slight pain on left hip

[cooljoe815]

After being off for a year, I began to do running again using the techniques of Chirunning. I am running on a treadmill and I go my ritual of checking my posture, my sneakers and do the lean but I am experiencing a slight pain on my left hip.

It must be an indicator of I am doing something wrong. Any comments? Thanks in advance.

[Jacquie Mardell]

Could be just getting used to running again, or something to do with the treadmill, could be some adjustment needed in your form. There are a lot of new things coming at you. Try backing off just a touch and see if that alone resolves it.

[cooljoe815]

I took a few days off and I ran today and I didn't feel it. I check my sneaker to be able to see them to make sure my core is engaged.

Is there anything else I could do/

[cooljoe815]

I went to a chiropractor and he said that I had one leg shorter then the other. I'm 56 years old and that is the first time, i heard that. I don't know if that has anything to do w/it and it does , if there is anything I can do about it.

[Jacquie Mardell]

Almost everybody has a leg length discrepancy, usual functional rather than structural, meaning that something about the way your spine and hips are carried can make one leg seem and act shorter than the other. A common example of this is someone who carries a baby on their hip for long periods in the day. Keeping the hip cocked to support the baby's weight can cause the whole lower back/pelvic system to adapt to gathering more strength to that side and that imbalance can eventually show up in that person's stride.

Anyway most of us have some kind of discrepancy and, as you pointed out, we don't realize it because our body has already adapted to it and factored it in. It can show up in relief when we try to do something like ChiRunning or yoga which are about alignment and balance.

As to the original poster's question, I'm glad that you did not perceive hip pain your next time out. As to what you should do, keep focusing on the 3 basic principles of good form - posture (getting aligned and balanced), lean and ankle lift. It can be harder to focus on good form an a treadmill - it isn't impossible but not ideal. If you can get outdoors even once in a while, you will probably have a very different experience with your focuses.

[cooljoe815]

you are right , I ran outside and I didn't get the hip pain as much. i focus on posture, feet alignment amd ankle lift. i will monitor it and keep you posted