Pain on my illiac crest (top of hip bone)

It sounds like the pain is on the bone itself? What type of pain is it -- aching, stabbing, sharp, etc, etc?

ITB Syndrome (also known as the Devil) is a very common cause of lateral knee pain for runners and cyclists. The Illiotibial band controls the rotation of your knee as it moves throughout a stride. In almost every manifestation of it, it has been knee pain, not hip pain.

However, have you considered and injury of the hip flexor? I tore mine during sophomore year and it wrecked my season. It manifested as pain on the top of my hip, just below the crest on the top of my thigh.

Check with a doctor. If your insurance is down with it, you might save a week by going straight to an orthopedic. 

Hi Linda,

I have had the same injury for ten months but don't know what it is and haven't been able to walk long distance or run.  Last summer, I had increased my running and cycling substantially and started to run sprints and hills.  After 30 years of running and minimal injuries, I felt pain on my iliac crest in mid-Sept.  It also was tender to the touch, right on the bone.  After 10 days, it hurt just to walk and I went to an Orthopedic doc and phys therapist who both said it was a glute tear.  Three months later and two more docs, two more therapists, and 2 MRIs, it was discovered that I had a labral tear and had surgery in January.  Unfortunately, the iliac crest pain persists.  Currently, I am going to a therapist who does Active Release.  She thinks it is tight muscles, tendons and the IT Band tightening around the crest causing the pain and mild bruising.  The first two treatments have left it more painful but I will continue with it since no one else seems to know what it is or what I should do to resolve it. 

Are you improving and able to run?  If you discover what it is and what to do about it, please let me know.

Kathy 

I have this exact same pain.  Started about 3 weeks ago when I was running some hills in Oregon on vacation.  There are no hills where I train in south Texas.  Have laid off it for several days and have been icing every night.  I have continued to swim and cycle as those activities do not seem to bother it.  It is definitely a weight bearing issue.  Most painful when heel first hits the ground.  By the time I am pushing off the ball of my foot it is no longer painful. 

Current thought from PT and ortho guy is quadracep insertion tear on the contracting muscle.  I think I got that right.  Supposed to walk little, run none and keep up with the ice and Advil. 

I suspect mine was caused by the increase running times, hills and distance all in the same week.

Hope yours continues to heal

hey all, this Iliac crest pain seems to have a few different sources of pain. The most common complaint I get from patients is a palpation pain right underneath the anterior superior iliac spine ASIS- its usually an inflamation of the insertion of rectus femoris (one of the quadriceps). It does sound like a few of you may have the beginnings of this.

If the pain is 1-2cm medial (closer to your midline), its likely a hip flexor (either ilopsoas or iliacus), usually right in the attachment to the inside of the iliac crest.

 If the pain is 1-2cm lateral to the ASIS, its usually a glute/ ITB pain.

Try to differentiate between inflamation and contact pain..... google inflammatory symptoms, as well as muscle strain symptoms, and it should give you (and me) a better idea of which structures are involved....

:D

Iliac crest is a common place for hip pointer injuries - from separation of the muscle from the bone to full out avulsion of a piece of bone. 

So if pain is persistent you NEED to see a doctor! 

Appreciate any input.

I had a pain like this for months once during my tri career.  I had to withdraw from IM California (does that tell you how long ago?).  I went to about 6 doctors.  One of them told me it was a female prob - go to the gyno.  Gee, thanks.

My pain was DEFINITELY on the iliac crest and later included pain in the internal/external obliques.  I had an xray, 2 cortisone shots, 2 months of PT, iced, stopped running, still no real help.  It hurt to twist to put on my seat belt!  I thought I was finished.

Finally, after much research, I began to believe I had a leg length difference.  I had been running 1 time per week on the track (speedwork).  Running on a track or cambered road can cause a shortening of muscles on one side resulting in a leg length difference.  (Although not usually a treadmill)  I went to a renouned chiroprator here in Atlanta (helps all the big time marathoners and was a doc for the olympians).  He confirmed it - it was a leg length difference.  After about 6 visits to the chiro I was ALMOST pain free and able to complete an IM later that year.

Now I stretch religiously and get adjusted 1-2 times per month.  A stretch that helps is to do a straddle stretch while sitting on the ground.  Then, take your right arm over your head and reach to the left foot.  Don't let your chest fall forward.  Repeat on the other side.  Now I can easily reach both feet with my hands without my chest falling forward.  This is also great for the hamstrings!

Having said all that, my experience may not be what you are experiencing.  I just offer what happened to me in case it may help you.

GOOD LUCK!  I see you posted about this in June.  I hope you are pain free by now.

Andi

I have developed the same pain that Linda described.  Has ayone come up with a diagnosis  and/or treatment?  The only thing I can come up with as the cause of my problem may be the sloped street that I run on.  Thsnks for the read.

Steve

Hi

I have been "Jogging" for 10yrs. When in Scotland running round flat parks or tracks I was fine. I then moved to Sheffield and ran up and down hills. This caused me to have a tender Illiac Crest area which as you say -  resulted in my hip bone being tender to touch and pain when I walked after sitting for long periods of time.  My GP referred to me to a physiotherapist who over 6wks made me do excercises to re train the muscles (strangely enough they were in my buttock area). This worked - and for the last 2 yrs I have not suffered from it....until now! I have started to do the excercises again but I can only remember a couple of them... its too difficult to tell you how to do them but I am hoping someone in my office ( I work for a private healtcare company) can email me a description. If I do get them  - I could forward them to you to try...but my advice is to see a physio.. she really worked wonders for me.

Sounds like a gluteus medius muscle strain. Rest, ice, stretch, lower mileage and stop when you get pain. This muscle keeps your hips level when running so an aggressive increase in mileage can easily cause this.

It is not IT band syndrome or hip bursitis. 

ok, so after searching for around 2 months this has to be the closest thread I've come across that refers to my issue. So, a little history. I'm not a runner, but I do play indoor football 3 times per week for 2-3 hours each time. Around 6 months ago I was getting a dull ache on my left crest of iliac right across the top and along my abdomen (in line with belly button). What is also noticeable from the iliac is a stringy/fibrous thing about 7 - 10cm also running towards my belly button. This at times feels swollen - usually when everything else is tender.

I don't have stabbing pain. The area is sore to touch like a bruise and I'm pretty concerned about this stringy/ropey thing (I guess it's tendons or something) that is also sore to the touch.

I've had some serious injuries playing football over the years, left shoulder contusion, vertical left wrist fracture and complete left knee patella fracture. Not sure if any of these are contributors as I get no issues from these past injuries.

I did see an orthopedic doctor and said it's to do with kicking the football (over stretching, repetetive stress). But I've stopped playing for a while and it still flares up frequently.

Hope someone can help.