I injuried my growth plate in my hip when I was 16 the doctor said it was from running in a circle too much. My growth plate had microscopic fractures on the x-ray. it caused me to lose allot of power and I could not stride out without allot of pain. Now I am 22 and it still hurts. I have night pain and sometimes when I run hills I almost have to drag my left leg. What is wrong with me? Is there anything that I can do?
Sara - tough duty!
As far as what is wrong with you...well, I'm not sure. The red flag is night time pain. At 22 years old, you should not have night time pain. We typically associate night pain with a serious medical problem, so I would advise you to investigate this to get an unequivocal answer. An MRI is probably in order - I would speak to my physician if I were you.
Assuming nothing is wrong, the hip is primarily a transverse plane joint. This means that you need to train the rotation motions under load (weight bearing) to improve your tolerance toward loading. Also, consider doing some kind of cross training strategy for a time - something like roller blades - to minimize the stress while you get stronger. Also, it sounds like you need to pay additional attention to your hip flexor strength - actually, sit ups with your knees partially flexed gets them directly, but functionally, sprinting is the way to go.
Good luck!
