Riding with Chronic Hip Pain

[Bluey]

@x-halt-salute

Given the history you’ve shared in other threads, I’d be amazed if you’ve got some spontaneous improvement happening that just happens to coincide with injection timing. Bluey’s alternative causal reasoning would require one hell of a coincidence in your situation, from what you’ve shared!

From the research standpoint, nearly all of the available treatments in medicine moved at some point in their histories from being hypotheses, to being deemed plausible through in vitro studies or animal model experimentation, to being experimented with in vivo, before being accepted as reliable. PRP for hip pain might not be at that last stage, but just in the last 2 years research is starting to appear in press that shows significant positive results in controlled, double-blind studies. Until we have enough of that kind of evidence to flesh out our understanding of the treatment, the experiences of people like Simkie – including self-reported pain relief – are important for individual decisions about whether treatments considered to be experimental are worth trying. Hospitals and insurers, of course, will be more concerned about the aggregate, but some individuals have motivations to explore all avenues with potential for a good outcome.

This is not unlike veterinary medicine, in that when all well-researched options fail, some are willing to try more experimental treatments based on small-n studies or anecdotal information. But IMO it is unlike crazy horse people throwing their money away on dubious interventions in that Simkie can simply tell me about the pain relief she got from PRP and the case history behind her situation, and I’m not forced to have a vet student jog her across a parking lot on her known-to-be-impaired joints while one or two people squint at her and make subjective judgments about the degree to which her gait has improved, and then filter that information through one or two other people, before using it to inform a perspective on the treatment.

I’d be delighted to be in a position to try PRP, given that the more widely accepted alternative is to cope with a lot of pain and watch my life contract as activities I enjoy become difficult or impossible for a few decades between now and when I’d be eligible for THR.

That is where I am now, have severe asthma and only one functional lung and Dr wants me to try biologicals to try to preserve as much function as we may.
At my old age and #30,000 to $40,000 a year for monthly injections, for a still kind of experimental treatment?

Knowledge is gaining by leaps and bounds, but is it there yet, where we really know with so much new out there what we are doing?
We still don’t know enough about biological processes themselves to do more than guess at so much of it we are just learning about and trying.

Very happy when we hear some seemed to help someone, that gives hope we are on the right track.
We are not yet with so much of those therapies to say we know all we need to about how it is working.

I think all this should give pause and deserves questioning and a second and third thought, is all I am saying.

[Simkie]

@Bluey

As you say, I don’t know your history and if I did, I still would not be able or willing to comment on it directly, not being a doctor.

My point was, we really can’t be that sure with those processes to insist, when others had different results, that it will work.
Medicine doesn’t work like that sometimes, that’s all.

Glad is working so well for you, something to consider for those with similar problems and wondering if they may want to go there.

And yet you totally commented on my history.

Dude, it’s wholly inappropriate and exceedingly offensive for you to tell me that I don’t know if a treatment worked. Don’t you DARE tell me that something else could have mitigated my pain. You don’t know my history, you don’t know my pain, you don’t know my treatments. You can speak in generalities all you want but that’s not at all what you said.

Do you say things like that to your in real life friends? Do they still talk to you? I doubt I would, so if they do, you might want to thank them, and apologize.

@x-halt-salute

Simkie can simply tell me about the pain relief she got from PRP and the case history behind her situation, and I’m not forced to have a vet student jog her across a parking lot on her known-to-be-impaired joints while one or two people squint at her and make subjective judgments about the degree to which her gait has improved, and then filter that information through one or two other people, before using it to inform a perspective on the treatment.

:lol: :lol: :lol:

Oh, I’d totally bite and kick and balk. Would be hard to make any determinations.

”‹”‹”‹”‹

[Bluey]

@Simkie

And yet you totally commented on my history.

Dude, it’s wholly inappropriate and exceedingly offensive for you to tell me that I don’t know if a treatment worked. Don’t you DARE tell me that something else could have mitigated my pain. You don’t know my history, you don’t know my pain, you don’t know my treatments. You can speak in generalities all you want but that’s not at all what you said.

Do you say things like that to your in real life friends? Do they still talk to you? I doubt I would, so if they do, you might want to thank them, and apologize.

:lol: :lol: :lol:

Oh, I’d totally bite and kick and balk. Would be hard to make any determinations.

”‹”‹”‹”‹

No and if you just want someone to fight with, sorry, I won’t.

I was talking in general about the more experimental processes.

[mula]

Well, this is my story. I had a hip replcement in the 90s and was back riding within 6 months. I even tried riding Side Saddle before I had it replaced!. (Well, now I can ride Side Saddle on the right horse).
I had a second hip replacement on my other hip tweive years later.
I am 65 yaers old now and almost ready to get back in the saddle. Then I broke my back and pelvis last Fall to top of it all off. You talk about pain! That was worse than the hip pain!
If your doctor has told you to get a hip replacement, get it done! The pain is not worth doing otherwise and you will thank me for this post.
Take your calcium and vitamin D because I have been diagnosed with Osteropenia. Typical for women over 50.

Smokey Everheart was who inspired me to learn Side Saddle because I thought I would never ride again. He had major hip problems.
http://middleburglife.com/wp-content…mpers-2016.jpg

[atlatl]

Another friend with chronic pain suggested a book called “You are the Placebo.” I haven’t read it, but will share that when my nerve pain was at its worst, I was doing gabapentin, NSAIDs, inversion, massage, PT, pilates, and acupuncture all at the same time but not simultaneously. :lol: that’s quite an image!

As I told my MD, I’m not running a scientific study, I just want to feel better. I’m doing better now, still can’t swing my right leg over a horse in one movement, but stretching seems to be helping that. Honestly, I don’t know which of the barrage of things I did helped and don’t care. I was actually considering PRP or stem cell if I hadn’t started feeling better after 1 year of misery, and would have done it in a heartbeat.

Who know what works on whom under what conditions? Why do you think they call it “practicing” medicine!

[TMares]

X halt salute why can’t you get a THR now? Is it warranted? A friend had one at age 32 and 20 years later it’s still serving him well (yes it will have to be redone but not yet).

[mbd]

Please check out resurfacing. Lots of opinions out there but it gave me my life, riding, running, etc., I was bone on bone at 50 due to a genetic defect. The pain level was impressive and I had to scale back a lot of activities; quit running and hockey. (Never quit riding but I’m telling you it was special …)

Dr. Thomas Gross is THE MAN. One hip done at 51, the second at 52, and I haven’t looked back. I have zero restrictions, zero pain, and will never have to have it re-done.

It’s not a common procedure, only a few doctors in the US do it. Most ortho docs don’t know much about it so usually don’t have anything good to say.

I’m happy to answer questions, here or PM.

YMMV

[Simkie]

@mbd

Please check out resurfacing. Lots of opinions out there but it gave me my life, riding, running, etc., I was bone on bone at 50 due to a genetic defect. The pain level was impressive and I had to scale back a lot of activities; quit running and hockey. (Never quit riding but I’m telling you it was special …)

Dr. Thomas Gross is THE MAN. One hip done at 51, the second at 52, and I haven’t looked back. I have zero restrictions, zero pain, and will never have to have it re-done.

It’s not a common procedure, only a few doctors in the US do it. Most ortho docs don’t know much about it so usually don’t have anything good to say.

I’m happy to answer questions, here or PM.

YMMV

Most women don’t have the femur size for resurfacing. The implants for most women are no longer being manufactured due to the risk of femur neck fractures.

[mbd]

@Simkie

Most women don’t have the femur size for resurfacing. The implants for most women are no longer being manufactured due to the risk of femur neck fractures.

Yeah, that was a conversation the surgeon and I had on the second one, He could still get them (4 years ago) but I had to sign a pile of documents I was aware of the risk of failure. I’m 5’5”, small frame (size 4-6) so it was a concern. Believe me I followed the post-op protocols religiously.

I’m lucky in that I lay down good clean bone quickly and both are in excellent shape.

When I had the second one done in 2014 the surgeon had only ever had one femur neck fracture and that was a very large man who didn’t follow the protocols. Like I said, YMMV.

[Simkie]

@mbd

Yeah, that was a conversation the surgeon and I had on the second one, He could still get them (4 years ago) but I had to sign a pile of documents I was aware of the risk of failure. I’m 5’5”, small frame (size 4-6) so it was a concern. Believe me I followed the post-op protocols religiously.

I’m lucky in that I lay down good clean bone quickly and both are in excellent shape.

When I had the second one done in 2014 the surgeon had only ever had one femur neck fracture and that was a very large man who didn’t follow the protocols. Like I said, YMMV.

It’s my understanding–from research, discussion with my docs, and what others have reporting in my various hip groups–that the implants are no longer available. The FDA has recalled them, the manufacturers are no longer producing them, and the procedure is simply not available for most women (and smaller men) due to the lack of implants in a suitable size.

What sort of implant do you have? I don’t think I’ve seen anything about ANY of them lasting forever, and IIRC, they are all metal on metal? Metal on metal implants are certainly not without their own risks From what I’ve heard, taking a resurfaced hip to a THR is also a pretty challenging procedure.

That is very excellent that it worked so well for you, though. I hope that they’re able to figure out the pitfalls and bring resurfacing back to the market, because it sure is a compelling idea. Something that sure sounds like it should work, but somehow just didn’t very well for a whole lot of people

[FatCatFarm]

After this weekend, I’m questioning my sanity about continuing to bother with jumping even more. Sunday was beautiful here with much lower humidity so I jumped one horse through a couple of low gymnastics. This guy lawn darted me two years ago and when he doesn’t feel like working and using himself, his go to move is to semi-buck over a jump in an attempt to pop you out of the tack and then loosen you from the saddle, as on landing, he dives onto his forehand and bolts away. Fortunately, I’m a better rider than two years ago, and rode through it, but it wasn’t fun. Grrr!

Then I decided take a relaxed hack on one of my other horses, who is a sweetheart. There was a pinetree down across one trail, creating a inviting low jump, maybe all of 2ft, 2ft3". He jumped it going out without issue; coming back, he jumped it beautifully, but upon landing either slipped on pinestraw our caught a front hoof with a hind, but fell to both knees on front, spinning me off to the right, where of course I landed on my upper left hip and shoulder. Better than completely on my side, and fortunately not from high up off his 17hd self, but I still thunked down. Dammit! He was perfectly fine and the short walk of shame back to the barn was no big deal but I knew I was going to be sore.

So, I’m back to combining Ibuprofen with Tylenol and walking a tad stiffly.

Makes me wonder how Denny Emerson and Beezie Madden still do it so regularly. Of course, that is part of it, they do it regularly. Beezie, I suspect is not out there riding the greenies either, but takes the ride only once a horse reaches a certain level of competence over those big oxers. Denny looks to be out there everyday and isn’t restricted to riding after work and on weekends.

[x-halt-salute]

@FatCatFarm

So, I’m back to combining Ibuprofen with Tylenol and walking a tad stiffly.

Makes me wonder how Denny Emerson and Beezie Madden still do it so regularly. Of course, that is part of it, they do it regularly. Beezie, I suspect is not out there riding the greenies either, but takes the ride only once a horse reaches a certain level of competence over those big oxers. Denny looks to be out there everyday and isn’t restricted to riding after work and on weekends.

Ouch! Sorry you’re hurting. If you’ve got bursitis going on I could imagine any side impact is pretty uncomfortable.

I’m guessing that a better lot in the genetic lottery plays into riding longevity (vs. those of us who develop OA by age 30, or have body parts that predispose us to the kinds of mechanics that create problems like bursitis). And probably a certain amount of conditioning, responsiveness to their own bodies/early intervention when things do go wrong, and just plain luck in avoiding catastrophic injuries. Wish we all could be so lucky.

Are you planning to follow up with an MD about bursitis? It would be great if the primary source of your pain is something treatable.

@TMares, I’m not ready for THR quite yet anyway, but I’ve been told absolutely no THR until after menopause and preferably quite a bit later than that. I’m still working to find a doc who can offer more than OTC NSAIDs to make life manageable in the meantime, regardless of how long it will be before a hardware upgrade becomes necessary. Hence my interest in PRP.

[Laurierace]

X halt do you have a pain doc? I can’t imagine where I would be without mine. I have had more injections that the cheapest claimer ever would but it keeps me sort of going. Having an epidural on Friday and can’t wait.

[atlatl]

@Laurierace

X halt do you have a pain doc? I can’t imagine where I would be without mine. I have had more injections that the cheapest claimer ever would but it keeps me sort of going. Having an epidural on Friday and can’t wait.

Excellent point. Having access to real pain management is a big deal. Just had my bum hip injected today.

[stressgirl37]

I had ACL surgery 3 1/2 months ago and since then, my hip (same side as knee surgery) has been very sore. The physical therapist I worked with for knee PT felt it was inflammation of one of the muscles on the hip (sorry, can’t remember the name) and gave me an exercise to help. Stand next to a wall with sore hip on outside. Bend knees slightly and press your knee into the wall and hold for 30 seconds. Do this 2-3 times. It has helped me.

[x-halt-salute]

@Laurierace

X halt do you have a pain doc? I can’t imagine where I would be without mine. I have had more injections that the cheapest claimer ever would but it keeps me sort of going. Having an epidural on Friday and can’t wait.

Working on it! I’ve had bad insurance for a few years that limited my options, but am about to start a better job with better benefits, so fingers crossed I’ll be able to get a referral from the new primary care to see a pain doc.