Cyclist has pain from hip

Q. I am a 32-year-old cyclist who has developed pain on the outside part of my hip. Occasionally it catches.

Usually it is worse when I start to ride and improves during the ride.

After I sit down for a while, the outside of my hip becomes very painful and it is sore to sleep on that side. I have tried resting it and it felt better for a while but as soon as I went back to the bike the pain came back. Any suggestions?

A very common condition in cyclists and runners is iliotibial band “ITB” syndrome.

There is a muscle that runs from the outside part of the pelvis down the side of the thigh attaching to the tibia just below the knee. If this muscle becomes too tight, it can rub on the outside part of the hip or knee, producing pain.

This is common in athletes who suddenly increase their level of activity or people who do not stretch and warm up properly to maintain their flexibility.

I recommend you see an orthopedic surgeon for evaluation of your condition. X-rays are likely to be taken to make certain that there is no underlying arthritic process in your hip or pelvis.

If you have a catching sensation deep in the hip joint itself, this could be indicative of a “labral tear” and warrant an MRI scan to help diagnose.

More likely you have an iliotibial band, which will usually respond to physical therapy aimed at improving your flexibility and teaching you proper warmup and conditioning exercises.

Usually you can continue with cycling and running during the rehabilitation process and still improve the condition.

Dr. Harlan Selesnick is team physician of the Miami Heat and director of Miami Sports Medicine Fellowship, Doctors Hospital. Send your questions to HarlanS@baptisthealth.net

This story was originally published May 22, 2013 at 9:51 AM with the headline "Cyclist has pain from hip."