Hip Injury

[jeremya13 0]

Going well for me. I got back on the ice about 5.5 months after the surgery. Noticed it a bit the first few weeks, but not bad. Totally pain free now 8 months post operation and a lot more rotation in the hip than I had for the last few years. Good luck.

[pittu 15]

Thanks for this thread jeremya13 and others. I am having some of the hip problems you guys described, but havent seen a doctor yet. What kind of doctor or rather how did you go about finding a doctor? Did you go to a general MD first then get referred or did you go directly to some kind of specialist?

Thanks

[TheProfessor 2]

I went to my general practice doc first. Tried some NSAIDs and steroids as treatment for tendinitis/strain. After that didn't work, he referred me to an orthopedic/sports medicine doc. From there I jumped around to 3 different ortho docs before getting a contrast MRI that found the labral tear.

[pittu 15]

Thanks Professor.

[jeremya13 0]

I went to an orthopedic specialist and he was able to diagnose the fai, but he referred me to a specialist to do the surgery. Apparently there are only two surgeons in my area that do the arthroscopy procedure. I think I really just got lucky getting to an ortho that knew this was an option

[STi 0]

I worked from home the first week and got around on crutches. Second week I was back to work on two crutches. Third week I was down to one crutch for about four days, although I probably didn't need it. I have been walking since then with no real trouble. I still have a small limp, but not due to pain. I was doing stationary bike in week three and elliptical starting week four pain free. Just got back from a four day vacation in las Vegas and did a ton of walking with no problems at all. After that I was in new York doing a ton of walking with no problems. I do still tend to get a little tired, but no pain. You should have no problem coming back by October. My pt has said that I should be able to start skating at week 10 post op since we are progressing well. Has the doctor told you what he is planning on doing during the surgery? Ostoeplasty

Osteoplasty, labral repair, etc?

This nearly exactly mirrors my experience.

I'm 26 and had the surgery on the 16th of september, and just skated for the first time today. If anyone is considering this surgery, make sure it's with a good surgeon. Mine was Dr. Kevin Murphy, in Jacksonville, FL. Guy was the chief orthopedic consultant to the white house/pentagon, and was the head of orthopedic surgery for walter reed, so I lucked out that he was in town. Can't say enough about the job he did. The procedure is fairly new by medical standards, so try and get someone that's done a lot of these procedures. Philippon in Vail, CO is also one of the best, and he actually did Kesler's this summer. Mine involved repairing the labrum using sutures, osteoplasty, chondroplasty, and a few other medical words I am totally forgetting at the moment.

Anyway, I had some ups and downs in rehab, but you should see an improvement immediately. I walked about a quarter mile the day I got home using crutches and used them off and on for 2-3 weeks. I was on pain meds for only the first few days, and NSAIDS for the first week or so. You'll find that you may have some other things flare up, like lower back or hip flexor tendinitis, so listen to your body. It's a tough area to deal with, because you're nearly always using it in some capacity, and everything works together. One problem in the hip or lower back can involve the groin, abdomen, etc. My main regret is not pushing it a little harder than I did. The minute I started doing jogging and tougher things at rehab, the better I felt afterward. I was mostly worried about not having to do all this shit again, so I probably took it easier than I needed to. Be diligent and do your rehab exercises at home.

It seems like some doctors have differing opinions on how the rehab process is supposed to go. I was on the bike at the first rehab appointment. They discouraged stretching until 4-6 weeks? in, but once they say you can, take advantage of it. I only started doing this recently, and I regret not doing it earlier. I also found that ice baths are a huge help as well, almost instant relief. Ice in general is a necessity. Swimming helped me a ton, and I was swimming about 3 weeks in (whenever the portals heal). I was cleared to jog and skate this week, and I've been doing the slideboard and plyometrics in PT. Skating felt great, but I took it easy on doing transitions and backwards crossovers at speed. Tried a few mohawk turns and decided I'd be better of just "la-la" skating. My doctor's only warnings were to not get hit and not to really get too far into twisting and straining, so that was in the back of my mind.

There was a men's health thread linked here earlier, but I've found that it's mostly people complaining, and it'll only bring you down. Surgery sucks, and you'll have ups and downs in recovery, but that's normal. Expect pain, but not the pain you came in with.

Here's the inflammation he found when he got in there; all of that angry red stuff is not supposed to be there. Lovely:

[Vet88 673]

My hips ops (birmingham bilaterals) were in May. First week on crutches then threw them away as they were just a hassle. 3 months of recovery then started skating again. Another 4 months and I've got back to about 80% skating capability (training 4 times a week, 2 hours each session). Still working on reducing front hip flexor pain (front to back rotations really set this off) and getting full flexibility back from the side leg muscles they cut to get access to your hip joints. Accelerating hard from a standing start is still a work in progress and have lost 2 yards in pace over the length of the rink (which really sucks cause I used to be the quickest in our team). Each month things get easier and the pain reduces. Doc reckons up to a year to get back to pre op skate state, 2 yrs to be able to say definitely how successful the op was.

[pittu 15]

Thanks again for the posts. I am still in a holding pattern on seeing a DR about my hip problem. If I put it off long enough, maybe it will go away, lol....

What can I say, I'm a man...but I can change....if I have to..........I guess....

[jps39 0]

I just got the diagnosis of FAI with labral tear and both cam and pincer impingement. My Dr. Is so busy that i have to wait about 2 months for the surgery. I actually felt the labrum tear and then I really felt the pain. I had been dealing with general stiffness in the hip for years, and as I upped my skating and other activities, I guess it just had enough and had to give way. It's good to know that everyone has resumed skating. Has anyone been able to play at the level they were at before surgery even if it was low level rec league? I would love to get back to it, but with all the surgeries I've had from sport, it's starting to take it toll.

[Vet88 673]

I'm starting to get close to pre op skating ability again. It's taken nearly 5 months of hard work (9 months post op) and the recovery pain gets less each month. Upper leg strength whilst in a crouch and groin flexibility still need a lot of work but I can now get through daily 2 hour sessions without feeling I need to leave the rink in a wheelchair afterwards....

I missed national team selection last month but I wasn't far off at the trials. Given I had the most radical surgery you can have on your hips (bilateral birmingham hip replacement), anything else is doable.

Even if you give up sport, the problem doesn't go away. You really do need to get it done else you end up in my situation 10 or so years down the track..

[jeremya13 0]

I am back to normal. Probably hit normal at 9 month mark. Now I have better hip rotation than I have had for years due to the surgery and the fact that the joint isn't binding anymore. I have found that I need to be diligent about doing the strengthening exercises and leg strength work. You will feel like a million buckes once the labrum tear heals.

[jps39 0]

I am back to normal. Probably hit normal at 9 month mark. Now I have better hip rotation than I have had for years due to the surgery and the fact that the joint isn't binding anymore. I have found that I need to be diligent about doing the strengthening exercises and leg strength work. You will feel like a million buckes once the labrum tear heals.

That's good to know. Hopefully I'll be able to get back in my rec league at the end of the year.

I'm starting to get close to pre op skating ability again. It's taken nearly 5 months of hard work (9 months post op) and the recovery pain gets less each month. Upper leg strength whilst in a crouch and groin flexibility still need a lot of work but I can now get through daily 2 hour sessions without feeling I need to leave the rink in a wheelchair afterwards....

I missed national team selection last month but I wasn't far off at the trials. Given I had the most radical surgery you can have on your hips (bilateral birmingham hip replacement), anything else is doable.

Even if you give up sport, the problem doesn't go away. You really do need to get it done else you end up in my situation 10 or so years down the track..

If you don't mind me asking, how old you, and what was wrong with your hips that you had to undergo this measure to correct the problem?

[Vet88 673]

Early stage osteoarthritis was my problem, I could have waited till I got to a stage where I couldn't walk but decided to get the op done whilst I still had a good degree of mobility. Lots of research now supports the reasoning that untreated FAI has a high chance of leading to this disease. Both of my hips had impingements and during my late twenties I always had issues with groin pain when really pushing training hard, especially backward crossovers and lateral shifts when driving hard off the outside leg. I never got it properly looked at and the medical techniques were not available to me then. When the bone keeps smacking into the cartilage, something has to give. Now I'm back doing those exercises and a whole lot of others that I had shelved because I knew they would hurt, and am now relatively pain free. Still a front flexor niggle but that is reducing each month, the Dr said to me when you have abused a specific muscle group for over 10 years, it takes a little while for it to recover. You really do start to feel good when you can skate hard without pain...

[STi 0]

Back to full speed and strength, 4 months in. Only took 2 weeks (4 times playing) to feel as comfortable as I was before on it. I have some inflammation the next day after playing for 2 hours, but I can't complain.

Glad I opted for it.

[english15x 3]

How is everyone doing that has had the surgery?

I too am having hip complications. I went to a specialist before and they did an MRI. It seems no matter what I do I keep reinjuring my hip.

I have tried training, lost weight (wasn't very heavy to begin with), started a stretching regime.

The pain goes away but then something will happen and it will come back, very sharply.

I am 25 and have been having issues since probably 23.

[jps39 0]

It has been 17 months since my surgery and I have not gone back to playing in my rec league. I can honestly say this was a much tougher recovery than I thought it would be. Maybe because of my age (44), or a less than perfect rehab protocol, but either way I decided not to risk further injury to the operated hip. I did skate for the first time 6 months after surgery and I was very guarded. I helped coach my son's pewee team and there were times that I did ramp up my effort. I felt good for short bursts, but there was always some residual pain and I recognized that I started to compensate for the pain by stopping with my uninjured leg more so than normal. I still have the desire to try and skate again hard, but the realist in me knows that I would be setting myself up for more problems. I was never really good at hockey but the competitive instinct I have was really brought out when I was playing. I miss it and I still go back and forth on if I should try it again. Once this happens the bills roll in and I come back to reality-cant be taking off of work again for sports injuries. I now know why this is called hip preservation surgery.

I did have a H.S. football player that was a few weeks ahead of me in thearpy and he felt like this surgery was no big deal. This makes me think that the younger you are, the better off you may be with the results.

[TheProfessor 2]

Had the surgery and saw results for the first few months, but then all the pain came back and has persisted almost 2 years after the surgery. I also have some painful snapping/clicking since the surgery that I didn't have before (awesome). Hip surgeon now thinks I have a sports hernia and that the hip isn't causing the pain. Not too thrilled to have another surgery on a "maybe". Good luck to everyone here trying to get back on the ice.

[beerleaguecaptain 999]

Had the surgery and saw results for the first few months, but then all the pain came back and has persisted almost 2 years after the surgery. I also have some painful snapping/clicking since the surgery that I didn't have before (awesome). Hip surgeon now thinks I have a sports hernia and that the hip isn't causing the pain. Not too thrilled to have another surgery on a "maybe". Good luck to everyone here trying to get back on the ice.In May

In May I had a groin pull - at least I thought I did. Six months later it still hurts, I had my left hip and adductors checked out and I have an impingement in the left hip. I also think, based on symptoms I have a sports hernia as well. Probably caused by the impingement. Soo... now time to figure out what I do. Get surgery for the hernia or the hip of both. Ugh. This sucks.

[Law Goalie 147]

This is going to sound really, really obvious, but I would generally suggest putting a little time (and money, if need be) into getting checked out by a dedicated sports medicine clinic. One major difference between an active athlete (i.e. with staff trainers) and a lay athlete is the amount of attention to soft tissue issues; put simply, very few of us will go get a massage (pah, indulgence!) but every serious athlete will have several a week. Stretching plans are good (especially with foam rollers) but specific and thorough attention to tissue tightness and inflammation is something that few people really get, even after major surgery that is, speaking broadly, a gigantic assault on the body.

The other advantage to 'catching it early' is the hip resurfacing option, which is considerably less invasive than replacement.

[beerleaguecaptain 999]

This is going to sound really, really obvious, but I would generally suggest putting a little time (and money, if need be) into getting checked out by a dedicated sports medicine clinic. One major difference between an active athlete (i.e. with staff trainers) and a lay athlete is the amount of attention to soft tissue issues; put simply, very few of us will go get a massage (pah, indulgence!) but every serious athlete will have several a week. Stretching plans are good (especially with foam rollers) but specific and thorough attention to tissue tightness and inflammation is something that few people really get, even after major surgery that is, speaking broadly, a gigantic assault on the body.

The other advantage to 'catching it early' is the hip resurfacing option, which is considerably less invasive than replacement.

This is a road I have been down and I work with a medical group that treats the NY Islanders (even tho I am a Ranger fan!!). My hip surgeon has worked on many professional athletes and I am in good hands high him. The hernia surgeon I am seeing is in the same group but I need to do some due diligence there first.

As far as workouts and stretching go I am in the gym doing hip, adductor, abductor and core work 3 to 4x a week. I also stretch every single morning and I also use the foam roller rather religiously.

No need for a resurfacing. I have FAI. They shave down the head of the femur to make sure it fits. Different issue.

I see the hernia doc tomorrow. Then I will start to put together a plan of action.

[Law Goalie 147]

Meant more generally than specifically for you, DKM, but glad to hear things are progressing!

Just don't wear your Blueshirt in enemy territory, or you'll wake up with a stomach full of shoulders or a hundred ears sutured onto your back...

[beerleaguecaptain 999]

Well... interesting trip to surgeon. Says it is unlikely I have repairable sports hernia and if I do the odds of helping about equal the odds of hurting me worse so he doesn't want to go in. Its weird that being told you don't need surgery almost felt like bad news. You just kind of want to know what it is and fix it ya know? Well, so then deal is he says I just wait, and rest and heal. I probably have some small tearing or strain and I should just shut it down and relax. He says it could take weeks or it could take 6-8 months. Ugh!!!

[mojo122 529]

Most surgeons want to cut, so count your blessings that (as of this moment) you don't need surgery. See what results you get from some downtime and go from there. My philosophy (and not necessarily sound) is I continue to play and cope with the pain afterwards. When my downtime comes I'll get this body rebuilt. :)

[beerleaguecaptain 999]

Most surgeons want to cut, so count your blessings that (as of this moment) you don't need surgery. See what results you get from some downtime and go from there. My philosophy (and not necessarily sound) is I continue to play and cope with the pain afterwards. When my downtime comes I'll get this body rebuilt. :)

I don't mind playing in pain and I certainly don't mind hurting the next day but this is to the point I can't take a stride.

I had to "run" to break up a fight at work today and it hurt like a mofo. FML.

[mojo122 529]

Sometimes you need to listen to what your body is telling you and go from there. Hoping everything heals!