Richard Haynes PTA/CPT - 1/19/2009

Question
Hi i'm a former dancer (ballet) and am a professional yoga and pilates trainer. I work out several times a day with my clients and do 30 minutes of cardio on the Elliptical 4-5 times a week. I am 5'7" and weight 125lbs.

About 2-4 times a year, my hips seem to become injured. The feeling is a sudden, unexpected cramping or crunching within the inner hip (inside of the hip joint at the groin) on both sides. The pain is so intense that I usually yell out. It literally feels like something is crunching down on my inside hip. It happens when I squat very low or pull my knees into my chest.  Last time, it was so severe that I had to stop exercising and was icing my pelvis 4 times a day. I got an x-ray and the dr. said I have the hips of an 18 year old.  Once I stop exercising completely for about 2 weeks, the pain will stop.

The problem is I love working out and it's my job!  I've been to my PCP and she had no clue what it could be. My chiropractor didn't know either.

THanks for your time!

Answer
Hi Kay,


Well it isn't skeletal thats for sure I suspect its simply muscle fascia inside the groin area which either gets strained or stretched in an awkward fashion.

I understand with your exercise background you will be more flexible then most but the groin area and its many muscle attachments etc... will cause sudden cramping or get pulled with the slightest of movement if not either warmed up properly.  If  you have had multiple trauma to the area you more then likely will have scar tissue or adhesions in the area causing the " crunching" again not uncommon when there has been injuries to this area in the past.

You may be able to detect this previous trauma with an MRI but its not worth the time or money. MRIs can be misleading.

Just be sure to warm up properly and stretch which you should be well aware of anyway before these types of movements.
It can also happen in other movements as well.

The groin area is a tough area that has given athletes fits for many years and other then preventative stretching of the adductor muscles of the legs thwere isnt much that can be done.

Kay, this would be by best educated guess with the information you provided.

Let me know if there is anything else I can do as far as providing you with more information.

Richard Haynes
Punta Gorda,Florida.
www.richardhaynes.com
www.totaljointfitness.com