Hip Issues - Help me oh wise MP Gurus

So even though this issue is not climbing related, I've noticed there is a vast wealth of knowledge from those that frequent the forums, so I'm hoping someone may give me a bit of direction on this.

I recently (in the past 3 months) started walking/jogging about 4 times a week (about 45min each time) to build back some endurance so I can start running. (My body is super slow to work up to anything.) I also work online full-time so I'm sitting the rest of the time. So here's the problem: Early this week I noticed my left hip is clicking when I walk and it's aching through the whole day now.

Now, I'm young, but my joints pop like there's no tomorrow and I've dealt with 'clicking' issues in my fingers, elbows & hands. Those were all climbing related (overuse injuries) and while they're much better, I'm still in the process of recovery. I've never had issues with my hips though so I have no idea how to remedy it.

So my question is, how do I stay at least a little active if my hip is out of commission? And how do I fix my hip?

Could be snapping hip syndrome but you need to provide a lot more details about the "where" in your joint. If you need to study up a little on anatomy to give better details, then do so. Vague descriptions don't help much. Thanks.

Cut back on the frequency of your cardio. You need to do something else in place of that 2 days a week for now--buy a bike or ride a stationary or try stair climbing, swimming, anything and see what happens.

I give two thumbs up for whatever kind of cardio you're doing in your profile pic!

@Aerili good question. I'll try to give some more details to the best of my ability. So the clicking is not in my joint. It feels like it is directly on the outer 'tip' of my upper-left hip bone - potentially the top of where the tensor fasciae latae is (but more to the side of the hip bone than in front so perhaps I'm incorrect and it is more like the top of the iliotibial band).

I have gotten on the bike this week instead of the treadmill, but I really don't like biking or swimming so I'm fairly SOL for things I want to do.

@Mike lol it definitely could have started there :)

I have had what sounds like a similar problem: aching pain on the outer edge of my hip and clicking when I move it in certain ways. I assumed it was due to tightness in my IT band but when I asked a physical therapist she suggested it was caused by tightness in my piriformis.
A combination of using a foam roller on my IT band ( runningtimes.com/Article.as…) and daily stretching of my hamstrings and piriformis ( livestrong.com/article/3877…) has helped a lot. Hope that helps some in your case too!

edited to add: a good way to get this into your daily routine is to do the seated piriformis stretch periodically while sitting at your desk at work. here is a picture: sleighfamilychiropractic.co…

If you really are concerned with this issue, go see a physical therapist. The internet is not a very good place for differential diagnosis and is actually flat-out wrong many times. I actually know a very good PT over in Brighton, which seems pretty close to where you live.

I had a similar problem in my hip and knee after hiking and running. I got some custom made orthotics for my shoe's, which took care of the problem for me.

I have had a very similar issue, in fact, almost identical. Clicking, pain, sometimes an alarming "clunk" if I move my leg just right. Going to PT, they gave me exercises to strengthen the inner muscles of my hips, outer muscles, and even suggested kegels. PT helped, but I wasn't good about doing the exercises. I can certainly send you a PM of what they told me to do, couldn't hurt. I found that a combo of yoga and pilates has done more for me than the exercises since I wasn't as good at doing those, but I'll go to yoga and pilates 2+ times a week.
That doesn't help, go to the doc. I'm not one, but what I have done may help you.
I also agree on the foam roller-I've got generally tight hamstrings, which tends to increase discomfort in my hip, I've noticed.

Leah Miller wrote:@Aerili good question. I'll try to give some more details to the best of my ability. So the clicking is not in my joint. It feels like it is directly on the outer 'tip' of my upper-left hip bone - potentially the top of where the tensor fasciae latae is (but more to the side of the hip bone than in front so perhaps I'm incorrect and it is more like the top of the iliotibial band).

IT band conjoins with the TFL, so, while they have different names and originate from different places, they are not completely "separate."

So is your clicking around the iliac crest (origin of TFL)? Or over the greater trochanter? (Trochanter is that bump you feel on the side of your hip at the top of your leg and which people often refer to as their "hip").

Thanks nrd for the stretching suggestions! I definitely will start putting those into my daily routine. And yes Sarah, I'd love to hear your suggestions as well, so I'll send a PM.

@Erik Since this issue just started this week, I wanted to get a feel for the possibilities it could be, before jumping into PT. I've done PT many times in the past for my arms and it's not exactly inexpensive. However, if stretches and RICE don't help in the next week or so, I'll probably be PM'ing you for that PT person you mentioned.

@Aerili The clicking is more toward the posterior edge of the iliac crest. Definitely the hip & not the joint.

I spend most of my time off doing high impact activities like hiking and skiing. As a result, I try to minimize impact during training. I stick to cycling/swimming for days that I'm not out pounding around in the mountains. It sounds like you're running too much. Cut it down to one or two days a week and do something lower impact in between. It's not rocket science.

Leah Miller wrote:@Aerili The clicking is more toward the posterior edge of the iliac crest. Definitely the hip & not the joint.

Okay, just to be clear....your "hip" and your "joint" are not different things. Your hip consists of a joint--it is the joint where the femur meets the pelvis and it is a ball-and-socket joint. The stuff around it, like your iliac crests, are pelvic bones, and sometimes when people say they are putting their "hand on their hip" they are really putting it on their iliac crest, but....it is not the same thing when speaking in more medical/anatomical terms.

So IF your pain is in the posterior iliac crest area, that sounds more like a glute problem (NOT a hip problem): possibly glute medius. Probably best to get an in-person exam from a medical professional since that is not very common. In fact, I have never heard of a clicking glute medius (and could find nothing online). So, maybe you aren't getting your anatomy right...in which case Internetz help is not very useful.

Edit: on second reflection, glute injuries ARE hip injuries (since they are hip extensors), so sorry for that misleading statement. But it still seems doubtful to me that you are referring to your injury in the exact right place since glute injuries rarely "click." More likely to be in TFL/IT band origin area imo (which is not on the posterior iliac crest).

Best wishes Leah! one of our nurses just had his hip replaced; he's agile, mobile, and all around koolafiled; doing PT, riding a stationary bike, and long walks. Too much of a wimp right now to follow my ass up the frozen but he should be good for climbing later on in the year or so.