High impact sports like running or even power walking can increase the risk of developing a stress fracture in men and women. Stress fractures can be painful and take a long time to heal. Hip stress fractures can be particularly serious and need to be diagnosed early and managed aggressively. If you are concerned that you could have hip pain due to a stress fracture, please make an appointment to see us. We are happy to help you determine the cause of pain and return to back to activity like running as soon as possible.
Hip stress fractures
The femur is the largest bone in the body and at risk for stress injury. Femoral neck stress fractures (FSF) are at high risk for complications. Runners are at high risk for stress fractures and these can occur at just about any age from children to older active adults.
Common risk factors for a hip stress fracture include a history of a previous stress fracture and being female. Female athletes are thought to be higher risk for FSF due to lower body mass and bone density than males. Other risk factors include menstrual irregularities in females, decreased physical fitness, and poor running biomechanics
Stress fractures result from the stress of repeated workloads like running and inability to adequately compensate for and balance repair and resorption of bone. Risk factors outlined above increase the bone vulnerability.
Commonly FSF can occur during the training phase as a runner is preparing for a marathon and increasing their mileage.
FSF can cause deep aching pain in the thigh during or after a run, also morning pain when getting out of bed can be associated with an FSF.
At Sports Health Northwest, our sports injury specialist can help identify and treat an FSF with a careful history and physical exam. We specialize in helping our active Portland area runners heal an FSF without surgery with the goal of returning you back to sport stronger than before.
