Riding with Chronic Hip Pain

[FatCatFarm]

I turn 53 next month and I’m certain a left hip replacement is in my future, probably followed by the right. It’s gone from intermittently bothering me to a near constant dull ache that is mostly tolerable but bothersome. I started back jumping this year and while I love it, I think that has aggravated it. Sometimes riding actually seems to loosen things up and I feel better when I get off, but especially pushing with that leg to move my horse around my inside leg, seems to also tweak it.

Bad knees and hips are a gift from my Mom it seems as she’s had both knees replaced and now a hip. Both brothers have bad knees. That and being active and an equestrian including numerous unplanned dismounts over the years, seems to be catching up to me.

Debating if I should continue jumping – I low level event with a promising and fun young horse. Still, I have a fear that one bad fall on that hip and that eventual hip replacement will be moved way up on the calendar. I have also noticed that in the winter when I ride less, the stability of my left hip worsens and it will occasionally attempt to sublux if I move the wrong way, i.e. lift out of the car seat pelvis first to exit rather than sling a leg over.

So I won’t be giving up riding by any means, but I may be giving up jumping. I’ve been resisting committing completely to dressage for a couple of years now as I get bored by it.

Anyone else deal with chronic hip pain? Have you found that certain exercises or stretching helps? I’ve found that bending over and stretching good helps untighten my lower back which then helps with the hips some. Hydrotherapy - stretching in the shower under a good hot spray also helps.

[atlatl]

My left hip is my weak link. I take glucosomine daily, ice my hip whenever, and really try to stay mobile because it actually feels better after I move. I also have an inversion table and find that it helps stretch things out too. Taking it to the next level, I’m going next week to get my hip injected.

Also, I’ve got a new set of stretches for my adductors on that leg; think sideways lunge with the gimpy leg on a mounting block.

Good luck!

[Zu_Zu]

until Dr. is involved … never underestimate the value of ICING
while sitting and even over night … an ice pack placed under or on your hip will help (every night)
also
some days with consistent Tylenol to knock down the inflammation…
make sure you are wearing comfortable shoes / that can throw off your gait and cause havoc with sore hips …

I have found once sore it takes a few weeks to get calmed down
Riding actually helps me
it’s the lifting … that causes my hip soreness
water buckets
hay bales
remaining in strange positions too long - wrapping horse legs

Good Luck ~ try not to worry about it - be proactive in knocking down the inflammation …
and
No never give up riding !

Jingles & AO ~

[FatCatFarm]

I’ll have to try icing. NSAIDS help some. Yes, lifting something really heavy like hay bales will get it talking. Also the jarring that sometimes happens with jumping and pushing with my left leg to move my horse’s shoulder around. One of my horses has a really big, bouncy, crow hoppy canter when he’s fresh and that doesn’t help. Otherwise though, I can climb in and out of the bed of my truck, even jump down; mount and dismount without problem. Something about the adduction movement it seems.

[streamline]

Ice! Tylenol! Lots of water. Just being active I think helps.

I worked for someone who was in her late 60s… jumping 1.20+ and ended up having both knees replaced and was back on a horse in probably less than the recommend time… I know she did a ton of fitness/stretching etc outside of riding.

Getting off a horse hurts me. My hip locks up so my first few steps off a horse is painful to watch. Not sure if it has something to do with the fact I’m extremely pigeon toed. I don’t think anything in my body is aligned correctly.

[x]

When I had hip pain when riding, I went to see a Dr. Arthritis in the hip. Initially we did injections, and then replaced the hip. Now with new hip no pain and I am able to go back jumping. FWIW, I was young for a hip replacement–45–but it was worth doing.

[MissAriel]

I have just turned 50 and I’ve been having some periodic left hip pain with increasing frequency and intensity for about a year. I just started working with a physiotherapist who is a rider herself and works with lots of riders on riding specific issues.

My hip was very locked and most of the issue is in my piriformis. She did some body work and recommended daily foam roller and stretches. Also, since I sit at a desk 8 hours a day, she recommended I move around more during the day and make sure I am not crossing my legs while I sit.

I will give this a go for a while and if I reach a point where the piriformis issues are better and I am still in pain I will see about going to an orthopedist and checking for arthritis.

[FatCatFarm]

I haven’t seen anyone about mine yet. My BIL who is an orthopedic PA diagnosed it as bursitis based on symptoms and I agree it fits but I also suspect underlying arthritis. The boughts of bursitis are increasing in frequency.

[downen]

I’ve had hip pain since my 20s (and xrays documenting moderate OA) and had resigned myself to a life of discomfort and a hip replacement, which I would like to put off as long as possible, or forever, since surgery poses special risks for me due to Adrenal Insufficiency.

I’ve been on joint supplements forever, and the one that works consistently for me is Recovery by Purica. I also have my horses on the equine version, and I’ve seen in perform wonders on older horses. I order mine from Canada for the best price.

The other thing that I consider nothing short of a miracle was wearing an SI belt. I learned about it on this forum and it has been life-changing. I wear it any time I’m on my feet for a while, and sometimes at night if I wake up with an achy hip. I don’t ride much any more, but the last time I did I wore the belt and was pain-free after. I haven’t taken NSAIDs for hip pain for over a year now, and I’m virtually hip pain free 98% or more of the time. I’m not saying it will work for you, but at under $25, it’s worth a shot. Just google it on Amazon or PM me for a link.

For reference, I’m 58 and have been riding since age 12.

Best of luck for feeling better!

[mswillie]

My right hip started giving me problems about 7 years ago give or take. Woke me up at 2AM like clockwork with moderate pain. I was having a hard time getting on my horse, so much so I could barely throw my right leg over and stretching only went so far. I couldn’t stand being in the saddle longer than an hour or so before my hip started screaming at me.

On the advice of a friend I started taking GNC Triflex. I’m a born and bred skeptic, but I gave it a 6 week trial. I’ll be damned if it doesn’t work. Improvement was gradual but after about 5 weeks I realized that I was no longer waking up in the middle of the night. It took another couple months and again I realized that I was able to mount without feeling like I was going to fall flat on my face.

I even stopped taking it for a couple weeks (to see if it was a coincidence) and the pain came back. I’m 100% sold and it’s a part of my daily regimen. You could probably find the same ingredients less expensively but I’m also a believer in “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it”. It’s a little pricey but as far as I’m concerned it’d be cheap at twice the price. At my age I have some aches and pains but nothing I can’t live (and ride) with.

I’ll be 60 in September and have ridden on and off since I was about 14. I’m the perpetual advanced beginner.

[jawa]

I would get an appointment with a doctor and get whatever imaging you need so they can make a firm diagnosis.

There are other NSAIDS out there that might give you more relief than what you are currently using. I have OA in my hands and lots of other places and have reduced disc space in my neck and in my lumbar vertebra. Changing medication has helped tremendously. This particular med, I can take twice a day if needed, but so far (knocks on wood) I have only needed to take it once a day.

Once you have a diagnosis, you may find that some PT can help keep that hip in less pain. Especially during the winter when you ride less.

Question about the pain due to jumping: Do you feel like it is saddle related? i.e. the way your leg is longer in dressage than jumping? Have you tried different saddles to see if that would make a difference?

Also, if you cross post in Riders with Health Issues you may get a few more tips.

[FatCatFarm]

Plain films in the past have shown nothing so I would likely need a CT or MRI and right now, I’m not interested in forking over the out of pocket for those tests. I’m sure my mind will change when things eventually worsen. Thanks for the suggestion of the SI belt and supplements. Will definitely look into those.

I have 3 different saddles and it’s not a saddle issue. I think this recent episode of pain started a couple of weeks ago when my horse unexpectedly bunny hopped a jump and nearly popped me out of the tack. I’ve noticed soreness doing dressage when I’m really pushing with my left leg, adducting the the thigh and hip to push my horse around the inside leg. Or like this past Saturday, when my other horse was crow hopping a bit when first asked to canter. I can trail ride in all three of my saddles and don’t have any discomfort.

[MissAriel]

@FatCatFarm

I haven’t seen anyone about mine yet. My BIL who is an orthopedic PA diagnosed it as bursitis based on symptoms and I agree it fits but I also suspect underlying arthritis. The boughts of bursitis are increasing in frequency.

My physiotherapist first thought bursitis too, until she started feeling around for where the pain really was.

[CWNSF]

I’m in my mid-20s but had arthroscopic surgery 2 years ago for a labral tear with impingement. At first, I thought I had just tweaked something and pushed through gradually increasing pain for months until I was taking Advil multiple times daily and woke up hobbling like an old lady. Then I had the diagnostics done and the surgery. Even with the surgery, I will still get stiff, dull pain when I’ve been stagnant for too long.

What’s helped the most is strength training, specifically the abs/core, hamstrings, and adductor muscles. When I’m doing that regularly I have almost no pain. Stretching my TFL also helps.

When I haven’t been doing the above, I’ve found Aleve to be wayyyy more effective than Advil or Tylenol for this specific pain.

Hip pain sucks OP - hang in there!!

[Simkie]

There’s a long thread in the riders with health problems forum about dealing with labral tears. Quite a few of us have them! If your radiographs are clear, a labral tear is a possibility.

Repairing or reconstructing the labrum is possible, and that works for some people. I had a reconstruction and am in more pain now. I ride a little–a saddle with a narrow twist is pretty vital. I also see a massage guy every few weeks. There’s so much dysfunction in how I move with my messed up hips and he keeps those weird muscular imbalances from building into bigger pain. Highly recommend finding someone like that–can be a good medical massage person, or a dry needler, or a chiro, or a trigger point person–just whoever is good at that stuff near you.

[FatCatFarm]

I don’t think it’s a labral tear. The symptoms don’t quite match. I have full range of motion; no catching. It’s in the greater trochanter area hence the thinking it is bursitis, probably with underlying developing arthritis. My dressage saddle does have a narrow twist. Also, I can’t sleep on that side, period. The right, I can sleep on some but definitely not the left. Mostly I sleep on my back.

[Simkie]

@FatCatFarm

I don’t think it’s a labral tear. The symptoms don’t quite match. I have full range of motion; no catching. It’s in the greater trochanter area hence the thinking it is bursitis, probably with underlying developing arthritis. My dressage saddle does have a narrow twist. Also, I can’t sleep on that side, period. The right, I can sleep on some but definitely not the left. Mostly I sleep on my back.

Yep, I had great range of motion, too, and a lot of trochanter pain. My labrum was a mess!

Arthritis is generally (always?) seen on radiographs. With your level of pain, it should be pretty apparent in the films. That your rads are clear is suggestive of something else :yes:

Getting some steroid and anesthetic into that trochanter bursa would be a great place to start for you, though! I did that a couple times before I went to surgery. Always helped for awhile.

[FatCatFarm]

Well, it’s been a while since I had any rads. I’m sure plain films are where we’ll start if I decide to go down the rabbit hole with this. Right now trying NSAIDS but Aleve and Advil are only taking it down a notch, but not eliminating it. I may just need to give myself a break and not do anything to aggravate it until I’m over the pain hump. I’ve just been pushing through still jumping and still doing my dressage work.

[Simkie]

A lidocaine patch might be worth a shot. They don’t really work for hip JOINT pain, but for the trochanter…? Maybe! They’re OTC now

When I over do it, I stack Aleve and Tylenol. You can use them together (or Tylenol with another NSAID like Advil.) Just watch your stomach.

[hoopoe]

certainly a diagnostic work up is in order before getting to far down any road

Thought I was having hip issues, but it turns out the issue is on the inside of the pelvis with the muscles of pelvic floor.

Need a urogynocologist to diagnose that one.