How ankle pain can turn into hip pain

Remember that song “Dem Bones?” “Your thigh bone connected to your hip bone …”

I’m learning anew just how true that is.

A really smart physical therapist pointed out that my my original hip problems seemed to stem from an ankle sprain at a friend’s wedding in 2007. A flareup last spring/summer stemmed directly from a separate ankle sprain that turned into peroneal tendonitis. Now, a flareup of that peroneal tendonitis seems to have led to … wait for it … hip pain. Once again, as my ankle goes, so goes my hip.

I’m not freaking out about this. Instead, I’m trusting that my rock-star of a running doctor will again guide me past an injury and lead me toward a healthy, tendonitis-free running life. And I’m optimistic that physical therapy, which I’m working on setting up, will strengthen my apparently weak ankles to prevent problems like these in the future.

Finally, I’m taking this as a reminder to never write off what seems like an insignificant pain. I’m more than just a big, walking peroneal tendon, so it makes sense that pain in one part of my body would lead to problems in another.

This weekend, I’ll be thinking about my friends running the Philadelphia Marathon, which is on my list of dream races (flat, fast, in the fall, close to home … what’s not to love?). Marci, Jenn, and all my other Philly-running friends, I will be thinking about you all morning on Sunday!

In other news: I’m writing a story about the best half-marathons in the greater Washington area. DC-area runners, what’s your favorite half-marathon close to home, and what’s cool about it?