Neil,
For 6 months now, I have had a very painful injury that originally seemed to be
a pulled adductor muscle from slipping on wet grass during a volleyball game.
This seemingly mild injury progressed to a sharp pain in that area, with
occasional pain across the outside of the hip, pain on lifting that leg forward,
and (this is what confuses me the most), what presents itself as a
compartment-syndrome-like pain in the anterior shin of that leg when I try to
run - i.e. pain, extreme tightness, and some swelling in that muscle. I have
also experienced some occasional lateral knee pain, which may or may not be
related. X-ray and MRI revealed nothing. PT, anti-inflammatories, rest,
xtraining, etc. have not eliminated the problem. I was reduced to running only
once a week for most of the last 4 months, and sometimes not even that often. I
have orthotics for mild over-pronation, and usually run on trail surfaces.
There is sometimes discomfort in my lower back, and the physical therapist did
tell me that my pelvis is tilted, but the stretches and traction he supplied did
nothing to alleviate the problem. I am very frustrated by this injury, and hope
that you can provide some answers! Help! I hope to begin training for an
ultra this summer, and need serious relief!
Randy, this is a tough problem area to deal with. First, based on the data you
have provided, I am going to rule out shin splints or compartment syndrome as a
source of your pain, and assume (for now) that that pain is either referred or
compensatory. Second, the lateral hip pain is also referred. The sharp pain in
the groin, and the pain associated with hip flexion suggest a proximal thigh
muscle (like adductor brevis) strain. This is a very difficult muscl to treat
directly - it is so deep, that hands on massage techniques don't really get
there. There is a specific stretch for the anterior proximal hip that involves
you lying face down, with your painful leg flexed as high as you can get it,
your butt in the air. An assistant pushes your butt straight down into the
floor, whil not allowing your knee to slide away from your chest. This opens up
the proximal anterior hip, and gets right at the problem area you are
describing.
Combined with an aggressive transverse plane exercise program, you will be able
to rehab the muscle and get on with your training. I believe that the shin pain
is probably compensatory, and will resolve, and the lateral hip pain is referred
and will reso
