Re: You know when Superman goes flying through the air with his arms out in front?

[Eccentrica Gallumbits]

Rheumatoid and osteoarthritis are very different. As I understand it, rheumatoid is a systemic autoimmune disorder which causes inflammation in the joints and organs. Osteoarthritis is completely different and the chances of OA in the hip following a hip injury are much higher than for the general population. I can deal with the possibility of OA at some point in the future, but I'm gloomy about the lack of treatment options for me now.

[Jaded]

*sigh* indeed. 

[clarion]

Fingers are crossed.

[mrcharly-YHT]

Rheumatoid and osteoarthritis are very different. As I understand it, rheumatoid is a systemic autoimmune disorder which causes inflammation in the joints and organs. Osteoarthritis is completely different and the chances of OA in the hip following a hip injury are much higher than for the general population. I can deal with the possibility of OA at some point in the future, but I'm gloomy about the lack of treatment options for me now.

Push push push for physio. 
Getting all the right muscles and tendons stretched and supportive is so important in preventing future damage (and alleviating pain). 

This time last year I was using a stick when walking 200yards to the train station. One of my hip joints is slightly malformed from a childhood bone disease that caused the entire ball above the epiphyseal plate to disintegrate. I was feeling very gloomy about it, very down. The stats said I'd likely need a new hip before 50.

I wouldn't take up running again, but I can walk, pain free. Exercises and stretching did it, that's all.

[LindaG]

That sounds really rubbish Kirst.  I'm dead sorry.  Cycle paths, eh?   

Mind, it wouldn't be the first time I'd seen a consultant orthopod proved wrong by a bloody-minded patient.  Doctors don't know everything. 

Are you allowed to cycle as much as you like now?

[Feline]

Oh, that's really crap. I'd hoped it would all be long behind you by now.
+1 to what Lindagordinho said, they are not always right. Are you taking a high dose glucosamine and chondriotin supplement to try and help the cartilages to heal as much as possible?
GL with the steroid injection, and hope it gives you instant relief from the pain!

[Eccentrica Gallumbits]

Are you allowed to cycle as much as you like now?

As much as I can, rather than as much as I like. 

I'm feeling really teary and upset about it all today. I suppose I was expecting to hear "this is what's wrong, this is how we're going to fix it" but what I got was "your hip's buggered and we can't fix it. We might be able to minimise the pain, and there are lifestyle changes you can make to help, but really this is you until your hip wears out altogether and you need a new one."

[matthew]

That tough, like you I have had the you can expect OA and a hip replacement in the long term, but I have at least been told that I need an MRI scan with a contrast fluid to show up the cartilege damage and that an athroscopy will be benificial in an attempt to prevent the later requirement for a hip replacement.

Short term though I am not looking forward to crutches this winter after the surgery though hopefully it will mean that I get a seat on the train to and from work. 

[Biggsy]

Other hip surgeons might have different opinions, especially in a year or two's time.  Resurfacing techniques might improve, for example.

Everyone dwelled on the bleak side too with the prognosis for my badly broken hip, saying necrosis was likely, etc.  Sevenish years on, I seem to be fine.

[Wowbagger]

Are you allowed to cycle as much as you like now?

As much as I can, rather than as much as I like. 

I'm feeling really teary and upset about it all today. I suppose I was expecting to hear "this is what's wrong, this is how we're going to fix it" but what I got was "your hip's buggered and we can't fix it. We might be able to minimise the pain, and there are lifestyle changes you can make to help, but really this is you until your hip wears out altogether and you need a new one."

I have to say that when I was first diagnosed with RA I was totally devastated and some days I really struggled to keep it together. I had visions of being wheelchair bound and stuff like that. That was 7 years ago and now I realise that my worst fears were unfounded and that there was treatment which worked much better than I ever expected. I hope it's the same for you - OK, of course I'm completely aware that OA and RA are complete different conditions that happen to share some similar symptoms - but I think it's fairly normal to find oneself in a very dark place when one comes face to face with potential physical limitations which, only a year ago, just weren't even on the horizon.

[Eccentrica Gallumbits]

I went swimming on Friday, thinking that it's calorie-burning and low impact so probably quite good. I'm not a good crawler, I'm a natural breaststroker (shurrup), and I managed 20 lengths of the Commie Pool in 40 minutes. My hip was pain-free in the water, but I was in absolute agony later on. I took a big dose of anti-inflammatories, followed that up with some cocodamol an hour later and then added 2 big glasses of red wine. That seemed to do the trick but I was pretty stoned and it's not a combination of medication compatible with holding down a job. I went back tonight and just did 10 lengths in 18 minutes, and was just starting to get sore in the last couple of lengths. Breaststroke requires such a big hip movement for the kick, it is bound to aggravate the joint, but it is a form of exercise I don't get bored of.

[CrinklyLion]

I have a slightly mardy hip that I've never bothered to get investigated - GPs just take one look and say "you're too fat, lose 5 stone and then we'll consider looking to see if there's anything else going on" for that kind of thing, in my experience.  I never learnt to do front crawl as a kid, but used to do miles and miles of (shockingly bad, as it turned out) breaststroke when I actually had a local pool to swim in - and would sometimes find my hip played hell after a long session in the pool.  One of the things I had promised myself a few years back when I got a full time job in school was swimming lessons so that I could finally learn how to do crawl - so I found an adult improvers class at the not-very-local-at-all pool, and did just that. 

I massively improved my breaststroke (to just-about-competent) and more or less got the hang of 'fly.  I honestly thought I'd never crack front crawl though, as it isn't my natural stroke at all.  I mastered 2 full lengths of full stroke 'fly (when 7 months pregnant!) before managing 2 lengths of crawl without stopping.  But I got good enough, eventually, to be prepared to swim crawl in a public lane swimming session, and with a bit of work got reasonable enough to make it to about a dozen lengths at a go before having to resort to a couple of lengths of breaststroke for a breather!

Crawl was a _lot_ easier on my dodgy hip - and lets you swim more miles, more energetically, for less time investment IME.  Would it be worth investigating if there's either a class, or an instructor that'll do a few 1-2-1 lessons, so that you can improve your front crawl and possibly swim more with less potential for hip issues? 

[Eccentrica Gallumbits]

There probably is. On the other hand, it might be better for me to stick with breaststroke as it works the hip through a bigger range of movement. I should really talk to the surgeon about it, I suppose.

[Biggsy]

And a physiotherapist.

[Ashaman42]

Or another option would be a hybrid stroke. I can barely crawl but for a bit more speed I often breaststroke with my arms and crawl kick with my legs.

[Kim]

Or another option would be a hybrid stroke. I can barely crawl but for a bit more speed I often breaststroke with my arms and crawl kick with my legs.

A technique I've always favoured.  Breaststroke legs are, IMHO, silly frog impressions that look pretty but provide no useful power.  The arms actually work really well, as long as you don't have to waste too much thrust keeping your face out of the water (your BMI may vary; mine certainly has).

[hellymedic]

Or another option would be a hybrid stroke. I can barely crawl but for a bit more speed I often breaststroke with my arms and crawl kick with my legs.

A technique I've always favoured.  Breaststroke legs are, IMHO, silly frog impressions that look pretty but provide no useful power.  The arms actually work really well, as long as you don't have to waste too much thrust keeping your face out of the water (your BMI may vary; mine certainly has).

Strange how we differ! I never really mastered front crawl but my breaststroke legs were anything but useless. Slamming fat thighs together gave huge forward thrust. Never thought my crawl leg stroke achieved much though.

[barakta]

Bugger, sorry to hear your news about the hip.

I think I umpteenth the Get Thee to a Decent Physioterrorist - privately if necessary, find someone who will talk to you over a few sessions to work out what you can/can't improve. I am sure you know of one who is appropriately good and the right flavour of evil (they're evil by training IMO).

I had intensive physio (and OT) on my anatomically buggered shoulder - I've a big list of "don't even think about doing!" tasks like vacuuming and some boring exercises which I don't do enough of and if I don't do the bad things and do do the exercises I am usually pretty much pain free and the shoulder is remarkably stable (for something which dislocates in 2-3 different ways).

Still shit to hear a "can't fix it" prognosis.  I was told all my life "When you're 18 we'll operate on that shoulder and fix it.".  What I hadn't realised was that this was orthopod speak for "argh, scary, go away" and it took me 3 senior orthopods passing the buck to get to the RNOH and it was them who explained that there is like your situation no fix, just lifestyle, "management", physio and hope you can defer joint replacement because shoulder ones are RUBBISH!

Hope you manage to find sane for you ways of doing the things you ought and keeping as active and pain free as possible. 

[Eccentrica Gallumbits]

I emailed the surgeon on Monday and rather than just email me back, he wrote to me.  He says yeah, breaststroke will aggravate things, try a crawl. And he says he doesn't think physio would be useful just now, maybe later if I can lose weight and see how that affects the symptoms. Plus, do some core work to improve my pelvic stability, so I'll continue with pilates and bodybalance.

I'm only at work Monday and Tuesday next week, then I'm on holiday for the remainder of the week and all the week after, so I will see if I can get an appointment with the swimming coach guy, and book some pilates sessions. I'm also signing up for Shrinking Thinking to see if I can address my eating issues.

[Julian]

That's what my doc said about breastroke and my dodgy knee, which was what forced me (finally) to learn how to do front crawl.  I'm also a natural breaststroker, fnaar fnaar. 

I can now do a passable front crawl, but I can't keep it up for as long as I could breaststroke for.  Breaststroke arms and crawl legs are a good combination.

[SteveC]

Breaststroke arms and crawl legs are a good combination.

This has been recommended to at least one friend who had knee problems.

S

[Eccentrica Gallumbits]

I'm getting the steroid injection into my hip on the 31st of this month.

[clarion]

Hope that helps.  I know it's very effective for most people.

[Eccentrica Gallumbits]

I have to lose weight which will help to delay and reduce the future damage, keep active, and try the injections, but I will probably have pain forever, and a hip replacement will be required eventually. My excess weight isn't helping, but given that my other hip looks normal, all of the damage can be attributed to the fall.

Nearly 23km swum, and 8lb lost. 

[clarion]

Hey, that's really impressive!