Hip Problems

[stoneaxe]

Went to the Ortho on Thurs...x-ray of my hip shows pretty heavy arthritis damage and a ball that looks like it was used to beat something then put back in. Not happy...pain has been significant. Kind of weird...doesn't hurt much or at all while I'm using it but trying to sleep with my hip joint being probed with an icepick has been difficult. Sitting and lying down can be agony.
I'm wondering if I may not be making it worse with SUP. I know that I've always been unbalanced...extreme right favored and tend to always place more weight on my right than left. It's my right hip that's screwed...left looks good, very good in fact by comparison. I'm going to work at getting myself squared away and see if that might help. Fingers crossed.

[Gaucho]

I can attest to the value of seeing a good hip doc to see if a replacement or resurfacing would be the way to go.  My right hip was resurfaced 2 years ago and what a game changer.  I was back on a SUP in the surf 10 weeks after surgery and like you my left hip is fine.  Best of luck....check out www.surfacehippy.com for great info on resurfacing vs. total hip replacement

[SUPcheat]

I think the good news is that hip surgery, whether conservative or full replacement, seems to be fully compatible with SUP. I have run across several guys out there who have mentioned having had some variation of shave and/or replacement and seem to do OK after healing.

It is hard for me to see that SUP is actually damaging to the hip, as most of the motion seems to be just wobbling around the gluteus.

I do a fairly extensive set of warm up yoga and hip extensions before going out, and it seems to  help, with back kicks, side kicks and forward kicks.

[supthecreek]

I wish you well with that Bobby... maybe just dink around in the calm waters... checking out creeks and things

Let me know if you want to do some laid back exploring.

no CCBC paddling I hope. Sheesh... it'll probably kill you to ride on a boat for the whole crossing

[stoneaxe]

Oops...just saw the response...i still plan on paddling the CCBC...hope I can still walk after. I've started doing some DIY PT....mostly just lots of stretching. I think i'm still a good distance away from any work being done and it seems to be helping.

[freetobeme]

I'm def not an expert but here is some non medical advice,

1. Foam roller. amazing and simple
2. Yin Yoga. Ya ya I know, but this is strictly for connective tissue, hips, pelvis and lower back. Hockey players swear by it.
3. Give Mike Pimental at Compass Athletics in Sandwich a call. He was the physical trainer at Tufts University for years. The guy is a stretching guru and really knows his ****
4. If your looking for some immediate pain relief, other than alcohol, My family uses a therapeutic masseuse named Sheila Murray at Release Cape Cod, also in Sandwich. She is an athletes dream/nightmare

[southwesterly]

I've had both hips replaced 10 years apart.
Sometimes that's your only option.
I was out of the water 6 weeks for each one.

[SUPcheat]

Oops...just saw the response...i still plan on paddling the CCBC...hope I can still walk after. I've started doing some DIY PT....mostly just lots of stretching. I think i'm still a good distance away from any work being done and it seems to be helping.

The Yoga tractor beam has you in it's sights.  You'll be going New Age FuFu any day now. Break out the yogurt, palm fronds and scented candles.

[WingSuit]

sorry to hear about your hips, but at least with hip joint degeneration the diagnosis is definite. If you've got that much bone degeneration, there's only one way to fix it. The good news is that surgery season is almost upon us, that would be November. You'll be walking around by Christmas, and with some serious physical therapy dieting in weightlifting, you'll be a whole new man by the time the spring paddling season starts. Good luck

[PonoBill]

I suspect you'll be getting hacked on eventually (we both will) but I've had good luck with some heavy stretches that open the joint a bit and deal with the tightening that exacerbates the arthritic wear. My joints are shockingly smooth--the doc was astonished--but there's no margin. He said "you're like a 19 year old kid that's going to have his joints blow up in a year or two." Good and bad.

The best stretch requires heavy help. You have someone to use their weight to stretch the joint out in several planes and attitudes. Any PT will know the required positions, but the skinny little ones can't do it for us big guys. I used to be able to press 1600 pounds with my legs before my knees went south, a 140 pound therapist isn't going to do much.

There are some stretches you can do youself, like lieing on your back and pulling on your knee at various angles--lots of illustrations on the interweb. they all work some. But a former defensive football player PT is the best solution.

[Board Stiff]

Take it easy, and hopefully you can get through CCBC in a couple weeks.

After that, it might be time to take up SUP yoga. Maybe Raf can give you a deal on one of these pretty pink boards...


 

[SUPcheat]

Take it easy, and hopefully you can get through CCBC in a couple weeks.

After that, it might be time to take up SUP yoga. Maybe Raf can give you a deal on one of these pretty pink boards...


 

AND yoga tights!

[PonoBill]

This works some:



and so does this:



or this:

[starman]

Stoneaxe I will assume your hip is bone on bone as the cartilage is gone. I had my right hip resurfaced 5 years ago and can tell you unequivocally that the pain is not going to get better until the hip joint is fixed. Not being able to sleep because of the pain is a tipping point. I went with resurfacing over hip replacement for a couple of reasons. Resurfacing leaves you with a stronger joint that is less likely to dislocate as well as quicker recovery and return to an active life. It also leaves you with the option of having a hip replacement in the future if the resurfacing joint fails or wears out over time. I also did not like the idea of getting the top of my femur bone sawed off to implant an artificial joint.  In any event get a couple of opinions as doctors who don't do resurfacing do not recommend it. If your joint can be resurfaced and you are lucky enough to get a good doctor expect a quick recovery. I was off the post-op pain meds in a week, back to flat water SUP in 6 weeks and surfing a couple of weeks later. All the yoga in the world will not replace lost and damaged cartilage. You also risk screwing up other body parts favoring the bad hip. Good luck!

[southwesterly]

All the yoga in the world will not replace lost and damaged cartilage. You also risk screwing up other body parts favoring the bad hip. Good luck!

So true. I limped around in pain for 5 years longer than I should have.

My advice? Stop, get it fixed and move on.