Pain in upper thigh & hip 2 days after exercising

[Ricola]

It has been a couple months since I worked out last. I had a vigourous workout a couple weeks ago, took ill for a week and then attempted to resumed my routine 3 days ago.
I felt great all day and the following day after working out; not a bit of pain or soreness anywhere. The night before last as I was going to bed, I noticed considerable pain around the front of my upper left thigh and hip; to the point I could barely lay in any position without a lot of discomfort. Last night was incredibly worse and today I awoke unable to put any wieght on my left leg without severe, sharp pain shooting through the left hip area and upper left thigh. The pain is an 8 on a 10 pain scale when I put any wieght on it. I can't sit or stand without pain. I can't walk without help or limping my leg along.
The pain doesn't seem to be coming from inside the hip joint and there is no popping/grinding/pressure/etc in the hip joint, just a burning/knifing pain in the muscle around it all the way from the top of my hip to the middle of my thigh. The muscle feels so tight that it "seems" twisted. Right now I am just trying to stay off my leg and not move it around.
Maybe I over-did my workout, but I have never had such intense, searing pain in one isolated area following a hard workout. I am not sore anywhere else!
Any helpful advice on an injury to this area (what it might be, what may help, shouldn't I have felt it when I did it? etc.) would be very appreciated.
I do plan to see my Dr. once he's back in the office tommorow.
~Sorry for the long thread; I'm a newbie here!

 

[lynchfan]

I have the exact same issues! What was the outcome from your visit to the doctor?

Anyone else had similar problems?

 

[bmorganfit]

Your hip flexors may be too tight. If you haven't been working out on a consistent basis and then go through an intense workout, your muscles may not be used to this intensity. Do you spend a lot of time seated?

Sitting for long periods of time can make the muscles on the front of your hip overly tight. Consistent exercise is one answer. Stretching on a regular basis is another. For those who exercise regularly and intensely, getting quality massage can also help muscles recover faster.

I'm not referring to relaxation massage, but some form of deep tissue massage. Using a device called the Stick for self-massage may help. You can do some form of self-massage prior to exercise or stretching, or in between exercise.

Some people also use foam rollers for deep tissue massage. This can be painful the first few times through, as you "roll" back and forth over this foam roller. Don't forget stretching and recovery techniques to help prevent injuries.