Hip pain

[baronbvp]

I just figured out I have trochanteric bursitis in my left hip. I have been researching why I have pain in my left hip at the outside of the top of my thigh bone. It hurts when I sleep on my side. I have it a small bit in my right hip as well, but I sleep on my left side most of the time and the pressure makes it worse.

I am 45 years old. I spent most of the last 23 years strapped into ejection seats, twisting under G during dogfights and sitting for hours over brown desert and ocean. I also slept on crappy Navy racks, stood on steel decks, and walked up and down steel ladders on aircraft carriers, so this has been a long time developing. Oh, and I also fell hard on my left hip and ruptured my spleen while skateboarding in 1975 (think Dogtown and Z-Boys).

This condition bothers me when I do MA. It makes it very painful to do side kicks, round kicks above low level, and generally any motion that involves raising my hip to the side or moving my leg other than forward or back. Front kicks don't bother me, nor do back kicks. I have rather tight musculature in my hips, groin, and legs, so I stretch all the time. That helps. I am very careful to stretch my back and neck also due to all the twisting under G so I don't become immobile as I get older.

I've been hacking the MA program, but I wouldn't mind reducing the pain. I currently do Muay Thai and am planning to start BJJ next month, but I have also considered switching to straight boxing to avoid the kicks. I may also take fencing back up instead.

Does anyone experience similar pain in their hips, butt, or thighs? If so, how do you modify your technique or cope with it to avoid ceasing MA training? I'm looking at getting a Sleep Number bed, too.

[bushido_man96]

That's a bummer, baron. Is there anything you can do for that condition? Like, surgery, or anything? It may be worth it if you could.

[baronbvp]

Is there anything you can do for that condition? Like, surgery, or anything? It may be worth it if you could.

Thank you, Bushido Man, but no, not yet. It isn't bad enough to even do cortisone shots yet. It doesn't affect my walking, running, climbing stairs, or even leg presses unless I sleep on it too much in any one night. If I do side kicks, though, I can barely raise my left hip to the side the next day. So I don't do them...or at least, I am going to stop.

(So you guys should attack me from my left side, and kick my hip. )

The bursa is a fat pad sac that rests between the high point on your outer thigh bone and the iliotibial band tendon to your leg muscles, along with the hip abductor muscle. Pressure on it can inflame it - like sleeping on your side. Also, the friction from moving the tendon and/or muscle over the bone can inflame it. It's a chronic condition, but take away the pressure and friction and it will generally heal. It works like tendinitis: never really goes away, but can get okay if you eliminate the problem motion.

I've seen a couple of old threads where people had difficulty with side kicks like me. I'll bet they had the same thing. My physical history gets me where I am now, so getting a softer bed... ... and eliminating problem kicks are my next steps.

Like you, I don't really want to give up the active MA that I like. One step at a time.

[baronbvp]

Oh yeah, if anyone else is experiencing (or has experienced) this or something similar, I'd love to hear about it. Or if you have any other ideas.

Or whiskey recommendations to kill the pain....

[Givnal]

Baron, I know its been a while but I was just wondering how you were doing and if you found anything that helped your condition. I have very similar pains although side kicks are ok for me. I have alot of pain with roundhouse and reverse roundhouse kicks, anything that requires me to roll the hip. It sounds like the same place, the outside of the hip at the top of the thigh bone. 20+ years in heavy equipment was my cause.

Anyway, streatching seems to be the only thing other than lots of advil that helps. If you or anyone else has any new techniques or ideas, Id be interested to hear them.

[baronbvp]

Actually, my piriformis muscle can become painful. I have a stretch where I lift my left knee up my right leg with the left foot outside the right leg. That works well. I stopped doing the kicks that were hurting me and that bursitis pain went away. I am a low kicker anyway.

Thanks for asking!

[Givnal]

Ah, good to hear your pain has subsided. Sorry you have to tone back your training to get it though. I guess this is where the whole ''adapting and overcoming'' thing comes into play.

I use a similar streatch but on the ground. Sitting on the floor with your legs extended put the left leg over the right and with the right hand reach and hold the inside of your right leg around the calf. It gives you a pretty good twist. Hope that made sense to ya .

Anyway, hang in there.

[baronbvp]

Yep, I do that one too. Once I stopped side kicks it got much better. Now it only flares up if I lift heavy on leg day. The breaks of getting older!