New hips please.

bikes`n`guns

Spoke to the surgeon today about my hips.

Bit of a shock as I was expecting advise on my hip pain, but ended up being told I`ll need 2 hips replaced within 5 years if I continue wearing them out as I am (cyling)

Gutted, I`m only 50. I managed a 50k run at 30kph yesterday and felt ok and am using a Diclofenac before I cycle. Up to 100km is usually fine.

They are pretty much a bit sore all the time, but he reckons their may be a pain from the muscle as well, so I`m getting an MRI and maybe treated with steroids.

Can`t imagine having to have 2 hips replaced, and dread the effect on my life and my cycling.

trekvet

Are you doing your post-ride stretches, particularly for piriformis and adduttors?

bikes`n`guns

I`m a lazy as hell stretcher but am trying hard to improve that.

The hips are worn, xrays show the damage and the little spurs of bone growing out the side as the joint tries to compensate by increasing the surface area taking weight

webboo

I don’t think have your hips replaced once recovered from the op will effect your cycling. My mate who’s 60 had his done last year and he’s back running. Another friend who had his done in his 50’s is doing tours of the Alps amongst other things.

zefs

Have you had a professional bike fit?

slowmart

A second opinion may be of benefit.

I was told I would need my knee fused 32 years ago.

32 years later I'm still cycling and I'm pain free.

Vets will give their considered opinion but now more than ever the context of medical advice is risk averse and one which provides the most cover in terms of legal liability rather than the viable options for the patient.

Best wishes with a good outcome from the scan

bikes`n`guns

Thanks folks.

Have had a fit and a recent refit for a new saddle.

The damage seems apparent even to me on the xrays. I suppose it may not go by his timescales in real life and i just have to wait and see, but I was just pissed that I seem to be wearing out !

MRI will tell all I suppose.

mac111051

Info here after a broken hip viewtopic.php?f=40011&t=12571535

mac111051

Allso here viewtopic.php?f=40011&t=13073435

slowmart

Bikes`n`guns wrote:

Thanks folks.

Have had a fit and a recent refit for a new saddle.

The damage seems apparent even to me on the xrays. I suppose it may not go by his timescales in real life and i just have to wait and see, but I was just pissed that I seem to be wearing out !

MRI will tell all I suppose.

None of us are getting out alive, act accordingly.

neeb

Most of us in our 50s probably have the beginnings of oseoarthritis detectable by x-rays in our hips and many of us will eventually need hip replacements. The trick is looking after the joints and delaying the deterioration as much as possible.

First of all get a proper bike fit from someone who really knows their stuff and ideally is also a qualified physiotherapist. In the wider scheme of things cycling is generally good for your hips as it keeps them mobile - just as long as you are not doing it in a way that is putting undue stress on them because of the way they are tracking (e.g. due to the spacing of your feet relative to your hips, hip angle etc). Pedalling is a constrained, highly repetitive movement, you need to be absolutely sure that you are doing it in a way that is as good for your joints as possible. This is something the surgeon you spoke to probably doesn't know much about because he's used to dealing with sedentary people (it's actually inactive rather than active people who are most at risk of osteoarthritis).

Look into exercises / physiotherapy aimed specifically at delaying osteoarthritis.There are special exercises you can do regularly that develop the muscles around the hip to take the pressure off of the joint itself. And then there are "mobilisation" manoevers you can do which are good for the joint. Eat a healthy diet that includes anti-inflamatory stuff such as oily fish (or take high quality omega 3 supplements).

The reason I know a little about this stuff is that 5 or 10 years ago I thought I was starting to get symptomatic oesteoarthritis - perhaps I was, although I suspect now I had just been overstressing them by doing one-legged squats.. Anyway, I had an X-Ray which showed very early signs of arthritis in my hips and started doing some of the special exercises (and stopped doing the squats.. ). I've hardly had any symptoms at all since and continue to cycle very athletically. Very occasionally I'll get some tiny twinges - when that happens I start doing the exercises again and they always seem to go away.. Perhaps at some point before I'm 80 (I'm 51 now) I'll need one or both hips replaced, but I'm kind of hoping that if I just keep being aware of them and lookng after them they'll just keep going..

bikes`n`guns

Great post, thanks.

I take oil and am looking at a stretching / exercise regime aimed at that very thing.
I have had a fit, by a fairly knowledgeable type but will look at this further . May have to anyway as frame is being assessed for replacement under warranty

neeb

The exercises I was taught were quite strange - the trick is to engage the deep muscles around the joint rather than the big muscles that move the leg. They are isometric and very gentle - you lie on your back and don't actually move anything at all. You probably need to be taught how to do them by a physiotherapist. Unfortunately I can't remember what they were called and googling hasn't helped, but I'll try to find out.

DeVlaeminck

20 years ao I was told an x-ray on my sore ankle suggested I would need it fused within 3 years. I've since run a marathon and haven't had it fused - no doubt it still shows signs ofostearthritis but it isn't painful. I have since given up running though as I did start thinking my joints have had enough wear and tear from sport over the last 30 years plus.

Best thing istake it as a wakeup call, as the post above find some exercises that stretch and strengthen themuscles around the hip and maybe give up running ifyou find it causes repeated injuries.

bikes`n`guns

Running is a no no. It was getting seriously painful.

I thin stretching is an answer, but the MRI may pose more questions lol.

Mikey23

Hip replacement here after an accident a couple of years ago. Riding better than ever at 67 years of age. The secret as others have said is doing your exercises and stuff other than cycling so that muscles get worked properly

bikes`n`guns

Brilliant to hear, thanks.

MRI still forthcoming.

steel191964

Another hip replacement here also , where will the operation be carried out apparently the ones in Europe are less invasive than those in the UK and so recovery time is a lot quicker.

In europe no furniture is required post op and also you don't have to worry about bending your leg etc initially.

Not sure what the recovery time is in the UK for riding a bike again but i was back on the road in two months, although only low impact to start with, i'm 54 and am having my other replaced in September quite looking forward to it at least then i'll be able to walk properly.

Good luck

webboo

I have recently started to experience hip pain following doing a lot of lifting and carrying lots stone slabs. I was diagnosed as having mild osteoporosis in my hip but nothing out of the ordinary. I was prescribed Naproxen for 2 weeks which got rid of the pain and stiffness. However once I finished the meds I continued with intermittent pain. I also felt there was some stiffness in my Hamstrings, so I went back to the docs to get a referral to the physio.
When being examined my hamstrings went in to spasm, so that appears to be a likely cause of the problem.
I didn’t get a referral to the physio just some stretch’s to do. So I will give them a try and keep folk informed.