Why do I have hip pain when running?

I have been running for 25 years and I’m still not great at it. Having hip dysplasia (partial hip dislocation), long distance running is never really going to be the healthiest sport for my body.  However, I love it.  The dysplasia means that my left hip is excessively inwardly rotated thus preventing activation of particular important hip muscles which we need for stability.  The poor hip alignment obviously results in excess rotation and a shift in the alignment of the thigh, knee, lower leg and the foot.  So consider now, the number of inhibited muscles of the lower limb as a result of poor alignment of these aforementioned joints. This is VERY common and usually a large contributing factor to pain throughout the body.

To help strengthen the muscles surrounding my hip I definitely need to address the position of my foot, and for this I wear foot orthotics and work on foot strength exercises.  However, I’ve been lax in adhering to my hip strengthening exercises despite knowing the absolute importance of this.  Isn’t it ridiculous, so many of us will dedicate hours to exercise every week but can’t bring ourselves to commit (or even start) on 20 minute physio exercises.  We don’t even need to do them every day!

Hip dysplasia can lead to arthritis and later in life, a total hip replacement.  So no further excuses, I’m committed to improving the strength of my hip muscles, specifically the hip flexors, hip abductors and hip extensors.