How is it misaligned? One side higher than the other? Fore or aft?
A lot of us here have a leg length discrepancy which results in one side being higher and causes problems...a little more info and maybe we can help sort this out...

I've been reading trifuel for a few years, but never registered to post before. When i read your post I knew I had to write in since I've been dealing with something similar for the last 3 years. To make a long story short, I first experienced pain in my hip while training for a marathon in 2005. I trained through it (probably my first mistake) and did the marathon. When I started running again after the marathon the pain got worse and I finally had it checked out. A regular MRI didn't show anything, but an arthro-MRI showed that I had a torn superior labrum (ie torn cartilage on the edge of the hip socket, and which from my online reading says that torn labrums can often be missed in MRIs and even arthro-MRIs (although I'm no doc)). So I had hip arthroscopy surgery to fix the tear, which they succesfully did. That was the summer of 2006. After following the correct rehab, I was terribly disappointed since I still had hip pain. I gave my hip complete rest for 6 months. That didn't help.Now I have done physical therapy for the last 5 months. That didn't seem to help either. I had steroids injected 4 weeks ago, and it may be helping some, but there is still pain. And I had another arthro-MRI done and it came back inconclusive, with it unable to confirm or deny an additional tear in the cartilage.

Then I saw a different physical therapist 2 weeks ago who said my pelvis is rotated down and forward on the right side. I, too, have been previously told (as far back as the 7th grade) that I have a leg-length discrepency, but according to the PT that I just saw he said that it is only the appearance of a leg length discrepency due to the rotation of the pelvis. So now I plan to do a couse of physical therapy with this fellow to see if it will solve the problem. I was also given the "squeeze the ball between the knees" exercise as well as a belt to wear around my hips to keep them in place. I think it will take multiple visits to the PT, though, to overcome this since I think my hips have probably been rotated this way for at least 12 years. I'm really crossing my fingers that it does the trick since the last option is exploratory hip surgery, and that really doesn't sound appealing:(

So, I just wanted to write and say I feel your pain and frustrations. I was a college basketball player who had just taken up running and triathlons when this occured and I was immensely frustrated by it. But now I've come to terms with it a bit more and appreciate how my swimming as improved since it's the only exercise I've really been able to do for the last 2 years! And I try to tell myself that the short term fulfillment of competing in a few races now is not worth sacrificing many years of hiking, biking, running and walking when I get older. It sure has been a lesson in patience, though, which I am not particularly prone to!

okay, so that wasn't really a short story, but it's about all i have to contribute to trifuel right now since I don't have anything to say about training or races or any of the fun stuff. I wish you the best of luck figuring it out and hopefully we'll both be back on the race course soon enough.

Hi Guys - I am not a tri-athelete but have suffered from exactly the same afflictions for 30 YEARS. It has gone undiagnosed or misdiagnosed by doctors, physios and orthopaedic surgeons all this time. I am in NZ and I think they haven't struck it so much here and certainly dont seem to treat anyone for it.

When I read your messages they rang absolutely true for me. I have been "clamping" my hips as management for a few years now - sound familiar?

I will now move down this pelvic misalignment treatment path.

What has given you the best results?

Hi Guys - I am not a tri-athelete but have suffered from exactly the same afflictions for 30 YEARS. It has gone undiagnosed or misdiagnosed by doctors, physios and orthopaedic surgeons all this time. I am in NZ and I think they haven't struck it so much here and certainly dont seem to treat anyone for it.

When I read your messages they rang absolutely true for me. I have been "clamping" my hips as management for a few years now - sound familiar?

I will now move down this pelvic misalignment treatment path.

What has given you the best results?

find a good chiropractor - perhaps one that works with athletes - and one who is not afaid to adjust extremeties, arms, legs, hips.

Hi All.

Thanks for the info. Since I last posted I have been trialling my own variation of "pelvic re-alignment excercises" and they have been VERY SUCCESSFUL. To the point of being much more successful THAN ANYTHING I HAVE TRIED FOR 26 YEARS.

THANKS HEAPS.

I have not needed to go to any practitioners etc. and the results (although not perfect) have restored me to sanity and a functionality of 9 out of 10.

I am now totally convinced that my troubles stem from pelvic misalignment and pelvic floor weakness and I can now handle things much better and with minimal pain and discomfort.

THANKS AGAIN

hello, I had a recent adjustment that aggrevated my pelvic alignment such tha the pelvis is now forward and down on the right side. I have sharp knee pain and planters faciitis on the right since the alignment and the right hip is often sore. I was wondering if anyone could provide more details on the hip alignment exercises (belt around the knee?? squeezing a ball between the knees?), and also whether the pelvic needs correct alignment by a professional BEFORE beginning these exercises. Also, how would one wear a belt around the hip to stabilize the pelvis? Any kind of belt? Thanks! I'm hoping to regain my strength and soundness on the right side such that I can resume plans for long-distance hiking.

Mid September 2009 I injured myself carrying something too heavy on my right shoulder. I was almost better right before Thanksgiving until my Physical Therapist (PT) gave me a belt to wear to keep my pelvis in place. Now this has set me back with new symptoms. In the beginning I could not even bend. But that went away. This time I cannot lift myself from a squatting position without pulling myself up with something like a sofa or coffee table, etc.

I go to see a physiatrists (Sports/injury specialist) on 12/30/09, but am concerned that my pelvis will never stay in alignment. I started doing exercises from my PT on a daily basis. Now I can hardly perform any of them. The muscles around my pelvis are super tight. There are bands that go from my pelvis down to my leg, buttocks and low back.

I had trouble sitting from the beginning, but not standing. Now I cannot stand for long periods: only 10 minutes to 1 hour (on a good day).

The PT taught my husband how to align my pelvis. I only wish he was not out of town so often. I only get to see the PT twice a week.

I definitely wanted to warn others about the belt. The PT told me I shouldn't be wearing it when I am in pain, as this means that I am out of alignment.

Any help suggestions would be appreciated.

trekrider,

Thanks for the encouragement. My PT had me wear the belt while walking around and doing my normal routine. When I would sit I would just keep the elastic part on and when I stood I would have the really tight clip part on. Is the belt supposed be only used for lying down, and if so what can I read that is in writing about that?

Why do you say that a chiro won't help with this? I have been to chirpractors a lot over the last 15 years and my PT isn't doing anything different than the chiro would do: tens unit, massage, exercises, adjustment.

Thanks again!

It's a pretty common problem and we see it all the time at our medical clinic. I actually penned a manual to fix it. http://www.runwithnopain.com

Best of luck,
Ben