Pelvic Bone Pain

I have no clue if its from running or if its even muscular pain or joint pain or what.  Its sharp and burns when I try to stretch it.  It starts near the hip bone and kind of runs up my side and toward the back at times (in like a curved pattern).Running doesn't make it any better or worse.    It only gets worse when I've been sitting or laying down (sleeping) for a long period of time and its worse the longer I am inactive.

Any thoughts?

i used to find that if i didnt stretch my hip flexes well enough before running they used to hurt really badly. before you run, kneel on one knee (proposal postition for want of decent explanation!) and push forward with your front knee. you'll feel the stretch down the front of your pelvis. Hope that helps

I have a different experience. I used to do a lot of yoga for some time and I had sharp pain that would wake me up in the middle of the night. It was running down my leg, though. Reason was I must have overstreched and blocked one of my nerves. It went away when I stopped trying so hard to strech. Try maybe some muscle relaxant, like cream, that will release your muslces that are blocking your nerve. May help, may not. Hip is a big joint :-)

The weird thing is that I'm not new to running and I do stretch.  My stretching is the same as it always has been.  I actualyl have an appointment with my doctor soon because its bothering me so much.  Unfortunately I don't have much faith that my doctor will know whats wrong with me or have any suggestions other than to either stop running or take Tylenol.  I wish I could go to a doctor that specializes in sports medicine : (

If it burns when you stretch it, don't stretch it. :-)

My recommendation is to try stretching other muscles - everything else but your hips. It could be that your hips are tight because your lower back muscle is tight or your hamstrings are tight etc. It's all connected. If you just stretch the part that hurts, you don't get to the origin of the problem, which might be tightness or weak muscles in other areas.

Since you are a runner, the most obvious question is: do you run on the street in the gutter? If you do, this could be why you have hip pain. Running in the gutter, one leg is shorter than the other. Try running on a flat track or a path instead of the road.

Check the wear pattern on the bottom of your sneaks. Is one worn out more than the other? This could be due to a leg length discreapancy (which can be acquired, by running in gutters all the time, or congenital - you are born with it and need a lift in your heel to even things out). Or you could be over/under pronating. May be worth going to a running store and having them check your gait to see if you have the right shoes.

If all that checks out, then the second thing I would suspect is that your hamstrings are weaker than your quads (very common in runners, especially if you never tackle hill running) or your abducters are weaker than your adducters (I may have that messed up - I can never remember which is which!). Runners tend to be weak in these muscles because we're always going forward, not side to side.

Another possible culprit is that you are sitting too much, in a chair or position that is causing problems. In other words, it's not the running - it's what you do after running. Your muscles may be tired after running, then if you sit for hours in an office chair, you are more likely to slouch.

If you tend to cross your legs a lot while sitting, this may also be part of the problem.

If it's your right hip, and you drive a lot, this could also be part of the problem - having your foot on the gas pedal all the time.

Look at yourself in the mirror. Is one hip higher than the other? This is what happens to me - I get out of alignment easily. Also stand with your back against the wall. Can you get your hand between your lower back and the wall? Is there a slight curve, or no curve?

Yoga helps greatly, but you have to go gentle and you have to do the whole routine - not just one or two targeted stretches.

Ibuprofen is better for this than tylenol. You may indeed have to stop running temporarily - try bike riding instead. What you want to worry about is that if you keep running on it, you can set yourself up for a stress fracture, which is a lot worse. I had that happen years ago and it was awful. You don't sound like that's the case - yet. But if you have alignment issues or unbalanced muscles or tight muscles elsewhere, and you continue running, you can end up with a chronic or worse condition.

You might want to check out Pyriformis Syndrome.  I have this and the symptoms you are describing are similar.  It can definitely come from running, but things like sitting for a long period of time make it worse.  Also, you may not be doing the right types of stretches since the piriformis can be a little tricky to stretch. 

If it is hurting this bad, you are doing the right thing by visiting the doctor.  This is the kind of thing that can get chronic if you don't address it.  Good luck!

From what you described, it may also be sciatica, which is an inflammation of the sciatic nerve that runs down the back of the hip into the leg....It is really common in folks who are overweight because our stomachs sag forward, taking the spine with it and compressing the nerve.  I have found that focusing some time on the the abs and lower back can limit the amount of pain caused by the inflammation.

I get a pain like that on my right side.  It took several doctors and finally an MRI to discover the cause.  In my case I had a bulging disc at L4-L5 in my lower back that presses on the nerve.   I had disc decompression at the chiropractor's office which really helped with the disc.  I do a stretch for it and my massage therapist is great at helping work it out also.  It gets a lot worse walking on an incline.  It probably has something to do with the nerve.  My sister has the same thing also on the other side.  Hope you find what's causing yours. 

lycyalus, I also had the bulging disc at L4-L5! This is what I mean about how the problem may actually originate from someplace else. In my case, it was because I'd lost the natural curve to my lower back, which caused the bulging disc, and pressed on the nerve.

I did certain exercises to restore the curve, but I also had to work on stretching and strengthening my hamstrings, because they played a big role in the problem. I think that's ultimately where the whole thing originated for me: tight hamstrings, with one leg stronger/tighter than the other.

I forgot to mention yoga balls. Those work wonders. You just position them in certain places and lie on them to release tension all down your spine and in your glute muscles.

Ok, I think I have mislead people with the term "hip" as opposed to "pelvis". whoops!  Its the pelvic bone - I think its called the ilia - where the pain starts.  Its not actually the hip joint. 

I'm going to change the title of the thread.  I did look up some of the things people mentioned and none really describe what i am experiencing.  The pain almost feels like a bruise on the bone when its least noticable and sharp/burning/achy when its most noticable.  I haven't had any injury to the bone (haven't run into anything, etc) that would have caused it. 

How much/often are you running? Have you recently ramped up your running distance?

Here, see if any of these fit:

http://www.beginnertriathlete.com/cms/article -detail.asp?articleid=1383

I'm going to read that article right now, but I've actually been running shorter distances.  I have been doing lots of hills though.  Could that be it?

Jen I use balls also called The miracle ball.  They're wonderful.

I have the same pain you're describing.  It's not the hip, it's my pelvic bone.  Sometimes it's right on the very front pointed area of the bone and feels like someone is stabbing it.  The pain does not extend down my leg.  I do, however, have lower back pain (which an MRI showed no herniated disc or nerve impinchment, but mild arthritis).  Other times, my pelvic bone will throb and have such pain that it interrupts my daily activities.  I'm having an MRI on my "hip area" including the pelvic bone.  I'll let you know what they find, if anything.  I do not exercise regularly and have not injured the area, but it hurts like crazy!