Riddle me this Batman...

Let's start with some good news first. The vertigo is finally gone (or at least gone enough). I can't tell you how or why but but it was my chiropractor that made the single biggest improvement in my condition. He believes pretty much any ailment can be cured with chiropractic care. I'm much more of a skeptic but I still enjoy my visits. He's a runner and cyclist and understands how some of us need to get back in the game as soon as possible. If nothing else, he's very informative, more so than any doctor I see. So for vertigo he gets a thumbs up.

Onto running...and one of the strangest injuries I think I've ever had.

• I can walk pain-free, up or down stairs.
  
• I can use the Eliptical machine pain-free.
• I can ride a bike pain-free. I rode 22 miles on Friday and 41 miles on Sunday with NO issues.
• I can hike a mountain pain-free. I hiked Mt Monadnock with my kids on Saturday with NO issues.
• I can rake, I can shovel dirt, I can lift 50lb bags of fertilizer.
• I can do sit ups.
  
• I can't run more than a couple of steps without stopping.

It's been 2 weeks since I last went for a run. Other than knee surgery, I can't remember any injury that has prevented me from running longer than this one. The pain feels the same today than it did 2 weeks ago when I stopped running.

I've been to two doctors (including a sports medicine doctor), a chiropractor and a physical therapist. According to them it's a:

• hip flexor strain
• SI Joint Dysfunction
• ab strain
• tensor fascia lata strain

In other words, not a single one agrees what the problem is. Each does some test that identifies a weakness somewhere, and they all might be right. I may have all the above problems. BUT, I'm not convinced any of these are the root cause of my pain while running.

So if anyone wants to play 'name that pain' here's the summary of my symptoms:

• The pain is on my right side, either right in the middle of my side or slightly to the rear.
  
• It's right above my waistline, just above the iliac crest, sort of in the 'love handle' area.
  
• It feels deep. I have to push pretty hard to find it.
• It is somehow related to rotation. If I plant my foot and then rotate (getting up from my desk and going to the right) it hurts.
  
• When I try to run it hurts on each foot strike with my right foot.

Other than that I feel great!