Torn Hip Labrum - advice, recovery and experiences (Read 1147 times)


Hip Redux

    I did about a month's worth of aquatherapy - loved it.  Since you aren't a runner, walking in the pool will get you similar benefits.  Gait normalization, return of balance, etc.

     

    Doomer


      Hi Everyone - I have been reading here for close to 3 months.  I had my labral repair and FAI surgery 6 weeks ago.  I had a large tear from 9-2:30 position and the preop pain was never in my groin but rather in my butt and deep in my hip joint.  Well, all was progressing according to schedule until a couple days ago when I started experiencing butt pain which presents like hot coal nerve pain - basically what I have concluded is that my piriformis muscle is either spasming or inflamed from PT and increased activity and is pressing on my sciatica nerve causing nerve pain in my ass.  LIterally!  I almost had a melt down today because of the set back and don't know how long this will take to resolve itself and certainly don't want it progressing anymore cuz my hammie and quad ache as well.

       

      Has anyone experienced this or heard of this?  I called my OS and a resident called back but I missed his call and now heading into a long holiday weekend I will hear nothing.

       

      I have learned from you all and appreciate everyone sharing their experience with this suck ass we were delt...

       

      Mandy - I love your blog and hearing all about your progress.  It has been nice to have a realistic guideline of what to expect week to week even though I have a decade on you.

       

      I was feeling pretty decent up until now and making progress and so happy to be off of crutches and moving around and now this Sad((((

      Doomer


        JB52 - I had my tear in both the posterior and anterior region of my labrum and much like you my pain presented in my butt and deep in the joint.  I had my surgery 6 weeks ago and my surgeon said they typically see tears in the anterior region but it is not unheard of to have a posterior region.  Good luck with everything!


        Hip Redux

          Hi Everyone - I have been reading here for close to 3 months.  I had my labral repair and FAI surgery 6 weeks ago.  I had a large tear from 9-2:30 position and the preop pain was never in my groin but rather in my butt and deep in my hip joint.  Well, all was progressing according to schedule until a couple days ago when I started experiencing butt pain which presents like hot coal nerve pain - basically what I have concluded is that my piriformis muscle is either spasming or inflamed from PT and increased activity and is pressing on my sciatica nerve causing nerve pain in my ass.  LIterally!  I almost had a melt down today because of the set back and don't know how long this will take to resolve itself and certainly don't want it progressing anymore cuz my hammie and quad ache as well.

           

           

           

          That does sound like piriformis!  It's miserable Sad  Do you have a massage therapist?   Or even sitting on a lacrosse ball might help.  With piriformis, you need to get that muscle to stop spasming and irritating that nerve and I've found that some manual releasing works best.

           

          Doomer


             

            That does sound like piriformis!  It's miserable Sad  Do you have a massage therapist?   Or even sitting on a lacrosse ball might help.  With piriformis, you need to get that muscle to stop spasming and irritating that nerve and I've found that some manual releasing works best.

             

            Thanks Oski! Have you had this happen to you? The resident called me back and he said he doesn't think it is my piriformis but I think he is wrong.  The PT told me to roll around on a tennis ball on my butt and stretch alot.  I can't seem to get a good stretch of my glute because some of the stretches I saw online I can't do just being 6 weeks post op.  I am heading out of town tomorrow and have an 8 hour drive so needless to say I will be stopping alot and walking and stretching.  Ugh the timing!  I won't be back to my PT until a week from Monday but I will be taking it easy to see if I can get this to calm down.  Feels like my ass cheek is on fire and sitting is not your friend when this is happening.  But then again all I did for 5 weeks was sit...

             

            The water therapy sounds wonderful!  I need to ask my pt about it because there is a pool at the PT place but it was closed for the month of August for remodel.  I hope your groin gets better!


            Hip Redux

              I have had piriformis issues before, but not post-op.  I finally got it to release with the lacrosse ball trick and a deep tissue massage.   Awful.

               

              I couldn't do anything close to the typical piriformis stretch until recently, so I get that is out at 6 weeks post-op!  And honestly, when a muscle is really irritated, stretching it doesn't always help and can sometimes make it worse.

               

              I really loved the pool and I am so not a swimmer type.  But when I was on crutches, I could get in the water without the sticks and walk around and do some exercises and it felt wonderful!

               

              JB52


                JB52 - I had my tear in both the posterior and anterior region of my labrum and much like you my pain presented in my butt and deep in the joint.  I had my surgery 6 weeks ago and my surgeon said they typically see tears in the anterior region but it is not unheard of to have a posterior region.  Good luck with everything!

                 

                Thanks Doomer! Good to hear someone else has my problem (well, not "good" hah). I hope you get your piriformis issue sorted out!

                 

                good to hear Oski, thanks!

                dallison


                registered pw

                  lol, she's not physically sick, just sick in the head. A week after she sprains her ankle, she wants to run on it to get her miles in. she's smart enough to not over do it, unlike me.

                   

                  Ah ok, I hope the sickness is not life-threatening. I've never heard of a water treadmill until this thread, if I wind up getting the surgery I'll try to get access to one. If I cannot, would just walking around in a pool accomplish the same thing?

                  2017 goals:

                  sub 1:30 half 

                   

                  dallison


                  registered pw

                    OK, 5 months post op and i ran my first real race. It was a small local 5k with about 100 runners.

                     

                    I warmed up about .6 miles slowly like i always do. I toe up to the line and take off. I normally have a long stride when racing, but the first 1-200 yards told me to not do it. The stretching from the longer strides definitely made the front of my quads unhappy. I had to slow down and resort to a shorter stride. I was 2nd most of the first mile. a guy who was behind me caught up and we ran for the next 1.5 miles and chatted. I forgot to start my garmin, so i didn't have a clue on pace. with .5 to go i told him that i needed to slow down.

                     

                    I couldn't keep the pace and was trying to preserve my hip for more running. I finished strong and finished 3rd with a time of 20:41. I ran this race 2 years ago with a 19:50. they started the race .25 miles farther down the hill, but i can't remember if the turnaround was changed this year. So i can't really tell how much slower it really was.

                     

                    After it is all said and done, i was happy with being able to go out for a race. i took off yesterday as the groin hamstring area was telling me too.

                     

                    But, i went full retard today. I ran 5 with my wife this morning and then decided to run more later in the day. I am known to run two a days and this was the first in a long long time.  It was 85 and humid and i wanted to run another 4-6. All was well and i decided to run 10 more at an average pace of 8:04. So i have 15 miles for the day, the most since november. I am freaking happy.

                     

                    I am now at 90-95% and am very happy with the decision to have surgery. The results have been great so far and my results are not ordinary for whatever reason.

                     

                    Thanks to everyone for all of the support and great information on this site and thread.

                    2017 goals:

                    sub 1:30 half 

                     

                    JB52


                      lol, she's not physically sick, just sick in the head. A week after she sprains her ankle, she wants to run on it to get her miles in. she's smart enough to not over do it, unlike me.

                       

                      Oh hah ok, gotcha. Nice job on the race! Seems like you'll be 100% in no time!

                      JB52


                        I just got back from seeing Dr. Salvo today and I'm kind of unsure about what he said. He said that the MRI diagnosis of hip labral tears was wrong as sometimes the labrum can lay at different angles and appear to be torn when it's not. His physical examination of me concluded that as it didn't hurt my hip in the ways it should have when he was manipulating my leg. The stress fracture, also on the MRI, is what is causing all my pain, according to him. He prescribed me 6 weeks of PT and to see him at the end, at which point if it's not getting better then I am to get an MRA done. He said that this does not require surgery. I wanted to get an MRA done just to be sure but he doesn't want to, has anyone pushed back and tried to get their doctor to order one just to be sure?

                         

                        I told him I've been doing PT to no avail but he said that I was not doing the proper exercises and stretching protocol since the physical therapist who I saw before did not know I have a stress fracture. What sucks is that he said this would take 3-4 months to heal and I'm to stick to low impact exercises, so no squats or deadlifts, and definitely no running. He said biking is fine, but I forgot to ask him about swimming, would that be good as well?

                         

                        I guess I'm hesitant because I don't want to waste 6 weeks doing PT but not having to have surgery done is a plus. If I find out I need surgery after having an MRA that would suck because I have two trips planned next year, one in February and another in June. Have you guys gone on trips and held out getting surgery done until afterwards? Just wondering in case the MRA reveals something new.


                        Hip Redux

                          Oh, that's frustrating. I didn't realize you had an MRI not MRA.

                           

                          Swimming is OK with stress fractures, as much as I know.

                           


                          ultramarathon/triathlete

                            The thread is really long now! Wow!  Great info!

                             

                            I'm heading back to my hip guy (Dr. Kelly) on Sept 12th to get another CT scan and possibly a cortisone injection.

                             

                            My right hip (that had the fracture and torn labrum) has been sore again lately, and while not really bad (I'm not limping and it's an ache, not sharp pain like it once was) I just want to see what's going on and why it's even still sore 90% of the time.  I can't sleep on my right side, and even on my left side the right hip gets a little sore.  Pillows don't help.

                             

                            A guy I train told me he has two torn labrums, said he got a cortisone shot in both a few years ago, never had any pain afterwards.  He's a 3 hour marathoner and an Ironman.

                             

                            I thought I once read there were possible problems with those shots though and reasons to avoid them.  Anyone hear this?

                            HTFU?  Why not!

                            USATF Coach

                            Empire Tri Club Coach
                            Gatorade Endurance Team


                            Hip Redux

                              Cortisone can weaken tendons - so it's not recommended for places like directly into the Achilles heel, etc.  For joints, it's relatively safe though still a really strong steroid.   I am one of those that even with local injection (vs. oral),  I get every systemic side-effect listed - heart palpitations, flushing in the face, etc.   Most people aren't that lucky, lol

                               

                              MadisonMandy


                              Refurbished Hip

                                Yikes!  I don't check in for a few days and we have new folks and old folks back.

                                 

                                Doomer, I am glad my blog is helpful.  That's pretty much the only reason I'm keeping it.  I found it really helpful to be able to see where others were at during stages of recovery and what to expect in the future.  Has your piriformis settled down at all?

                                 

                                JB, your situation sounds familiar.  My first MRI (regular, without dye) didn't show anything either.  I flat out asked for the contrast dye MRI and was denied it.  I think my doc was convinced that I had a femoral neck stress fracture and couldn't see past that.  Eventually I had go back and another ortho ordered the right MRI.  I think you're probably stuck for now with just PT.  I'm surprised they don't want you on crutches with a stress fracture?  Did I miss where exactly your sfx is?

                                Running is dumb.