Left Hip Pain

[Cizzle]

Hi,

Yesterday I noticed a slight pain in my left hip, right below the hip bone, and right behind it. I have been changing my swing alot, and it has improved a ton. My downswing consists of just rotating my hips and using my left foot as the pivot point.

Today, the pain has gotten worse. It's not something I'd see a doctor about, I'm assuming it's just a strain. My question is, is this normal? I tried looking it up and all I got was that the left hip goes through a lot of strain in the golf swing, and Jack had to get a hip replacement... Not something I really wanted to hear

Does anyone know if by this pain I'm doing the right thing, and once my body gets used to the uncomfortable feeling, I'll be in great shape? Or is there a common fault that I am doing causing too much strain on the hip, and should be corrected.

Any help here would be great. Thanks.

Also, once again it's not really bad pain, it's just something I do not want to continue, because it does interfere with my swing. Also, when walking around I can feel the pain evertime I take a step with my left foot. Also, I'm 19, so it's not like this should be happening cause I'm 50 (no offense).

[Garthmo]

By no means should you listen to me casue I am not a Doctor. At 19 you shouldn't have done any major damage yet but doing a power move that puts alot of stress on your left hip joint can cause damage over time to ligaments, connective tissue, muscle, bone and other parts. Just a guess on my part but it kinda sounds like you have a strain or possibly a sprain. Hip joints are ment to allow the leg to move in all directions but not really to spin too much in the socket so to allow for that movement you should stretch before and after and try to allow those tissues to be able to stretch to accomodate the swing. The body is good at giving signs of possible problems down the road. So now it is your choice to listne to that sign or not. In time if you keep doing a move that your body doesnt want to do, you will do damage. And If that leads to a replacement??? well I guess at this point you should choose ... a swing that puts alot of stress on the joint or change it to something that wont. Or Im just full of S@&$..

[Avid Golfer]

Hi,

Most of the pros who have had hip problems (Greg Norman, Jesper Parnevik, Peter Jacobsen, and Steve Elkington) have had the right hip as the issue and not the left. (Nicklaus problem was with the left hip, but it is less common for the left hip to be the problem these days, since less golf pros produce the lateral slide that Nicklaus was known for doing).

Other every day things you are doing (sitting, sleeping, and bending) may be just as likely as the swing to be causing your hip area pain. Like the other posters I'm not a medical doctor. I'd give it a couple more days (being extra aware of how you're sitting, sleeping, and bending). If you decide to stretch it do so in small amounts and hold the stretch for between 10-30 seconds. (Many people seem to make quick bouncing movements thinking that is correct stretching, but its not). If the pain doesn't decrease after a few days then I recommend you go see a doctor. If you do see a doctor be careful in what you accept as fact, as most doctors don't seem to be very knowledgeable about the golf swing and how it works. If you tell the doctor that you think it may be swing related he/she lacking golf knowledge may be overly quick to agree with your assumption.

[lolzzlolzz]

I don't think you'll need a doctor mate.

You need dynamic stretches for the hips and hamstrings for mobility. More than likely the excessive force in golf combined with lack of mobility has caused the pain. Also for reasons Avid Golfer mentioned. Just to check your posture... keep your chest up when you sit, sleep on your back not your stomach and not on your side.

Search "dynamic stretches improve hip mobility" on google and check out all the links.

[DaveLeeNC]

I'm not sure exactly what you are referring to as "the hip bone". Structurally most of the hip is basically in your groin area. Your typical hip replacement candidate will be complaining about pain in the groin.

But if this pain is on the far outside left of the hip area, maybe 6" below your waist, and feels like it is maybe 1-2" below the skin, then it is probably the iliotibial band. This is a band that runs from the outside of the knee to the outside of the hip.

I've hurt my iliotibial twice (once while I was playing a lot of golf and once when not). In both cases "it just started to hurt" for no apparent reason (probably running related in the first case, and probably golf in the second). And the treatment in both cases was the same - take it easy for 3-4 weeks and, if that doesn't work, a cortisone shot. I ended up requiring the shot in both cases.

What I did the second time this happened was to "take it easy" before I made a doctor's appointment. Then when he suggested that path I was able to tell him that I had already done that, so he gave me the shot and I only had to make one doctor's appointment.

http://www.rice.edu/~jenky/sports/itband.html shows some iliotibial band stretches that might be helpful.

dave

[saturday]

I'm not sure exactly what you are referring to as "the hip bone". Structurally most of the hip is basically in your groin area. Your typical hip replacement candidate will be complaining about pain in the groin. But if this pain is on the far outside left of the hip area, maybe 6" below your waist, and feels like it is maybe 1-2" below the skin, then it is probably the iliotibial band. This is a band that runs from the outside of the knee to the outside of the hip. I've hurt my iliotibial twice (once while I was playing a lot of golf and once when not). In both cases "it just started to hurt" for no apparent reason (probably running related in the first case, and probably golf in the second). And the treatment in both cases was the same - take it easy for 3-4 weeks and, if that doesn't work, a cortisone shot. I ended up requiring the shot in both cases. What I did the second time this happened was to "take it easy" before I made a doctor's appointment. Then when he suggested that path I was able to tell him that I had already done that, so he gave me the shot and I only had to make one doctor's appointment. [URL=http://www.rice.edu/~jenky/sports/itband.html]http://www.rice.edu/~jenky/sports/itband.html[/URL] shows some iliotibial band stretches that might be helpful. dave

That's exactly it. I've had this issue before and it's back now. You can get a foam roller and use that, works wonders. I get the pain from playing too much golf. I have a wife and 6 month old so it's not easy to get out lots but I've been out the last 4 days and I can feel the pain coming back. All that helps me is the foam roller. Looks like a thicker and shorter swimming pool noodle.

[Hawkesley]

Stretching every day and not only before the round is important.  Also I have similarly experienced hip pain in both joints when I work through swing changes to replace a lateral slide with a rotary turn.  I am pretty sure that I occasionally revert to a slide during a round (rarely when on the range) and especially if I think too much about the ball strike or shoulder turn as this causes me to start with the upper body rather than the hip turn/weight shift.  The upper body first move forces the hips into the position of needing to slide laterally because they are not in the right position.  Also, the reduced hip turn causes me not to turn onto the right toe at finish and further exacerbates the strain.   Keeping the back straight helps too.

Hawk