, but I really like the idea of trying the three simple moves every day. Never heard of Bob & Brad!

I have good shoes and do far less sitting than when I was working, and do have a good home office chair which is where I sit most of the time when I am sitting.

Really appreciate the video link. Hope this helps me!

 

[Scuba]

Have you ever considered retro walking?

https://www.verywellfit.com/does-walking-backwards-have-any-exercise-benefits-3436890

When I run my weekly three miles, I actually run backwards for about quarter of a mile (not on roads for that quarter mile but a parking lot). It will take some practice to run backwards, so definitely start with walking backwards. It has solved just about all of my hip/groin issues.

Wow! This is a new idea. Definitely never tried this one. Good to know, thanks!

 

[Scuba]

I don’t have any advice. I’m just taking some comfort in seeing I’m not the only person with this problem. My wife, on the other hand, had been having much greater pain in her hip and finally got the hip replacement back in October. It has not improved her pain and in some ways has worsened.

Sorry that your wife hasn’t improved. Most people I know who had hip replacement surgery say it’s the best thing they ever did. Once they recovered from the surgery, they had no issues.

 

[lem1955]

Have any of the docs suggested a cortizone/steroid injection at the main pain site? While usually not a cure, they can sometimes last for months at a time, and most ortho docs won't mind repeating once or twice to buy you time to heal or seek more permanent treatment.

One shot in my wrist eliminated pain I had for 5 months after a slip fall on a mountain hike. I had multiple xrays and an MRI - no fracture. But it just wouldn't stop hurting. Couldn't write or hold anything as heavy as a coffee mug.

 

[ychuck46]

Looking for feedback on steroid shots

Have any of the docs suggested a cortizone/steroid injection at the main pain site? While usually not a cure, they can sometimes last for months at a time, and most ortho docs won't mind repeating once or twice to buy you time to heal or seek more permanent treatment.

I have the same issue as the original author. Been an athlete all my life (now 68) and put on a lot of running for the last 55 years. Unfortunately the hip pain got to the point where I stopped a year ago. My doctor did give me a steroid shot in 2021 that made me feel so good I quickly got back up to six miles per run, but it only lasted a few months. Have heard some bad things about the degenerative effects of too many steroid shots and hesitate to get more, but I am putting a few pounds on the stomach without having the running outlet.

Anyone have repeated steroid shots that can comment on the long(er) term affects of them on themselves?