Am I ready for a Hip Replacement?

[jma233]

Actually stair climbing / stair stepper can be a great exercise to help prepare for this surgery. Of course if your mechanics are off due to pain then not so good. A stable pelvis is all about strong and healthy gluts. You could always ask your surgeon for a list of appropriate exercises to prepare.

[rod9301]

Hip thrusts are best for glutes.
Youtube it.

But also quads and hamstring.
Use heavy weights, mountain biking is not enough

Sent from my SCH-I500 using TGR Forums

[Shredhead]

I finished my season skiing very strong. I skied this last week with several guys that have had THR's, that were all skiing expert terrain, fast.
Mark Tye has had both done in the last year, the last one on 12/15/13 and he still got 45 days this year. He was skiing very well five months post op!



I wish knee's were this easy.

[CarolB]

Good to hear they're are others out there who've achieved success but where the heck are the Women survivors? I'm so hoping that either they're just too busy being active to be on the net but I'm getting the twinge of nerves saying they just weren't able to handle it and keep going hard so moved on to other activities. My bold self tells me that I'll be fine because I've never been in the "Girl Norm" anyway but my anxious/practical side is more than a wee bit worried.
I got back in the pool 2 weeks ago. Haven't swam in a pool, or hardly done any real swimming, for 3-4 years. I was prepared for a drowning but actually managed 40 laps (with breaks).

[CarolB]

Well that was no fun!
I'm at week 7 of post Total Hip Surgery recovery. Not doing as well as I thought I'd be as so many told me I'd breeze through as I was strong/fit. Unfortunately my ridiculously tight muscles didn't agree with my leg now being longer (balances out with the other now) and so I've got a bit of rehab to get everything balanced again and then calmed down. I'm getting around pretty well but on a cane still as I have a pain/strengthening needed limp still. Argh.

My Surgeon said that I'm experiencing the norm for the time/longer leg situation.

Glad you guys have told me I'll get back on my skiis again because it didn't feel like that a few weeks ago! Even now I'm wondering if I'll just careen off into the trees as I feel like an unbalanced Klutz.

Hopefully getting on my Mtn Bike on our rural roads soon as I suspect that'll feel better than walking.

[Shredhead]

Get in the pool and swim your ass off. I still do a lot of ROM work in the pool and I feel fine.

[jma233]

Well that was no fun!
I'm at week 7 of post Total Hip Surgery recovery. Not doing as well as I thought I'd be as so many told me I'd breeze through as I was strong/fit. Unfortunately my ridiculously tight muscles didn't agree with my leg now being longer (balances out with the other now) and so I've got a bit of rehab to get everything balanced again and then calmed down. I'm getting around pretty well but on a cane still as I have a pain/strengthening needed limp still. Argh.

My Surgeon said that I'm experiencing the norm for the time/longer leg situation.

Glad you guys have told me I'll get back on my skiis again because it didn't feel like that a few weeks ago! Even now I'm wondering if I'll just careen off into the trees as I feel like an unbalanced Klutz.

Hopefully getting on my Mtn Bike on our rural roads soon as I suspect that'll feel better than walking.

I had a L5/S1 disc injury in my lower back that caused all my hip problems (weakness + incredible tightness). Never did have pain in my actual low back. Maybe something to have checked out if things don't improve.

[CarolB]

Get in the pool and swim your ass off. I still do a lot of ROM work in the pool and I feel fine.

Absolutely, I've been doing the pool exercises for 3 weeks now and the H20 buoyancy is amazing and helpful. Also, I made sure I started doing laps in the pool before surgery so I'd be ready to restart once given the go ahead and so will start mixing pool exercises along with laps this upcoming week. Baby steps but everyday seems so much better now, yippeee! I just go off the stationary bike and will try seeing how the Mtn Bike is on my road (quiet can't-get-there-from-here kinda road). All the while I'm making sure I'm respectful of the continuing recovery process. I don't need to be ready to go next week, I'm planning for months ahead.

jma233- Definitely making sure I watch the back as I did have a ruptured disc that led to the discovery of the arthritis so clearly there's been abuse/damage to more body parts (knees/back) than just the hip. I intend to take all "the parts" more seriously now. Might not get another chance, had the big wakeup call.

Crossing my fingers that I'll be a positive statistic but have also decided that I don't need to make it to 90 if that means totally taking a back seat so the goal is 70 (with this hip) with a hopeful of 80. No dumb moves might get me there without a ton of compromise

[CarolB]

First days back on my skis. I was in Baja, Mexico for 6 weeks and did a ton of Mtn Biking to get stronger. Shockingly weak still for me but at least the Jello thigh has pretty much gone. I just didn't recover from the surgery as well as I had hoped and still have lots of mis-alignment issues. I guess they give you the new joint but don't fix the old problems that caused the early demise!
First run felt really weird and I was definitiely not weighting properly but I got that straightened out fairly quickly. I'd promised to take it easy this season (shortterm loss for longterm gain??) so it's easy cruising only right now with breaks to come in and relax. Never done this before, leads to lots of snacking so I can see how I could get fat if I don't get to my normal plan soon.
Anyway, at least I'm on the hill, not as strong as I'd hoped and definitely needed a painkiller to make the experience nicer but I have a big smile on my face. We had a record snow day last Monday so the snow is pretty good, still need more in the trees but as I can't go there right now that's maybe a good thing- less enticement.

[Shredhead]

Anyway, at least I'm on the hill, not as strong as I'd hoped and definitely needed a painkiller .

Pick your days and push it when it's good. Avoid hard bumps and flat light.
I'm icing now and then I'll stretch and do ROM in 104* pool before getting dressed.
It's pretty firm here, so I'll rip the groomers a couple of hours and then hike the Bowl.
You can still ski at a very high level, but be smart and pick your times.
You can still run with the big dogs, just know when to let them go!

[CarolB]

Thanks for the confidence builder! I feel not too bad this morning, incision area pain still. I'll probably do 2-3 hrs only today then head home to do driveway maintenance (we had 2' in 36 hrs on Monday and I have a huge driveway-still trying to catch up).

I have a Game Ready Ice compression machine and no hot tub right now but am using a heating pad for contrast and adductor, hip flexor, hamstring stretches. ROM before activity. I know the drill, I just am waiting for it to accomplish what it's supposed to do. I'm a slow healer on this one apparently.
I'm hiding out from ski buddies right now as I need to be on my own agenda right now. As well, singles lines on the weekend make the concept of friends seem more difficult to grasp

No matter what I get to ski today, there's good snow and it's going to be cool and blue skies. I'm a happy Girl to be back in my element (besides the fact that groomies have too many people on them and scare the heck outta me- way safer in the crud, trees and bumps).

[carvedog]

A quick synopsis of my surgery and recovery. I had a full hip replacement on May 29th. Immediate relief of joint pain. Of course lots of soft tissue pain. Doc said it took an extra hour in surgery due to ..... my thickness. I told him it's ok to call me a fat bastard but he said I was actually very heavily muscled throughout my hip. I have been fighting this pain and immobility for four years. Before surgery walking even a hundred yards was an exercise in pain management. I was living on light to moderate doses of hydrocodone and larger doses of ibuprofen for the last three years. I was not able to snowboard, hike or do much at all so I was out of shape.
At about 7 weeks I was able to walk up to a 1/2 mile or more. Going uphill was still painful in my glute. By September I was starting to walk a mile to mile and a half and introdcuing uphill downhill. Not so much pain but I would get tired really quick. By mid November I was doing up to three or four mile walks and hiking a hill behind the house that was about 700 vert once or twice a week.

Started doing snowboard clinics to teach on Dec 6th. Wasn't sure how it would go, but it seems like the more I used it the better it felt. Did some bumps in clinic and it actually felt great. Some incision site tenderness and some muscle glute pain but nothing worthy of more than a couple ibu. Taught eight days in a row over Christmas break and I was tired at times but it just kept feeling better. After the peeps cleared out I did some serious bumping - long, fast runs keeping up with a 19 yr old ripper. Then I went carving. Hard. I was doing jump carves to layout jump carves and felt like a darned kid. Very, very slight incision site pain.

And then my knee started swelling up. Bad. Like almost went to the ER for pain management bad. So over the last six weeks, six Dr visits, x-ray, MRi and two steroid shots I have been told my knee (opposite side of hip - had two ACL repair/replace) is completely shot and I get a new one in three and a half weeks. FML.

But I did get some good riding in before it all went south.

[CarolB]

Sorry to hear about your knee! Oh geez, this getting older stuff sucks. Hopefully it'll calm down and you're just re-adjusting from the hip surgery. I'm finally just getting things realigned in my pelvis but just this past week my back/other hip have started to give me grief. I'm hoping it's just because conditions were pretty firm last weekend and I had to do some heavier weighting carving than usual. I've discovered I'm a pretty lazy skier. I've also discovered that groomed runs make me carve more than the off-groomed where I definitely ski lazier/lighter. Either way, getting back on my skis has definitely helped towards getting things re-aligned and my glute medius stronger again.

Coming back from this surgery hasn't been an easy go for me, nor for you it sounds like, but I'll get there. I get a bit frustrated by the comments I read from others about instant pain relief following their surgery but that definitely hasn't been my experience. I always did have to do things the hard way so I guess this is just one more situation.

Take care and let us know how you do!

[CarolB]

Well, 8.5 months later and the hip is finally coming around. I've been skiing since January, albeit I'm cruising the Blues pretty much. Thank goodness it's that kinda season this year that makes you feel a bit better about that.

I must be the world's slowest healer as I'm still having incision site pain and aches. I'm finally balancing out though and my legs feel the same length at last. I guess I must have been way outta wack.

Anyway, I'm out there and I'm getting stronger. I may be off my game but I'm fairly sure I'm not totally gawky and therefore it's not real apparent to most people that I'm "flawed" I'm working on some flow things that'll help for next year.

After my time on the groomed I'm also more totally aware of the fact that I'm really a crud/tree/powder girl at heart. The groomies have been fun but I'm going to have to work to get myself back into those trees when I can.

Springlike conditions here at Big White in the BC Interior, really not too darn bad considering what's going on out there. I can't complain about any of my days so far. Great base coverage and good carving. Only one day where I gave in a sharpened my skis and had a sore muscle day.

[L7]

I haven't been on the forum in a long time but figured I'd check for a thread such as this. Figured it wouldn't be common but a few people would have had hips done here. I've already amassed quite a bit of the info stated here but always open to more. At any rate I get my hip done in just under a month. I could have had it done in March or so but opted to ride another season. At this point it's degrading quick and sooner than later would be good but a month isn't that long. I've been bone on bone for 2 years plus according to xray reports. Keep stretching and keep it open and moving and I do ok. Didn't ski last season (first in 45+), the season before was pretty lame. Won't be skiing this season with the new hip. CarolB got anymore updates? I'd had problems 15 or so years ago and at that time got help to open it up and get it moving again. So I concur that a lot of hip problems are due to muscle tightness/inbalance not vice versa. It's done now though I'm pretty sure so moving on to the cut and paste. Is Vinman still around? He was always a great gimp resource.

[Shredhead]

What procedure are you having done?

I would at least consider hip resurfacing if it's available and covered. It leaves you more bone if you need a revision.

I'm 2 1/2 years post op, anterior approach THR. I can ski with anyone,
If it's soft. Hard days can hurt.

I'll probably need a revision someday,
Because I'm not smart enough to tone it down.

Swimming helps me more than anything.

[L7]

I've known of the of the resurfacing (birmingham) for 12 or more years I think and known a few people who've had it done. Going into this I sort of assumed that's what they all did now. I cycled in France last fall with a belgian orthopedic who does a lot of hips, have an old friend I had a long chat with that's doing hips here and my own surgeon all say they aren't big on the resurfacing and they've gone out of favour. They cite the metal on metal and metal ions in the blood as issues. My surgeon also mentioned the fact they are a bit more sensitive to exact placement. I have a personal suspicion they just don't want to go to England to train for them. As to metal on metal I'm not sure why they wouldn't just do ceramic like I'm getting.

Anyway once I went 3 for 3 surgeons I figured fine I'll go with that. A couple of guys do still do them in town here (Calgary) but mostly not. The Belgian guy said no one is doing them in Belgium anymore and the old friend is at the big new south end hospital and no one does them where she is. My guy said he won't do a big insert and no fixative I guess to leave it open for a revision down the road. I do know a guy with the full replacement who has had a revision. My guy is going in Anterior lateral which I figure is way better then going in posterior which apparently is done quite a bit.

We're getting a big new swim facility in town so maybe I'll get back at swimming. I'm confident I'll be back skiing again but I'm sure it won't be the same. Hasn't been the same for a few years anyway so anything better is gravy. It feels good on a bike even still. Although I sure wouldn't be doing the trip I did last fall in France this year. It was a bit of an extreme trip though.

[Shredhead]

Anterior seems to be very popular right now. Just hope he doesn't chip off your Greater Trochanter like mine. It's one of the more common complications with this procedure.

Biking shouldn't be a problem. I ride everyday and only feel it after hardest days MTBing.
Suns rising and it's time to ride.

Good luck!

[CarolB]

Hey L7, sorry to hear you're joining the club.

I also thought I'd be getting a resurface but BC won't approve hardly any and if they do it'll be for Men. Alberta refused me, as a small female, as well. I could have gone to Seattle but nobody here would advise me to do it and neither would my Ortho friend from the States. I think it's a case of too many procedures being done and maybe to the wrong demographics. I do know several very active guys who had them done and are having no problems. The theory is good on the resurface but, having said that, my Ortho said it's easier to fix/replace a total hip these days if it's cup wear. At least, I think that's what he said. Mostly, what I took away from the multitude of info I got before my surgery is to pick the best surgeon and let them pick the right technique.

I did have the best surgeon and I did the full hip. I'd like to say I don't notice it (1 yr, 3 months out now) but that'll be a lie. I'm still having lots of realignment issues and probably bursitis/tendonities. As you said earlier, that's likely the cause of my hip wear anyhow so, for me, will likely be a long road to overcome. If I could do one thing differently before surgery I'd have recognized what a problem I had with it and had worked like crazy to fix that as much as possible.

I must be better than before surgery though as I do need to take a tramacet here and there but I was doing them daily before.

Activity wise I did ski last year, not really technical stuff though, as I was only 7-10 months post surgery. I enjoyed every day though and was lucky to only do one that I'd call really firm. Being a skier from Banff it's hard to think of many days in the Okanagan as firm/icy. That day I did ache alot.

I switched my lifestyle from being a 2-3/week dirtbiker to Mtn Biking and hiking and surprised myself by not missing dirtbiking hardly at all. It was a hot dry summer though. Even though it was hot in the valley I could go up to Silver Star in Vernon, where it's 10-15 cooler and did a bunch of XCR and Downhill Mtn Biking there. I also did a trip to Yosemite to do a bunch of Dayhikes I'd been wanting to do for years. I plan to go back next summer for some backcountry.

So, I'm managing to stay active, although it still hurts. Whether I could have done that without the surgery I'm not sure. I've bought my ski pass for this year and I'll have 6 weeks of holidays in Baja before the ski season so intend to get in a bunch of Mtn Biking/cardio so I'm as good to go as possible.

A Physio at the hospital told me that it's the young active ones that always have problems because we expect so much more and put so much more demand on our poor bodies.

Shredhead- great to see you're still working out an it sounds like you're doing a bit better painwise?

[L7]

'Being a skier from Banff' hmmmm. I was 25 years in Banff, which essentially is what got me here but that's an old song. Ya I'm a bit concerned with the leg length discrepancy and I hope to not get too much of that ongoing past surgery. In fact it was a series of physios and chiros in Banff that had me first encouraging leg length as a treatment (actually a symptom) until opening the hip up and aligning the pelvis got rid of leg length issues and back issues.

I'm not worried about being active, that will happen. Just a matter of what sort of mods to both bike position and skiing. I've known quite a few mostly resurface folk that have stayed active and speak highly of it. I do trust and like my surgeon and he comes highly recommended. We talked about different options and he said, 'you need to go with the guy you're comfortable with and part of that is you need to know (s)he's comfortable with the procedure they're doing.' I like that sort of open dialogue.

I go to surgery school next week so I can ask a bunch more questions I suspect.

[CarolB]

Well goodluck and let us know how it goes.
Yes, I do think my hip was partially compliments of Mt Norquay, where I worked

[carvedog]

17 months post op from full hip replacement and six months post total knee.

I was able to hike to a ridge a couple of weeks ago that I have not been to in over five years. It was awesome. Everything just keeps feeling better and stronger. Hip easier than knee. But the knee is feeling really good that last month or so. Strengthwise I think the knee is at about 80%. I have nearly forgotten I had hip surgery sometimes. Rolling over on hard surfaces reminds and sometimes the way I lay not on the sleeping pad camping ( its a think one too) but I am so happy to be able to start being more and more active. Good luck with yours. Do the rehab, even when it sucks. And try to find someone for PT who is active. The first one I saw in the hospital was quite 'you aren't ready for that'. The next one was more of the go for it unless it hurts too bad.

[L7]

Surgery school yesterday. Three weeks to slice and dice.

[carvedog]

Test for contact. Not receiving notifications to my email.

[L7]

So 1 week plus a day post hippie. Did the larger circuit around the block today. New PR, 14mins! Woo hoo, tomorrow or the next day I'll go for a double loop and PR both. I even had time to chat with a yummy mommy. She was clearly aching for my 'old guy on crutches steeze'. It likely helped that when I met her around a corner I was going nanananana with every new hip step. Even though she was likely born 1 or 2 decades after the '6 million dollar man' aired she still clearly figured this made me pretty hot. I really should have got a go pro for this stuff. A 'crutch cam' that stays dead steady while everything pendulums around it wouldn't be distressing to watch at all and everyone would love the gnarly footage that I would even throw in some big air on. (my crutches have 50mm of travel BTW). Then it was off to walmart to test drive one of those bad boy electric scooters. They sure do corner well! I was hoping to see yummy mommy again. She would have known me since I had my free hand back and up all the time and kept yelling '8 seconds' every 6 or 10 seconds. It was just like sex except for the repetition. Good times. Can't load a pic. oh well.