Hip instability

[etreas]

About 4 months ago, I tripped while trail running and sustained a bad fall, landing directly on my right hip onto a bed of rocks. For the next couple of days the hip was very sore and hurt to lift the knee, but resolved relatively quickly. Over the past couple of months I've noticed a progressive weakness and instability in my whole right leg. When running (and even walking sometimes) it feels like I have little motor control over the leg, and I can feel it rotating inward and collapsing at both the hip and ankle.

I've cut my mileage drastically (from 50-60 mpw to about 30), have been doing hip, glut and core work like crazy, and have gotten massage and ART. I've seen a physical therapist who confirmed the hip instability and prescribed some exercises, but nothing seems to be helping. I can still run, but only slowly for short distances and with frequent breaks. It's started to cause pain in my ankle and foot, which I can feel slapping the ground. I feel slightly better running barefoot than in minimalist shoes, so I've been running mostly barefoot. Still, the instability seems to be getting worse rapidly.

I suspect I damaged the hip (maybe a labral tear?) and it never healed properly. Docs, do you have any advice about what I could do to treat this (besides the 1000 things I've already tried!)? Thanks in advance for your help!

 

[Backfixer]

The instability you speak of says alot about the function of your core. While a labral tear is possible, it is highly unlikely considering your history. Typically, this presentation is common with a torqued core, which will cause side to side instability and weakness, which will adversely affect the firing patterns of the legs,tighten your it bands, gluts and rectus abdominus, obliques and even the erector spinae.

A good sports chiropractor will use methods such as ART (a style of myofascial release treatment) however, ART is merely a tool, and if the practitioner misunderstands your problem and applies it to where it hurts rather than why, it will not help.

My recommendation is to find a good certified or diplomate sports chiropractor. While care is of course practitioner dependent, hopefully, you will find someone who understands how to evaluate a runner. You may consider calling your local usatf chapter and see if they know someone who understands runners.

You may also find my book Cheating Mother Nature, what you need to know to beat chronic pain helpful to you, since it explains why these types of problems occur in easy to read english, which may help you figure out who best to use. You can get it through Amazon.com

 

[etreas]

Backfixer, thank you for the fast response. Your explanation makes me optimistic. I hope it really is a torqued core and that I'll be able to address it with more targeted treatment. Thanks!