The reciprocal relationship between the hip and running

The hip joint is the articulation of the acetabulum of the pelvis with the head of the femur; connecting the trunk with the lower extremity. Normally a joint must give up mobility to attain stability but not so with the hip. It is a ball-and-socket joint surrounded by powerful and well-balanced muscles which create a wide range of motion while allowing for significant stability. The motions of the hip are flexion, extension, abduction, adduction and internal and external rotation. When these motions are combined the femur moves through circumduction.

In addition to this exceptional flexibility, each hip joint must be capable of supporting half of the body’s weight with each step we take. When we run the amount of support required increases to 2-3 times the body weight. These forces and the repetitive nature of running can create tightness in the hip muscles, joint and fascial lines.
The muscles most affected are the iliopsoas, quadriceps, hamstrings and tensor fasciae latae (TFL). These changes in muscular and facial flexibility can lead to a compromised running stride opening the door to developing pain in the ITB, back or knee as well as plantar fascitis. Because running is mostly a single-plane sport, runners can also present with decreased ROM in internal and external rotation of the hip joint. Changes in hip rotation is correlated with onset of back pain, hip osteoarthritis and anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury.

So in essence running can affect the hip and the hip can affect running. It is therefore important to maintain the flexibility and health of the hip joint, muscles and fascial to help with running biomechanics and decrease the risk of injury.

Fascial STRETCH Therapy takes the joint, muscles and fascia thought their full ROM, applying traction throughout the STRETCH to improve joint health. STRETCH Therapy is therefore a great addition to any running routine.