The Hip Story

I realized that I never really covered the backstory to how the FAI and torn hip labrum started.  Because everyone's path to diagnosis is a little different, it can be helpful to hear where it all began.

I had been running off and on (off mostly due to injuries) since 2010.  In early July 2013, I ran a 5k without issues and sat down afterwards to rest and talk with some friends. When I went to stand up, my entire right hip was frozen. It was extremely painful to get into a standing position, but once up and moving I was OK.  I never felt a "pop" or any other indication that I had some something to the hip that some people report.  Really the only pain I had was when I was trying to stand up out of a sitting position. It was brutal.  I went for a run at one point soon after that 5k and I had a "pulled muscle" feeling in my inner thigh for most of it.  I decided that I probably shouldn't try to run through this, so took a break from running and just biked, which gave me no trouble.

After two weeks of no running, it felt normal enough that I went running again.  A few miles in, I got a sharp pain in my groin/inner thigh and decided it was time to go the doctor.

I was (incorrectly) diagnosed with adductor tendonosis and after 4 months of PT/Graston/massage and little improvement, decided to just continue running and deal with the pain. Eventually it got better for a few months and I even hit a monthly mileage PR during this time.  I figured the hip stuff was all behind me.

But of course, the sharp groin pain started again and that's what sent me back to the doctor to get the MRA, which resulted in the diagnosis of a labrum tear.

I had never had any hip issues prior to last summer, and even between July and my February diagnosis, I had periods of almost no pain.   My pain is more constant now, but more like an ache than the sharp groin pains I was getting during runs.   It's so odd how the labrum tear pain migrates and changes, which apparently is pretty common with this injury.