Experiences with snapping hip?

[bayhony]

Hi, everyone! I searched the forums and couldn’t find quite what I was looking for. If there’s a thread I missed, let me know!

I’ve been back riding a year after taking about four off after high school (I’m 21 now, turning 22), where I rode 2-3x a week and developed some joint pain in my ankles and hip. I didn’t do much in my time off and had only occasional soreness, but since starting up again the pain’s been increasing. Around Thanksgiving I injured my left hip (bent down to pick something up and heard/felt the crack) and made the dumb decision to ride on it the next day. I saw a doctor after a long weekend spent unable to move my leg at the hip and was diagnosed with snapping hip. I was told to take ibuprofen/rest for pain and future injuries, which I’ve been doing along with stretches my instructor recommended, but the pain’s only increased and in the last month or so I’m finding my hip snaps far more often (at least once every few days, sometimes multiple times a day depending on what I’m doing).

Does anyone have experience with snapping hip or tips on pain management in the saddle? Surgery, etc., have never been discussed as all my scans when I saw the doctor came back clean. In addition, I’m reluctant to take time off from riding as I take lessons once a week and don’t have my own horse, so I’m not sure what my options are to stay involved with horses and around the barn if I take any time off.

[walkers]

have you had a MRI or at least x-rays. you r to young not to really look into this and make sure you have a correct diagnosis. hopefully you saw a orthopedic surgeon not just your family doctor.
without knowing exactly whats wrong its impossible to know how to handle this. Again if you want to ride lifelong get this worked up or it will haunt you and one day may end your riding.
You don’t want a lifetime of taking drugs, from what you report I think you got bad advice.
Remember being young your Doctor may not take your injury very seriously but if you love to ride don’t settle for less.
For example I suffer from a permanently messed up ankle(bucked off) because it wasn’t worked up and 6 months of pain later finally had a bone scan which showed a stress fracture(wouldn’t show up on x-ray) and hence suffer from a bum leg for rest of my life(bone died ).
Good Luck
And if you must ride now don’t mount from the side with the bad hip.

[Simkie]

I really hate to say this, but you might want to check out our threads on labrum issues. Here’s one: http://www.chronofhorse.com/forum/showthread.php?470801-Joining-the-hip-pain-club

[Pocket_Pony]

The twist of your saddle will make a difference. Too wide and I have pain. I’ve found acupuncture helps control the pain better than anything. I also have found active release therapy to be very helpful. You need a definitive diagnosis, though. Radiographs and MRI should be considered for a proper diagnosis.

[bayhony]

Thanks everyone for the advice!