Joining the hip pain club

[tollertwins]

total friggin’ bummer…

if you will have a pool around there is one ortho who has a book out on pool exercises to strengthen the muscles around the hip to support arthritic joints. he won’t do THR’s unless people have done the program for 6 weeks and not had an improvement.

and i don’t remember how old you are, but the prosthetics are lasting long enough now that some docs don’t mind doing THR’s on young people.

the guy that did me did dancers and sports professionals.

and Pam Goodrich (heap big dressage trainer) had both of hers done in her 20s and they are still going strong 25+ years later. and this was when the technology was not anywhere near what it is today.

mary lou retton had both of hers done in her mid 30’s…

[tollertwins]

oh - and one other thing i’ve found that helps, altho i can’t figure out why, is using Flector patches periodically.

it’s a topical anti-inflammatory, which you would think couldn’t get deep enough to help the hip joint, but it seems to for me.

[ironbessflint]

So sorry xhalt If you’re not already, get onto the “Young THR” group on facebook. And don’t wait until you’re “bad enough” for a THR, find a doc who will listen to you and do one now. I know of SO many people “not old enough” for a THR who are back to living their lives now. I’m sure you’re just crushed right now, but don’t give up!!

[Kyrabee]

I second ironbessflint’s post. They do replacements on youngish people all the time. The newer materials last longer and revision can be done if components wear out. My surgeon did a Superpath approach on a 30’s hockey player and had him back skating in 3 weeks (NOT actually playing hockey but skating).

Jingles for a resolution. You should certainly NOT have to sit on the sidelines until you are “old”.

Susan

[x-halt-salute]

Thanks for all of the support, folks!

I am waiting until my follow up appointment next week to really try to make sense of things, but it’s discouraging to say the least that last week’s surgery isn’t expected to have a positive impact. Had my pain been managable at all with NSAIDs or reasonable activity modification I wouldn’t have elected to have that surgery, so I’m not optimistic about the immediate future.

The real THR conversation will probably have to wait a couple of months until after I find a new doctor on the other end of my cross-country move. Fingers crossed that in Colorado I’ll have access to better PT, better facilities (e.g. a pool), and doctors who are willing to consider all the options for an early-30s patient. For now I guess all I can do is list the high impact activities I’m not willing to give up forever and see what the doctor says about pain management. If it’s just me and a bottle of Advil for a while (and perhaps some of the things you’ve all shared with me that have helped with your own pain management), so be it.

[Simkie]

I wish my wonderful, amazing pain specialist was still in Colorado. She’s moved to Portland, sadly.

For pain, have you tried gabapentin?

Stem cell and platelet rich plasma are also used in people, with good results from what I understand. I can ask around about someone who uses those sorts of treatment modalities if you’re curious? Probably won’t be covered by insurance

You do have Brian White at Western Orthopedics in Denver (dude who did my surgery) and Philippon at Steadman in Vail. Philippon is one of THE hip guys in the country, and Brian White did a fellowship with him and is highly recommended by the clinic.

[tollertwins]

RE: the 'what are you willing to give up forever?" bit…I’ve fired a couple docs who think I should do nothing but activity modification.

It’s total h*ll to watch your life contract.

I told my old primary care doc about this attitude - and she just gave me a look and said ‘yeah - and you could get hit by a bus tomorrow, too! find another doc!’…

Simkie - I’m not sure tat Philippon or any of his protege’s do THR…I think that most of them focus on arthroscopic repair…

[tollertwins]

PS x-halt.

ANYTHING that overworks your quads will cause pain if the labrum is still causing any issues - over and above impact type stuff.

Treadmill can be a b*tch, because it can drag at your foot, and cycling grinds the joint. Apparently ‘hip sparing’ exercise is stuff like elliptical. MAYBE swimming…it is easy on the joint but still hurts the labral tear.

This is one reason that the FAI fix stuff is helping me out - it is focusing more on getting the glutes to fire properly.

[Simkie]

The Steadman clinic does indeed do total hip. Here’s a page from their site:

http://thesteadmanclinic.com/hip/treat.asp

So does Brian White:

http://www.western-ortho.com/Our-Physicians/Dr-White.aspx

[tollertwins]

AH! both the phillipon trained guys i have gone to do sports med. type stuff only…

[x-halt-salute]

I can’t thank you guys enough.

Simkie, your info about what awaits on the other end of my move is invaluable. I really appreciate your willingness to share a bit about your experiences with horses and hip doctors in my new home town! I will ask my current doctor about gabapentin – I’ve only heard of it in neuro contexts, and didn’t realize it had more general pain relief uses. I don’t have the funds to go too far afield from what insurance will cover, unfortunately. My medical emergency funds have all gone to vet bills, with nothing left over for human medicine!

tollertwins, I am still planning to try that FAI fix program, though I’m not quite far enough post-op to give it a whirl yet. I’ve been clued in to posterior chain strengthening for a long while, so the quad overstrengthening issue is on my radar. I hear you about the hell of watching your life contract. I was looking forward to moving “home” and picking back up a lifestyle that involves a lot of outdoor activities, and it’s frustrating to know that some of what I was looking forward to will be painful and perhaps prohibitively so.

I’ll post an update once I have a chance to talk to my doc.

[Invested1]

Haven’t been on the COTH in months so sorry to have not chimed in!
Lump me into the double hip surgery/wish I hadn’t done it crew. :sigh:

[QUOTE=Simkie;8404704]

For pain, have you tried gabapentin?[/QUOTE]
Whoa, really? I’m on that for sleep problems. If it actually helps with pain, I’d better not ever get off it as my pain is pretty solid taking it every night.

[Laurierace]

[QUOTE=Invested1;8405792]
Haven’t been on the COTH in months so sorry to have not chimed in!
Lump me into the double hip surgery/wish I hadn’t done it crew. :sigh:

/QUOTE]

So sorry to hear that since I feel like it was you and Simkie who “saved me” from my never ending pain.

[Simkie]

@Invested1;8405792

Haven’t been on the COTH in months so sorry to have not chimed in!
Lump me into the double hip surgery/wish I hadn’t done it crew. :sigh:

Awwwwwwwww

Whoa, really? I’m on that for sleep problems. If it actually helps with pain, I’d better not ever get off it as my pain is pretty solid taking it every night.

Yep. I spent a year on 300 mg gabapentin TID prior to surgery (plus Lortab 10/325 TID.) Back on gabapentin now You get over the sleepy/dizziness with it in a day or two (or I did) and titrate up. Maybe you can try more for your pain? Docs like to prescribe it because it’s generally pretty effective and isn’t a narcotic.

(And treating my borderline hypothyroidism FIXED my sleep issues. Like, totally. Have you investigated that possibility? Was a serious game changer for me.)

[tollertwins]

wow!! my brother was on gaba for awhile and never got over the sleepies…i saw him fall asleep on his laptop keyboard more than once!

[Invested1]

[QUOTE=Laurierace;8405868]

[QUOTE=Invested1;8405792]Haven’t been on the COTH in months so sorry to have not chimed in!
Lump me into the double hip surgery/wish I hadn’t done it crew. :sigh:

/QUOTE]

So sorry to hear that since I feel like it was you and Simkie who “saved me” from my never ending pain.[/QUOTE]

Yah, mine still bother me. A lot. (am icing as we speak!). I picked up Crossfit a few months ago hoping that I can strengthen up the muscles around my hips. I have a lot of piriformus (sp?) issues now too that I never had pre-surgery.

[Invested1]

[QUOTE=Simkie;8406111]
Awwwwwwwww

Yep. I spent a year on 300 mg gabapentin TID prior to surgery (plus Lortab 10/325 TID.) Back on gabapentin now You get over the sleepy/dizziness with it in a day or two (or I did) and titrate up. Maybe you can try more for your pain? Docs like to prescribe it because it’s generally pretty effective and isn’t a narcotic.

(And treating my borderline hypothyroidism FIXED my sleep issues. Like, totally. Have you investigated that possibility? Was a serious game changer for me.)[/QUOTE]

Hah, I take 900mg a night for massive sleep issues (and still have a lot of pain!).

I had my thyroid checked a couple years ago and all was fine.

[Laurierace]

[QUOTE=Invested1;8406838]

[QUOTE=Laurierace;8405868]

Yah, mine still bother me. A lot. (am icing as we speak!). I picked up Crossfit a few months ago hoping that I can strengthen up the muscles around my hips. I have a lot of piriformus (sp?) issues now too that I never had pre-surgery.[/QUOTE]

I had my piraformus and ishial bursa injected this summer and that finally got me over the hump.

[Invested1]

[QUOTE=Laurierace;8407042]

[QUOTE=Invested1;8406838]

I had my piraformus and ishial bursa injected this summer and that finally got me over the hump.[/QUOTE]

Hummm, interesting!

[Laurierace]

They made a world of difference. They do both under ultrasound guidance. It was funny because the doctor says “Wow, that is a lot bigger than I expected” when he first visualized it and I was like, did you just call me fat?!? Piraformus helped big time but the ischial bursa injection put out the rest of the fire so to speak.