27: Is It Actually Your Hip Flexor...Or Something Else

Welcome to Season 2 and welcome to The Running Injury Podcast! If you've been with us before, you may notice one big change: Interdisciplinary Case Miles has a new name. While the name is new, everything you love about the show remains the same real runner cases, evidence-informed conversations, and practical advice from a team of experts dedicated to helping runners stay healthy and perform at their best. To kick off the new season, the hosts catch up on what they've been working on from a successful High School Runners Summit focused on injury prevention, nutrition, sleep, and mental health, to exciting behind-the-scenes projects, and Dr. Kate Mihevc Edwards' emotional return to racing after completing her first 5K in 11 years following her ARVC diagnosis. Then it's time for the first case of Season 2:A 24-year-old runner develops pain in the front of his hip after an aggressive track workout. His symptoms worsen with stairs, speed work, hills, prolonged sitting, and frequent work travel raising important questions about what could really be causing his pain. In this episode, you'll learn: -Why groin pain in runners should be treated as a femoral neck stress fracture until proven otherwise -Other causes of anterior hip pain, including labral tears, hip impingement, hip retroversion, pubic symphysis injuries, and athletic pubalgia -Why hip flexors need strength-not just stretching- to support efficient running mechanics -How travel, missed meals, hydration, and sleep can contribute to injury risk -What actually matters when it comes to breathing mechanics, core stability, and pelvic floor function -How strength, mobility, gait analysis, and training load all work together to keep runners healthy Whether you're training for your next race, recovering from an injury, or simply trying to understand why your hip hurts, this episode offers practical, evidence-informed strategies to help you run stronger and recover smarter. Featured Experts: Dr. Sara Raiser MD – Running Medicine Physician Kelsey Pontius, MS, RD, CSSD – Sports Dietitian Dr. Kate Mihevc Edwards PT – Physical Therapist & Orthopedic Clinical Specialis tChapter Highlights 00:00 Welcome to The Running Injury Podcast 02:30 Host updates and what's new for Season 2 08:15 Case introduction: Anterior hip pain in a runner 12:45 Why ruling out a femoral neck stress fracture comes first 19:30 Understanding hip flexors and running mechanics 28:20 Nutrition, travel, and recovery challenges for busy runners 36:45 Breathing mechanics, core stability, and pelvic floor function 45:00 Physical therapy strategies for hip flexor injuries 54:15 Key takeaways for preventing and treating hip pain Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-running-injury-podcast-formerly-interdisciplinary-case-miles--6623567/support. If you enjoyed this episode, don’t forget to follow and subscribe so you never miss a case. Have a question or a case you'd like us to explore on the show? We’d love to hear from you. Reach out anytime at [email protected].