@Foxglove Even the recumbent magnetic resistance bike works. I put in on the 30 minute pre-programmed higher level work out and watch TV (currently White Collar reruns). I actually look forward to my bike time.
After a month I barely have any pain in my hip area, mounting is easier and the limp is almost gone. Thank you VERY much for the advice !
@dbtoo That’s fantastic! I can’t say that I look forward to spinning each morning, but I sure like the way I feel these days. So many people posted on FB that they have gained weight/lost fitness during this difficult time, but for me it’s been just the opposite --it took me six months, but I just yesterday made my goal of losing 30 pounds. The irony is, I see no one --I go nowhere. But the feeling of accomplishment is maybe even greater since I did it entirely for me and had to depend on my own “pats on the back.”
I am so very happy that your hip pain resolved. It continues to mystify me why biking works for that kind of hip pain --I would have thought just the opposite. So many joint issues are made worse by “using the joint” -and yet both of us had good results with more motion, not rest (I did try rest, first, made it worse.)
I’ve been working to improve my two point --the biking and focus on “core” seems to have helped there too. Win-win!
@Foxglove Christmas lights. I love it! I just got off my elliptical machine and other goodies and still doing MyFitnessPal and the scale keeps going down. Thank you for the inspiration!
@PaddockWood When I dieted previously (off and on all my life) two things seemed to hold me back: time and weight fluctuation —I’d start strong (don’t we all) --then the effort of looking up every mouthful in those “calorie books” and writing it down, then keeping a running total, just became something I would do “later” and then “tomorrow” and then what was the point? -fluctuation was the second problem. I’d diet/exercise “perfectly” and see no loss --or a gain --and what was the point?
With these new-fangled apps (myfitnesspal) the keeping track is much easier to the point of being fun! And it tracks exercise too —something I never did before–just figured if I didn’t keep calories down, I’d gain.
But the best part for me is the weight graph report. I found looking back 90 days, that I lose a pound, then stay the same for a week, sometimes two, then lose a pound or two. Then long plateau. Then lose again! Instead of giving up because “what’s the point?” I can see that, ok, I didn’t lose for three weeks, but previously, when that occurred, I’d see a two pound (I’ve never lost more than that at one time) --I just needed to keep doing what I was doing.
The other aspect that someone on the COTH board told me was, if a person eats too little, the weight loss slows. Looking back at the graphs of my calorie intake and weight loss --that does seem to be true --as does eating more protein to keep weight loss moving in the right direction. I feel so empowered with my knowledge --I’m not a “diet failure” --I just didn’t know how to be patient. I’ve only lost a pound a week —oooh, that seems sooooo slow —but, the scale always goes in the right direction.
And the exercise is good --still can’t say I love doing it (spinning) but I do 20 min every day. FYI Peleton offers a 30 day free trial --I think they have elliptical on their list of exercises. I’m still getting through their 20 min workouts to country music —got so tired of graphic rap with the other spin class I followed on YouTube.
@Foxglove Yes, the ease of tracking is a big deal. Good point about weight loss taking time and your body resisting if you eat too little. I’ve never had that problem.
And nothing quite like spinning to get results. I took a class once and half way through knew I was having a come to Jesus moment in order to even complete the class!
Well, a month after I started adding stationary cycling into my routine my hip is really aggravated. Darn. I was hoping that since my post-surgery pain had been attributed largely to straight-up arthritis that the bike would be helpful.
I’m holding out a little hope that once it becomes possible to get my bike fitted better (as in, get a pro involved and maybe swap out some parts) it might become more comfortable. My mechanics on the bike have changed in multiple ways since I was last putting significant miles on this road bike – trying not to exacerbate the bad hip or the bad tailbone seems to be a tall order for a bike I spent more time on before I’d ever interacted with an orthopaedist!
@x-halt-salute when responding to @dbtoo and @PaddockWood I was mentioning how spinning (stationary bike) had improved my hip bursitis. I have had one hip replaced, but the DR said the second hip had bursitis --we did x-rays and all that, then injections, and it wasn’t getting better even after 2 weeks rest. His last suggestion was a bursi-ectomy but said that only had a 50% chance of working. I went ahead and scheduled that for March —six months ahead. In November, after seeing myself in pix at the hunt ball --and not liking what I saw, I started riding husband’s spinning bike here at home following a YouTube instructor. Almost immediately the bursitis was gone. I cancelled the surgery. I no longer have any hip pain. That’s what I shared with @dbtoo and that I’d lost 30 pounds in the ensuing months --doing both diet and the spinning class —PaddockWood had used a similar APP and had good results --and was doing a bike exercise too.
I honestly doubt that spinning would have helped my hip that I had replaced —it was bone-on-bone arthritis. As I told dbtoo —that it helped bursitis still amazes me. I thought it would make it worse.
@dbtoo @PaddockWood --don’t know if you are interested, but I was having trouble balancing in my two-point over even low fences --seemed to be all over the saddle. A CLOTH member @Frosty M said it might be a balance issue, not a fitness or skill issue. I did an on-line balance test —failed —so I got on YouTube for EXERCISE to Improve Balance, and added those 10 min to my 20 min spinning —I had almost immediate improvement in balance both on the floor and in the saddle. Anyway --balance is easy to check --and it appears, easy to improve!
@Foxglove I have thoughts on the current conversations. Being one to have had hip issues over the years including being told to have surgery, injections etc. The exercise thing is interesting because once I started sprinting (running as fast as I can for 15 seconds) and then walking, sprint/walk, sprint walk etc. …that my hip pain improved so much. Who knows. I just started feeling better.
I also still notice a big difference in how I feel with eating sugar. Have an ice cream PROBLEM and can really lay into it and when I do a finger joint bothers me and I feel stiff everywhere including my hip.
Yes, still using the MyFitnessPal and have lost 5 lbs. Thank you Foxglove. The awareness is powerful.
And we all know that being at an ideal weight is HUGE for the stresses on our bodies - pain, joints etc. It’s SO hard to stay at an idea weight and I know I’d feel so much better with the 10lbs OFF that I have ON since high school. And then another 5 lbs for good measure. I’ve been close before but then get very naughty. A lifetime of being bad at times with food does not make for a thin person–at least in my case. I try to focus on how much better I would look in the saddle. The ice cream has a louder call. 
I have bone on bone arthritis in my hip, and the surgery for hip replacement has been put on hold with the corona virus. Stretching and some strengthening exercises help, so I’m curious about spinning to relieve the pain/stretch out my hip. Why do you think it wouldn’t have helped? Has anyone with bone on bone arthritis used spinning successfully?
@clint --I honestly don’t know if I could have made my hip move in a motion necessary for spinning --it was like a knife stabbing into me when I moved it wrong during the arthritis time --I could ride, and SCUBA --what I couldn’t do was stand for long periods (I was a high school teacher, so I taught standing on one foot until I couldn’t, then would sit on a tall stool. The pain was so exhausting, that on my 35 min lunch, I would lie on the floor (kept a pillow in my closet), and enjoyed the brief freedom from pain. I took too much Celebrex (well, not dose wise, but so much that I started having digestive issues), and then caved and had surgery because there was nothing else to do. Only wish I’d done it sooner.
The bursitis was different --it wasn’t pain as much as loss of motion --I’d try to stand after driving the car, or sitting at a restaurant and have to stop, in the old-lady crouch, until my hip unlocked. DR told me that the fluid inside the bursa (joint lining?) actually becomes thick or thicker when one sits, and that’s why I had to wait a minute for my joint to unlock. There was pain, but more of the dull ache (like someone punched my hip with a fist) than the sharp pain (someone is stabbing me with a knife).
And you are correct, there was one stretch that really helped my arthritic hip —kneeling and leaning back a bit --a few students saw me doing that at my desk (with my eyes closed, enjoying the pain-free moment) and asked if I was praying! I told them I was --that their grades would all rise! The kids said they didn’t think prayer was allowed in school --I told them it was if it made them graduate (I taught seniors!) --LOL --retired after 44 years —one of my last students just graduated from Notre Dame and will soon have a PhD in nuclear physics --sigh, I was invited to go to his ceremony, but sadly the CV made that happen on line . . .
Thanks Foxglove; you have described very accurately what the pain is like.
Yes, I saw that.
I was hopeful that spinning might help with soft tissue pain I’ve had since surgery, without aggravating the OA (since it’s low-impact, there’s a bit of orthopaedic research out there promoting cycling for the management of hip OA pain, and I haven’t had OA issues with biking a couple miles here and there around town to run errands in recent years). With more moderate OA than what you describe, I think that was a reasonable hope. And frankly, the talk of cycling by others with bad hips made me hopeful that reclaiming a little piece of enjoyable, normal exercise might be possible. Running is totally out for me now, but I used to enjoy cycling as well – finding higher-intensity exercise options that fit with my lifestyle and my limitations has been tricky, but indoor biking seemed worth a try.
I’m not totally convinced that it’s not something to try again if I can change my bike setup to fit my wonky new mechanics better. But it’s gonna be a while before I can give that a shot, I think. Oh well.
@x-halt-salute that sucks 
Are you any closer to PRP? Can’t wait to see if that helps.
I was thinking about how your surgery went the other day
”‹”‹”‹”‹”‹”‹
x-halt-salute that sucks
Are you any closer to PRP? Can’t wait to see if that helps.
I was thinking about how your surgery went the other day. Have you seen the video out there of Brian White describing a “massively hypertrophic labrum”? It’s large and floppy and useless and I wonder…maybe you also had a massively hypertrophic labrum, and that’s how it was able to fold back on itself?
Probably neither here nor there. But maybe just a link in the chain to how we got here :-/ (Mine was also massively hypertrophic, but not like taking it out and reconstructing it did much good!)
Hi! I’m not happy to be in this club but I’m thankful to read all of your responses. Finally got the ortho to test my hips and he suspects labral tears on both sides - the med system here is a bit backed up because of COVID so I’m waiting on a full diagnosis. The xrays did not show arthritis but that’s hard for me to imagine, since I’ve had this for…a long time.
Interestingly enough, mine also came with trochanteric bursitis, so my pelvis is basically going to just be full of steroids. They are scheduling me for the MRI with contrast and intra-articular injections to help with a dx.
I can ride in my hunt seat saddle but only with my stirrups quite short. My dressage saddle is an absolute no go, and I’ve tried several. The worst part is how ineffective my leg is while I’m riding…I just don’t feel like I have any strength. I’m also now at the point where I have pain and snapping hips when I walk around or lift my leg. I probably shouldn’t ride right now, but knowing that I’ll have to be off for surgery if that is the case makes me want to work through the pain. We horse people are a bit nutty, aren’t we?
Anyway, thanks for all of your stories. I’m in my mid-40s, so in a weird spot as far as “success rates” go.
The steroids helped but it didn’t last too long for me. I honestly quit riding due to the pain it caused before my surgery.
I did notice that afterwards a saddle with a very narrow twist and my lightweight flex stirrups made a significant difference. My stirrups up higher helped as well. I honestly thought I would have to give up riding until I made those changes.
Arthrogram results on the first hip indicate FAI, torn labrum and thinning of the cartilage. Just got my left hip arthrogram done today so I’m waiting for those results. My issue is in both hips, which is making me have some anxiety about surgery. I hope to hear more positive hip stories from replacements and repairs!
Alteration, I’ll chime in. If you are having arthroscopic surgery it isn’t a bad one. You usually go home the same day of the procedure. Recovery time is dependent on you and how diligent you are with physical therapy. Good out comes or success rates really depend again on your body and the way you care for it.
With that said if you have bone spurs they may come back. I have to have surgery for a 3rd time because it keeps happening to me. I keep saying just give me a hip replacement but they won’t cause I’m to young.
I’m always surprised when I hear this! This was BY FAR the worst surgery I’ve had. My surgeon keeps his patients overnight for pain management, and when I went home, I was still screaming and sobbing in pain just trying to get out of the car. It was really, really tough.
I was also 110% in on my PT, super compliant to everything…and still had failure. This sentiment of “do your PT and you’ll do great!” is frustrating. It’s entirely possible to still have a poor outcome with great PT.
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