Hip Stress Reaction. Outlook?

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I had a femoral neck stress fracture - it took almost a full year to get back to full mileage again. I was running through the pain for awhile though, not knowing it was a stress fracture. A reaction is less severe so you might be looking at considerably less time (a month or two off, then slowly build back). Only your doctor can actually tell you what to expect, however.

This would be a good time to make sure your diet includes sufficient sources of calcium and vitamin D.

Also, make sure that the dr rules out an acetabular labral tear. I had one that was continually misdiagnosed as stress reaction

What should my doctor do to properly diagnose an acetabular labral tear?

You would need an MRI arthrogram, not a regular MRI.

Ok, if it was indeed a labral tear, that would make sense given my memory of how the injury started: performing hurdle drills, which lead me to believe it was a hip flexor strain.

Are doctors reluctant to perform Arthograms?

"Are doctors reluctant to perform Arthograms?"

My doctor didn't really want to prescribe the arthrogram, but I kept pushing him to prescribe it and he finally agreed. That's my only experience, however. Good luck.

Ok, I'll see when I talk to him. The whole nature of this injury has been weird. At the onset, I thought it was a Hip Flexor strain, took some time off, started jogging again. I can still jog on it and it doesn't hurt all that bad, but as soon as I start to stride out, the hip tightens and begins to shut down and I spend the next three days limping around.

I had the same injury that you have been diagnosed with. I started to feel pain in middle of Sept 2010. It came on pretty suddenly and at first I ran through it because it was not that bad, but then it got really painful very quickly. I ended up taking off lots of time while still trying to run every once in a while. I would take one step of running and it would be excruciating pain. Eventually I got an MRI in November and was diagnosed with a stress reaction in my femoral neck. I ended up not running until the middle of January 2011 and was taking it very slow, like 5 mins a day for a week, then 10 and so on. I eventually was in PR shape (sub 14) by late May, but it was a long road back.

The thing is why I was so surprised was that I was not running anything out of the ordinary. I was running around 80-85 miles a week, which I have done the last few years in the fall, so my body should have been used to it. But I was also hurt for the first 5 months of the year where I didn't run at all. Also I noticed before my injury that my foot on the same side was landing differently than my other one. Which might add credence to your idea that it could have happened because of poor mechanics.

Ok, well I guess in my follow-up I'll figure out whether it's in the femoral neck. I hope not. What was the nature of your rest? Were you on crutches? What kind of cross-training were you able to perform and at what stage in the healing process?

Hurting HIpster wrote:

Ok, well I guess in my follow-up I'll figure out whether it's in the femoral neck. I hope not. What was the nature of your rest? Were you on crutches? What kind of cross-training were you able to perform and at what stage in the healing process?

My doctor said that I was luck in that my stress reaction was on the underside of the femoral neck, which is better than the top. My rest was just going around doing normal things besides anything real strenuous on my hip. Basically if it makes it hurt, don't do it. I stayed away from all cross training, mostly because I had been doing it for the first 5 months of the year, and I just needed a break. I would bet that the safest option would be the pool because it would place no stress on your hip. The bike would be alright, I was riding my bike around town during the whole time. I would stay away from the elliptical because it is very weight bearing. After I started running again in Jan., I began to hit both the bike and the elliptical pretty hard, not the pool so much out of personal preference.

Also, I would be ready for a few months of slight discomfort at times. After I got to some mileage (40 mpw) I began to get some pain every once in a while, but it would go away by the next day. It usually was after a workout or a longer run. The last time that I felt it was in early April. I hope this helps.

I appreciate the response. I guess I'll have to wait on seeing my Sports Doc to get his opinion on the extent of the injury and whether it warrants getting an MRI arthogram. I am a little afraid that I screwed myself for running on it for as long as I did. Hindsight, right? I didn't know any better, I'm 27, I was only running an hour a day, and not any big workouts in spikes or anything. I wonder if those hurdle drills I did pulled the muscles or tendons in such a way that, over the months, lead to a bone problem.

Given the onset of the injury, or at least my best memory of it--doing hurdle drills--and the fact that I jogging on it for months didn't hurt, only when I tried to do speed, makes me want to push to get an Arthogram to at the very least rule out a labrum tear. I think it's possible that I have a tear and bone edema; I would at least like to know.

Saw the Physician's Assistant at the Sports Clinic today. He thinks that it is primarily a stress reaction/fracture of acetabulum (not femoral neck injury). He suggested four more weeks of rest (I haven't run for 10 days). At that point, if it still feels the same, he would consider getting me an Arthogram to check for a torn labrum.

I don't think he thought it was a labrum tear because it only really hurt to bring my leg across my body, with no symptoms of pain when I moved my leg in the opposite direction. Is his assessment accurate?

How rare is an acetabulum stress fracture for an endurance athlete of my age (27)?

He said I could go on the elliptical or stationary bike, but I think I would like to stick to the pool for a bit. Also, I forgot to ask him about upper body weight training and core work, especially. Should I stay away from ab work? Will that put undue stress on that area?

Yo, I have the exact same symptoms from the exact same activity (hurdle drills). My hip also only hurts from running fast, not from easy running. Got an MRI that ruled out Labral Tear, just said stress reaction, not in the femur, but in the hip socket. What ended up working for you coming back from your injury now that we're a year out? I've taken three weeks off of running, about to start pooling and easy running in a week.

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About 7 weeks ago, I experienced very bad pain in my hip that stopped my running. (This is rare- I have been running for 10 years, and not much stops me.) I was diagnosed with hip impingement by one doctor, and later- after an MRI- a stress reaction in the hip by another doctor.

I haven't run since mid April and only in the last 3 weeks have I added in some walking, biking, and time on the elliptical. However, I sense that the problem is not improving. A dull ache in my hip and a blocked sensation in my hip (that makes my body totally resist running or jumping motions) hasn't subsided with the rest.

I am wondering if perhaps there is a labral tear or something else going on. Has anyone here had hip pain misdiagnosed? Can anyone speak to the differences in pain in the hip/groin region between different injuries?

Best,

Kate

I have a similar reaction. My inner hip and groin only ache after a really fast run (I had broken my 5k PR on a timed solo run the previous day) the day after a hard run and not so much an easy run. I took about a week off working out only the upper body and core with weights and now I feel no pain while walking. I even tried a few 20 meter jogs and hopped around on each leg with no pain, only a slight tightening of one leg (the one in question).

During your 3 weeks off, did you attempt to run at all?

If so, how long and were you in any sort of pain?