Injuries of the Hip

Sports Physiology

Iliotibial Band SyndromeWhat is it ….. ?

An inflammation and pain on the outer side of the knee. The iliotibial band is a layer of connective tissue that begins at a muscle near the outer side of your hip, and travels down the outer side of your thigh, crosses the outer side of the knee, and attaches to the outer side of your tibia.

How does it occur? IT band syndrome occurs when the band repeatedly

rubs over the bump of the femur near the knee, causing the band to be irritated. This most often occurs in running. This condition can result from:

• Having a tight iliotibial band• Having tight muscles in your hip, pevlis, or leg• Your legs not being the same length• Running on sloped surfaces • Running in shoes with a lot of wear on the outside of the

heel

What are the symptoms? • Pain on the outer side of the knee

How is it treated? • Using ice on your IT band• Ice massage on the knee• Anti-inflammatory medicine• Stretching and strengthening exercises/IT band

massage with foam roll

How can it be prevented? • Warming up properly and doing stretching exercises can

help prevent IT band syndrome, as well as strengthening the gluteus medius

Groin StrainWhat is it? A strain is a stretch or tear of a muscle or tendon. People commonly call such an injury a “pulled” muscle. The muscles in your groin help bring your legs together. There are two muscles that may commonly get injured in a groin strain: the adductor magnus and the sartorius.

How does it occur? • Most commonly occurs when you are running or jumping

or when there is a forced push-off or side to side movement.

What are the symptoms? • Pain or tenderness along the inner side of the thigh or

groin area. You will have pain when you bring your legs together and may have pain when lifting your knee up.

How is it treated? • Icing the strained muscle• Taking anti-inflammatory medicine• Wearing supportive bandage called

a thigh wrap or taping the groin

• Doing rehabilitation exercises

How is it prevented? • Warming up properly and doing stretching exercises prior to

activities can help prevent groin strain or tears.

Gluteal StrainWhat is a gluteal strain? • When the muscle fibers are stretched or torn

How does it occur? • Usually with running or jumping, and is often seen in

hurdles or dancers

What are the symptoms? • Pain in the buttocks, pain when walking up or down

stairs and when sitting.

How is it treated? • Icing the injured muscle• Anti-inflammatory medicine• Rehabilitation exercises

How can it be prevented? • Warming up properly and doing stretching exercises

before activity

Snapping Hip Syndrome

What is it? • A condition in which you feel a snap on the outside or

front portion of your hip as you walk or run. It may happen only occasionally or all the time

How does it occur? • Several groups of muscles cross the hip as they pass

from the thigh bone to the pelvis. When you bring your knee forward during walking, you may have a feeling of snapping in the hip. The snapping usually occurs because of tightness in the iliopsoas or tightness in the tensor fascia latae

What are the symptoms? • Feeling a snapping in the hip as you walk or run

How is it treated? • Exercises to both strengthen and stretch your hip and

thigh muscles• Anti-inflammatory medicines

How can it be prevented? • Stretching the muscles that cross the hip from the pelvis

to the femur

Piriformis SyndromeWhat is it?

•Irritation of the sciatic nerve as it passes through or next to the piriformis muscle. This causes pain in the back of the hip that can often travel down the leg.

How does it occur?

•The piriformis is located deep in the buttock and pelvis and allows you to rotate your thigh outward. The sciatic nerve travels from your back into your leg by passing through or next to the piriformis muscle. If this muscle is unusually tight or if it goes into spasm, the sciatic nerve can become inflamed or irritated.

What are the symptoms? • Pain deep in your buttock that may feel like a burning pain. The pain

usually travels down across your lower thigh.

How is it treated? • Icing the buttock• Rest• Anti-inflammatory medicine• Stretching exercises for the muscle

How can it be prevented? • By stretching the muscles that rotate your thigh inward and outward.

It is important to have a good warm-up before activity.

Hip PointerWhat is it?

•A deep bruise on the top portion of your pelvis, called the iliac crest.

How does it occur? •A hip pointer is caused by a direct blow to the iliac crest. This injury most commonly occurs in a contact sport such as football, when a helmet is driven into the iliac crest.

What are the symptoms? •Tenderness in the top portion of your hip

How is it treated? • Icing • Time to heal itself• Anti-inflammatory medicines• Protect yourself by placing padding over the injury

How can it be prevented? • This injury is usually not prevented. However, if you are

playing a contact sport it is important to wear proper protective padding over this area of your body.

Hamstring StrainWhat is a hamstring strain? • A strain or stretch in the hamstring muscles

How does it occur? • It occurs usually when these muscles are contracted

forcefully during activities such as running or jumping.

What are the symptoms? • There is often a burning feeling or a popping when the

injury occurs. You have pain when walking or bending or straightening the leg. A few days after the injury you may have bruising on your leg just below the injury.

How is it treated? •Icing the injured muscles• Elevating your leg • Wrapping an elastic bandage around your leg for compression to keep the swelling from getting worse• Taking anti-inflammatory medicine• Using crutches if it’s too painful to walk

How can it be prevented? •Warming up properly and stretching your hamstring muscles prior to your activities. This is especially important in sprinting or jumping.

Trochanteric Bursitis

What is it? • Irritation or inflammation of the

trochanteric bursa. The trochanteric bursa is located on the upper, outer area of the thigh (the bump on the outer side of the femur). The bursa is located over the greater trochanter.

How does it occur? • The trochanteric bursa may be

inflamed by a group of muscles or tendons rubbing over the bursa and causing friction against the thigh bone. This injury can occur with running, walking, or bicycling.

What are the symptoms? • Pain on the upper outer area of your thigh or in your hip.

The pain is worse when you walk, bike, or go upstairs. You have pain when you move your thigh bone and feel tenderness in the area over the greater trochanter.

How is it treated? • Icing the injured area• Anti-inflammatory medicine• Getting a corticosteroid injection into the bursa to reduce

the pain and swelling

How can it be prevented? • Warming up properly and stretching the muscles on the

outer side of your upper thigh