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2007-10-14 2:17 PM

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Subject: Interesting experience with right hip flexor injury
At the end of August, I climbed Long's Peak (avatar pic), and "injured" my right hip flexor from overuse. It was a long day made even longer b/c the leg started to bother me before we summited.

The pain was awful and I physically was unable to lift my right leg (flex the hip) at the end of the day, for example, getting into the car and bringing your 2nd leg up into the vehicle. It just didn't work.

I was afraid I would have a lingerign tendonitis for weeks.

But, the pain was gone in 3 days and I have been able to bike without any discomfort whatsoever.

When I did hte VO2 max test last wedneday, at the end of the test it flared up again...a full 6 weeks after the original injury, even though I have had absolutely no pain after the first 3 days.

Imagine how long it would take that to heal if I had been persistant in running or climbing on it.

Even though I have been biking, there has been no pain and no indication that an underlying injury was not fully healed. But there on the treadmill at 40.4 ml/kg/min of Oxygen uptake, it flared up.

Just goes to show you how long it takes tendons to heal.

Edited by AdventureBear 2007-10-14 2:17 PM


2007-10-14 2:34 PM
in reply to: #1007496

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Elite
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Subject: RE: Interesting experience with right hip flexor injury

Similar situation here.  I've battled Hip Flexor issues for years.  Running is what always aggravates it for me, typically when I up my mileage when I haven't been running regularly.  I've never had issues on the bike.  I've since learned a few Hip Flexor stretches that I think are helping.

Good luck in healing.

2007-10-14 2:48 PM
in reply to: #1007496

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Subject: RE: Interesting experience with right hip flexor injury
Thanks for sharing. This is very timely for me as I am two weeks out from aggravating an already unhappy hip flexor. I'm a first-timer with this kind of injury and was wondering the time-frame it took for something like this to heal. Thanks for giving me some perspective.

Pam
2007-10-14 3:20 PM
in reply to: #1007496

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Subject: RE: Interesting experience with right hip flexor injury
My left hip-flexor gives me fits every once in a while. Remnant of my high-hurdling days in high school I'm afraid. I've never had any issues with it running but occasionally on the bike I'll feel it.
2007-10-14 4:53 PM
in reply to: #1007496

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Subject: RE: Interesting experience with right hip flexor injury
I'm currently going through rehab with a hip flexor problem in both legs. Lots of stretching seemed to help the best, along with strengthening the surrounding areas. Because the hip flexor is two seperate muscles, both starting at the top of the thigh extending to either side of your knee. it also attaches to part of your lower back as well. What my PT has me doing is a lot of side steps with the strength bands attached around my feet. Also, strengthening your glutes - bridges - and deep ab strength.

i've been told the reason i may be having flexor problems is my pelvis positioning when running. I arch my back and stick my butt out a little which may cause the problem. Try focusing on keeping your hips and pelvis more in-line (if that makes any sense). Doing the streching and strenght work, i've increase my flexibility by 14 degrees in just a few training sessions. So, stretch your flexors a lot - 5 + times a day.

good luck
2007-10-14 7:12 PM
in reply to: #1007496

Elite
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Subject: RE: Interesting experience with right hip flexor injury
Amen, sister. Soft tissue injuries just suck. Why couldn't I be lucky and just break a bone, or something? Bones heal.


2007-10-14 7:51 PM
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Champion
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Subject: RE: Interesting experience with right hip flexor injury
Muscle injuries take FOREVER to heal!!!  Be sure there is not some underlying imbalance somewhere else that is preventing you from healing the hip flexor and/or causing it to flare with certain activities.  I struggled with a hamstring injury for nearly 10 months.  Finally some myofascial realease PT got it under control.  
2007-10-14 7:57 PM
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Subject: RE: Interesting experience with right hip flexor injury
brynn - 2007-10-14 3:20 PM

My left hip-flexor gives me fits every once in a while. Remnant of my high-hurdling days in high school I'm afraid. I've never had any issues with it running but occasionally on the bike I'll feel it.


This was actually me but my WIFE was logged in to my computer Little sneak!
2007-10-14 10:59 PM
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Subject: RE: Interesting experience with right hip flexor injury
sue7013 - 2007-10-14 6:51 PM

Muscle injuries take FOREVER to heal!!! Be sure there is not some underlying imbalance somewhere else that is preventing you from healing the hip flexor and/or causing it to flare with certain activities. I struggled with a hamstring injury for nearly 10 months. Finally some myofascial realease PT got it under control.


I've always had steel cable tight hip flexors...something that I feel contributed to my ultimate disk herniation and chronic (15+ years) low back pain. But this is the very first time EVER that I have had pain with it.

I'm not worried about it since I have basically quit running and I won't be climbing any mountains soon, and it doesn't bother me while biking.

I know all the stretches, use PNF stretching when needed, etc.

But I just thought that the reinjury after 6 weeks of absolutely no pain...and therefore no way to know if I were aggrevating it...was interesting.

Granted, if it were an injury that I'd sustained in training...I wouldn't have started back training with a VO2 max test!

So you can rest assured that this injury won't happen to me ever again. (I hope!)
2007-10-15 2:24 AM
in reply to: #1007496

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Subject: RE: Interesting experience with right hip flexor injury
Not much blood flow to tendons or ligaments and that's why it takes soooo long to heal. I agree with everybody else on stretching and maybe taking it easy for a little while. You might also check into some sports massage. Really do your research as far as finding a great massage therapist that can do some really deep tissue work. They are going to not only get the blood flow moving into the tissues but also loosen them up which might actually help you with your injury. If you can pinpoint the exact place of pain or discomfort and do what we massage therapists call "friction" which is just your finger on the hot spot, applying some downward pressure and going with the grain or length of the tissue, you might get some relief. It will be a little tender but shouldn't be painful.
2007-10-15 7:29 PM
in reply to: #1007496

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Subject: RE: Interesting experience with right hip flexor injury
THank you for all the thoughtful comments...but I was not looking for advice on what to do. I'm a doctor and I treat sports injuries all the time, I know what to do...

I thought it was interesting from a scientific perspective.

e.g What happens if you have a bad hip flexor injury, and then do nothing to aggrevate it for six weeks...will it be completely healed?

The answer is no.



But hopefully others have learned from the posts about how important it is to rest adequately and get back into training slowly if recovering from an injury.

Honestly, it's not really bothering me...


2007-10-15 7:49 PM
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Subject: RE: Interesting experience with right hip flexor injury
AdventureBear - 2007-10-15 7:29 PM

I was not looking for advice on what to do.


Well THAT'S what you get for posting in BT! It's like when your mother-in-law comes over. You're going to get advice whether you wanted it, needed it, liked it, or not.
2007-10-15 10:53 PM
in reply to: #1007496

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Subject: RE: Interesting experience with right hip flexor injury
My mistake for not understanding the reason behind your post. Nope, with you background you probably don't need ANY advice. However, your reply seemed self-righteous and frankly, quite rude. You could have just left it at "thank you" or not even have made a reply. I just want you to know that I am offended by your remarks.
2007-10-16 1:15 AM
in reply to: #1007496

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Coach
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Subject: RE: Interesting experience with right hip flexor injury
Sigh.

I thought it was an interesting experience and wanted to share...

I did say thank you, and if you'd like to think I'm self righteous, go ahead and spend the energy...
2007-10-16 1:31 AM
in reply to: #1009451

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Subject: RE: Interesting experience with right hip flexor injury
Bripod - 2007-10-15 6:49 PM

AdventureBear - 2007-10-15 7:29 PM

I was not looking for advice on what to do.


Well THAT'S what you get for posting in BT! It's like when your mother-in-law comes over. You're going to get advice whether you wanted it, needed it, liked it, or not.


Yes, you're right, except I don't get it from my mother-in-law, just from my father!
2007-10-16 6:18 AM
in reply to: #1007496

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Subject: RE: Interesting experience with right hip flexor injury

AdventureBear I really appreciated your post and knew where you were coming from.  I injured my achilles tendon 4 months ago.  I'm to the point now where I don't feel any soreness day to day, but if I press on that tendon at one particular spot, I can still feel the soreness.  Being off of running for the past 4 months has been frustrating since I absolutely LOVE running, but I know better than to start back up yet.  I keep reminding myself that a bout I had with plantar fasciitis a few years back took 7 months to heal.

Your post came at just the right time to remind me to keep going with my program to get my tendon to heal and not to get back to running too soon.  Thanks!



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