update
I am riding in the close contact saddle as much as I ever did, just riding in a half seat or two point when I need a break.
I feel whole again.:yes:
New saddle next week!
X-rays?
I was diagnosed with hip bursitis–which actually was bone-on-bone osteroarthritis in the hip joint. It’s been awhile since you started this thread. If you haven’t had your hip X-rayed–perhaps you need to nudge your doc. If, by chance, the bearing surfaces are damaged, the whole joint will stiffen with time because the muscles atrophy. A clue is if putting your socks on is difficult.
I had my hip resurfaced in 2006 and have ridden as much and as often as I wanted since. No silly young stock and no jumping–other than that, go for it.
Hope that the new saddle does the trick.
Cheers:
[QUOTE=ssharonec;5668757]
I was diagnosed with hip bursitis–which actually was bone-on-bone osteroarthritis in the hip joint. It’s been awhile since you started this thread. If you haven’t had your hip X-rayed–perhaps you need to nudge your doc. If, by chance, the bearing surfaces are damaged, the whole joint will stiffen with time because the muscles atrophy. A clue is if putting your socks on is difficult.
I had my hip resurfaced in 2006 and have ridden as much and as often as I wanted since. No silly young stock and no jumping–other than that, go for it.
Hope that the new saddle does the trick.
Cheers:[/QUOTE]
Wow, that is great that there was a surgical fix. But did you actually have bursitis, or was it really osteoarthritis? Was the bursitis a side effect of the joint problem?
I did have my hips x-rayed when I first went to the ortho doc for this problem. I also had the PT do the arthritis test and both tests were negative for arthritis. I was surprised to see that the joints looked as smooth as cue balls. However, since starting treatment, it seems like every borderline arthritic joint is creakier–my feet, my shoulders, my thumbs, etc. So perhaps I should ask for another x-ray. I’m due to go in this Wednesday.
In the meantime, I have continued to ride with not much additional pain. I call it a good day if I can walk the dogs, ride, and sleep through the night.
I had an interesting experience with a rental car the other day. It was a Dodge Charger. Not only were the new car fumes almost toxic, the seats were so cheap and uncomfortable, that after two days, we traded the car in for another make and model. It is counterintuitive that a softer seat would mean more irritation in the joint, but it does. It has really been true with the saddle.
“bursitis” was really osteoarthritis
My experience was they jump to bursitis, give you a cortisone shot for it, and assume if you don’t come back–it was bursitis. There are special views to get good hip films–frog leg position, etc.
I found that icing the hip for 15-20 minutes with a big gel pack or a large bag of frozen peas after exercise helped draw the inflammation out of the area. Hot baths also tend to make the joint tender, because they draw the inflammation closer to the surface. Hope your ortho can help you on Wednesday.
SEC
Reading through these posts, no one has mentioned supplements. We do them for our horses, why not for ourselves! I’ve had moderate arthritis in my hips since my late 20s (confirmed by xray). I have been on gloucosamine/chrondroitan for the last decade or more. I limp without it. I also take apple pectin capsules. I am fairly sound on that combination. A few years back I got a QH who is the eqivilant of an Angus steer. His wide back brought back all the aching. I bumped up my gloucosamine/chroindrointan with HA, and I’m sound again. 
After my hip surgery, my doctor recommended Osteo Bi-Flex. I’m not sure that it helps a lot, but I figure it’s hurting nothing besides my wallet.
I have been taking joint supplements for around ten years. I wouldn’t miss a day!
Also, I have been icing more efficiently lately by wearing bicycle shorts and putting the ice packs under the shorts. It puts pressure on the ice pack and intensifies the cold. I swear it’s helping reduce the inflammation so I can sleep. Sounds weird but it works!
update
I am thrilled to report that I am back riding as much as I ever did, cantering, sitting the trot, etc. Not only that, but I am sleeping through the night and not having to wake up to ice or take ibuprofen. I would not say that I am bursitis free, but so many of the symptoms are under control, that it’s like a background noise that I am only dimly aware of.
Here’s everything I know about hip bursitis and riding:
Cortisone shots help, but are not a cure. Because the joint itself is not injected, you can safely get them every three months, according to my ortho MD.
Between Pilates, stretching, physical therapy, and chiropractic, a combination of stretching and Pilates have been the most helpful in stabilizing the hip joints and decreasing the irritation of the bursa.
Riding in a saddle that allows you to close your hip angle, such as a close contact or all-purpose, relieves the stress on the hip joints–a lot.
Daily TENS treatment decreases the inflammation and relieves pain.
Putting on a cheap pair of bicycle shorts and actually inserting the ice packs in the shorts sounds weird but it greatly increases the effectiveness of the ice treatment. I got the idea from reading about this weight loss method. It has really made a difference!
Not sure about the fat reduction, though.
That’s my story so far. Did I say how thrilled I am to be riding my horse and no longer thinking I would have to sell him and quit riding for good?
