[QUOTE=tollertwins;8641633]
Re the hip flexors Gucci - mine are still pisse off after 6 YEARS! Don’t get the things riled up![/QUOTE]
Voltaren gel helps 
Apply daily! (BID or TID is probably best, but I just do in the AM)
[QUOTE=Simkie;8640910]
Ah, you’re just starting. You WERE told this is a six month (plus) rehab, right? Be kind to yourself and I totally agree–DO NOT push through the pain. That’s how I pissed off my hip flexors, and they’re still angry 
In other news…I think I am finally ready to admit that the PRP injections were marvelous, but have worn off for me. So that lasted about 6 weeks. They were good weeks. I don’t know what next steps are, but, wow does it ever suck to be back here.[/QUOTE]
I was told 3-4 months, mostly because of my age… My job is very physical and active, so I have to be at pretty much 100% before I go back. lately I have basically been stuck at a desk. My personal goal is a fun horse show at the end of August, but it may not happen.
It’s been over 10 months since I first injured it. I was in the best physical shape of my life when it happened and it bums me to see the added weight gain and the inability to work out decently. I go to PT 2xs a week and do exercises on my own, but it’s still not enough to keep me in shape or keep my weight in check.
I get a deep tissue massage to see if that will help the inflammation at all.
This surgery has been the most stressful mentally. The pain has been tolerable, but it sucks not being able to do things.
On the bright side my horse is sane enough to lease out these days, so it helps with his costs. I’m also glad workers comp is paying for all of this.
For me horseback riding is one of the only things that eases my hip pain. Unfortunately this has not convinced my parents to let me ride more than once a week.
I had my first hip done last Nov. It was a pretty quick recovery and I was all set to ride again by Feb. But since it was winter and my horse is fresh I was planning on going to a local stable. I kept climbing on a saddle on the rack to see if I could be comfortable. My other hip then hurt. It got progressively worse and I never did ride, I don’t see how I would be any good on a horse like that. It got progressively worse to the point that I was limping after doing anything much. I finally went back to my surgeon and have a date to get the second hip replaced. It was no where near as sharply painful as the first but deteriorating the same way. I am not thrilled about it, but not scared this time and cannot wait to get it over with and go on with my life, ride eventually.
Best of luck with the second surgery! I have been riding with no pain after my surgeries for over a year so far so it was definitely worth it.
Thank you Laurierace. I feel foolish being depressed about riding when there are so many more serious things that people get. But it meant everything to me. I really do hope I can again. I love to hear the success stories.
I think I am joining
I have been having troubles with my lower back for the past year. If it flares up, it’s debilitating. Saw a PT for it last year, she said that my lower spine is completely inflexible (compared to the rest of my body which is hypermobile). So she had me working on some interior core muscles. Back flared up again, went to see a different PT as I was living somewhere else. Again, 20% more flexible every where in my body then a normal healthy person, lower spine is completely fused. Again doesn’t want to treat that directly, but notices something with my left hip.
Apparently, I have atrophied muscles there. She thought it had to do with a fall I had off my horse last year, but I remembered running a half marathon and that hip going 7km into it, and me continuing to go. That was 4 years ago, and I went for physio which they sad at the time that I had just pulled a butt muscle. PT looked up my medical file, and agreed that may be the start of it, or it may have happened even before then as I have always dealt with weird issues. So while I am quite strong, and able bodied, I had always noticed my hip hurt when I ran. Not like my back does which is a constant state of pain right now, but definitely noticeable.
On top of that, PT and I discussed my riding, and realized that a lot of the issues I have been having with my horse, can be directly related to my hip problem. Coach and I tested this theory on Sunday, and after having me ‘use’ that hip for shoulder in, lateral movements etc, had me lift the leg off the saddle. I had to stop riding for 5 mins to catch my breath from the pain.
I am really hoping the exercises the PT gives me helps with it. At this point, I don’t know if I see the point in getting ultrasounds done or anything. If it was a tear, then it was from 4 years ago, and now we just need to retrain the hip to be useful again. I would LOVE a fix for my back. I used to weight train, run, bike, do yoga etc, and now I am so afraid to do anything other then ride because between my BoT human brace and my ecogold pad for pony, I can usually survive my rides with a bath after the hard ones. Not staying fit and in my prime is not an option.
This was basically just a rant/pity party for one. I was a sick kid growing up. I had been diagnosed with fibro, which we have now explained as something different we think, but it still meant from 13-20 I dealt with chronic constant pain. Then I got healthy, fit, joined the military, and haven’t looked back. This limitation my back and hip are placing on me is scary and upsetting.
Before I was correctly diagnosed the only thing that really helped my back pain was PT. Hopefully your PT will help you figure out activities that you can do to help with your fitness because riding isn’t enough. I think an MRI is a good place to start however.
Amwookie - my symptoms initially were all in the back…
[QUOTE=tollertwins;8666721]
Amwookie - my symptoms initially were all in the back…[/QUOTE]
My PT thinks that they are separate, but together. One didn’t cause the other (I feel like I have always been stiffer in the lower back), unless the run didn’t cause the hip, and the hip is a result of the back, if that makes sense.
But to limit the pain in the back, the surrounding muscle groups need to be working correctly, hence the interior core muscles and now the hip.
I pretty much just tied my thigh to my chair as I always sit cross legged or the bad hip tucked up underneath and I guess that is a huge no no. My boss is really supportive of me not being broken though, so I am constantly doing my PT exercises that are supposed to be as natural as breathing to me (they aren’t they hurt, but it is amazing how much quicker you are to work on something when you realize it is negatively impacting your riding!)
My hip pain was 100% in my back; left SI to be specific.
[QUOTE=Laurierace;8667098]
My hip pain was 100% in my back; left SI to be specific.[/QUOTE]
Me three!!
Me 4.
Since the SI belt works so well for me, and since I know that my L3-L5 are all in pretty bad shape, would it help for me to get a lumbar belt? The regular back belts don’t help much, but they do not go down over the lower lumbar spine. The SI belt is rather uncomfortable over a full day.
oowwweeee!!!
Had a clinic this weekend where the trainer worked some the last day getting me to sit ‘back and open’, as I tend to lean forward a little and close my hip angle.
Tried that today on my own for about a half hour at a walk (icey with a BIG walk…).
Holy crap my leg hurt after that!!! Guess the hip is part of why I can’t sit ‘up’ worth a damn.
Off to see some other docs Tues…hopefully they will have some alernatives besides a scope at age 60, or ‘sorry, you aren’t bone on bone, can’t do a replacement’.
Did any of you who had the labral surgery feel stuck in the recovery process? I’m almost 4 months out and whenever I try light jogging it hurts. It’s so discouraging, as next month will be one year since my injury. PT doesn’t seem to be doing anything.
I just want to be able to do my job and ride my horse.
It hasn’t been well received when I’ve posted on COTH so I haven’t for a while, but … Tollertwins, et al, please look into hip resurfacing as an alternative to a traditional total hip replacement. It’s not for everyone, but for the younger crowd looking for a permanent alternative to THR, please do the research. I’ve had both done (at 50 and 51) and couldn’t be happier. I was bone on bone for years, excruciating pain, nothing that could be done. I lost a lot of mobility and sanity. With both now resurfaced, I’m running, riding including jumping, 100% mobility, no restrictions, and in general have my life back. Today I rode three horses who still have winter spooky brains installed, held two to have teeth floated and played vet tech for a few hours to help out on pig and calf castrations. Pre surgery I could not have done that.
guccijumper - if it starts to get worse or you stay stuck push for additional imaging. hopefully it’s just a ‘typical’ 6mo recovery…
mbd - i’m not a candidate for the MOM resurfacing, but MAY be for the 'tweener type prosthesis…one of the things i hope to talk about on Thurs.
[QUOTE=GucciJumper;8673320]
Did any of you who had the labral surgery feel stuck in the recovery process? I’m almost 4 months out and whenever I try light jogging it hurts. It’s so discouraging, as next month will be one year since my injury. PT doesn’t seem to be doing anything.
I just want to be able to do my job and ride my horse. :([/QUOTE]
I’m over two years out, still can’t ride and still in pain. So yes, absolutely.
But you’re not even to the four month mark. I know you were told that you’d have a 3-4 month recovery, but 6 months is really far more realistic. Give it time. Do your pt. Don’t push yourself too hard. Be careful with your hip flexors. Be kind to yourself. And be patient.
This is a tough recovery and it takes time.
I wasn’t really right until after the second surgery and then not until I got my piraformus and ischial bursa injected but have zero pain riding or doing anything else now. I agree that four months is nothing.
[QUOTE=Simkie;8673496]
I’m over two years out, still can’t ride and still in pain. So yes, absolutely.
But you’re not even to the four month mark. I know you were told that you’d have a 3-4 month recovery, but 6 months is really far more realistic. Give it time. Do your pt. Don’t push yourself too hard. Be careful with your hip flexors. Be kind to yourself. And be patient.
This is a tough recovery and it takes time.[/QUOTE]
Thank you all for making me feel better. I guess the frustrating part is I felt great for about 10 weeks after the surgery. Then once I started jogging it all fell apart. They told me since I’m active (I was working out at least 5 days a week on top of riding) and young (25) I would be 3-4 months.
It’s annoying with the people at work asking every shift when I can go back to work. 4 other people got hurt around the same time I did and all of them had surgery and are back.
The barn is no longer fun and has become a chore. I am done physically just from picking out his feet. I thankfully have my guy leased out for 4 days a week and I’m tempted to pay someone to give him his meds and do the hoof maintenance (iodine his feet and put some gel on a crack) that way I just have to enjoy him and I won’t have to be stressed about getting out there and getting to appointments when I have to work.
The PT is geting old. I work night shift and its horrible planning out appointments to where I can function. Just going to appointments and cutting back on my sleep has exhausted me.
I did get more strict at work so I wouldn’t be going up and down stairs at night or stuck somewhere that I have to sit. I refuse to work with being in those areas due to short staffing.
This whole process has been the worst mentally. I can handle the pain, but it’s miserable being able not to do everything I used to be able to. I found out that I will be getting a nice settlement check and it made me feel a little better, but no amount of money is worth going through this process.
Sorry for the vent. I do appreciate the help COTH has provided. You guys are great.
