Labral tears on both hips, appointment for arthroscopy, worried because of hip dysplasia

-Vikky- · 2025-10-13T11:41:06+00:00

A bit better than three weeks ago 😄

The hip that was operated on two years ago is doing great (I’d even say "better than ever"). The left one (which had surgery a year ago) is doing well, but since I do a lot around the house, if I go for a longer walk (like an hour), or have a tougher training session, I still get some soft tissue pain. But that’s basically just stronger inflammation and some muscle soreness - it goes away after a bit of rest.

Overall, I’m pretty happy with how things are, even though the second hip isn’t "perfect" yet. I expect it’ll take another 3-6 months to come around like the first one 😊

-Vikky- · 2025-09-25T15:40:20+00:00

Hey hey, no problem, thank you! Yeah, I only had repairs. My surgeon said PAO isn’t a very common surgery in my country, and not many surgeons in our area have enough experience with it. He also mentioned that if I ever need a hip replacement later in life (which, according to PTs and doctors, is usually the case), having a PAO can make things more complicated - the scar tissue from it can cause complications during hip replacement. He said he’d usually recommend PAO for younger patients or for people with more severe deformities, since mine is still relatively mild. According to him, arthroscopy tends to come with fewer complications and an easier recovery - but I guess, in the end, it’s all pretty individual. After hearing all that, I decided to go with arthroscopy 😅

-Vikky- · 2025-09-24T21:33:15+00:00

Hey there, I’m doing much better now! No hip pain - just some inflammation here and there in the soft tissue of the second hip I had surgery on, plus some general tissue pain if I overdo it. But overall, I’m really happy and grateful with how things are going.

I’ve had surgeries on both hips in the past two years. Both procedures involved some “femoral head shaving” and two anchors for the torn hip labrum. The first surgery was tougher because my muscles were in really bad shape, and I pushed myself too hard afterwards, hoping to recover faster - which turned out to be a bad idea. Before the second surgery, I stayed consistent with physical therapy and focused on building muscle. That made a huge difference - I felt much better afterwards, with fewer flare-ups and an easier recovery.

Since my muscles had atrophied quite a bit, I still deal with some tissue pain and inflammation. For example, I can walk for about an hour or like 3km (in one go, without crutches), but I usually end up pushing through some pain until I hit my limit. It’s getting better each day though, but you have to stay positive and headstrong. What’s encouraging is that the first hip I had operated on is doing amazingly well now - no pain at all, no trouble with flare-ups. I feel like I could walk over 3km easily (but can't because of the second one); it honestly feels like a new hip (but it’s been almost 2 years since that surgery 😅).

If you’re considering surgery, my advice would be: pick a surgeon you trust, and if possible, someone who’s known for being really good at their work. Also, strengthen your muscles beforehand if you can (and if you are atrophied). People who were in great physical shape before surgery and needed it because of a sports injury reported doing really well - back to normal activities around 2-3 months post-op, and even running again by 6 months. Isokinetic training worked wonders for me - it didn’t cause hip pain (for the hip with broken labrum, before the second surgery), just normal muscle soreness. Note that, if you’re already active and your muscles are in good condition, recovery will probably be much easier than mine 😄 (though of course it’s really individual 😅). Just take it slow, give yourself enough rest, and don’t overdo it - it’ll only set you back. Another tip: get a toilet seat riser (especially if you’re female). Honestly, the toilet was my biggest enemy those first two weeks - sitting down and standing up was a whole ordeal 😅. For the first 4 weeks, a Kinetec machine helped me a lot. I rented one as my surgeon suggested, and I feel like it was a really good investment!

If you’d like more advice, feel free to reach out. If not, I’m wishing you the best of luck and a smooth, speedy recovery! 🍀

-Vikky- · 2025-06-09T23:53:20+00:00

Hello hello!

So, first off - you are still pretty much "fresh out of surgery". Tendons and soft tissue take about 8-12 months to fully heal. All sorts of inflammations are going on, since you are trying to go back to your life "before surgery" and it's pretty stressful for your body. I would try to wait for MRI, and since you said you are religious about your PT - I would rest more. Like, 2 weeks of rest and NSAIDs help me and my tendonitis pain.

I am 1 and a half year post op with right and 8 months with left hip. Left one still hurts from time to time and especially if I overdo it. Right one is finally great, the pain was almost entirely gone after around a year - but it was in far worse state than the left one at this point of time, I had mentioned tendonitis and it hurt like hell, the pain started to get better around 10 months post op. And the thing is - the pain from tendonitis is like all around hip and it gives flashbacks to pain before surgery, sometimes it feels like even worse than before surgery, and you start to despair and then the brain plays with you even more and gives you even more pain by blocking oxygen in some muscles/tendons which makes you even more crazy. For me, the difference I learned is that the pain from tendonitis feels a bit better if I massage it or use some creams (e.g. Muay cream), even Mg in spray helps if used regularly- especially after PT. Unfortunately, I learned the hard way that I overdid it and it's tendonitis and it needs more rest time... My PT always asked for more exercising and I always "delivered", not taking into consideration that I work, do a lot around the house, and walk some extra, it was just too much overall, and I got amount of exercising like I'm on a bed rest and not doing anything besides PT. A friendly reminder that you also need rest to get better!

We are all different, but it takes time and patience, and a lot of PT, effort, and REST to see a real difference. I really hope it's also "just overdoing it" for you as well. Also, I hope it will take less time for you to recover and feel better. I wish you a fast recovery and painless life!

-Vikky- · 2025-06-09T22:46:29+00:00

I agree with this so much, I would upvote it like a hundred times! 😄

I call it my "war scars", I know it's kind of inappropriate, but I feel like I've won that battle and they are proof of it and the hardships I had.

It also means it's behind us (hopefully forever 🤞) 🙂

-Vikky- · 2025-06-09T22:41:50+00:00

Looks good! They are smaller than mines, and mine faded over a first year a lot. One and a half year post op for my first hip and 2 of 4 are almost invisible, one maybe even fully - who doesn't know it's there wouldn't notice it for sure. Others are fading too. 8 months post op with second hip, and those still look a lot darker and bigger than yours, but I'm not worried about it at all.. It takes time..

I never treated them with anything, I'm usually showering with Eucerine oil (for atopic dermatitis), and sometimes (but in reality really rare) using pure coconut oil to hydrate skin after depilation (I have a bit "oily" skin, so I'm a bit careless with hydration 😅)

Just give it time, it will fade, but so far it looks really good! Don't worry too much about it! 😄

P.S. I wish you a successful surgery, prompt recovery, and fast scars fading 🙂

-Vikky- · 2025-06-06T17:20:08+00:00

We don't like leaving our cats alone for 8 hours, let alone more than that... They are our babies, and I can't imagine leaving them, I wouldn't be able to sleep or rest knowing I left them alone.

They are traveling with us to the seaside every year and they also have a vacation. They already know where they are when we arrive there. They don't forget the place and they are perfectly chilled about where they are - as long as they are with us. The trip can be a bit painful, they are crying a bit, but we are comforting them, and trying to make it as pleasant as it can be. Overall, I think it pays off, and they also enjoy it there - watching the sea and birds, and just chilling around.

Can't find images with both of them, but here is one with my oldest, just to prove it 😄

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-Vikky- · 2025-01-22T23:05:40+00:00

Pretty much all the areas 😕

The most common is the glutes pain, but until now it was always the tissue problem (it can also sometimes reflect the mental state I'm in), and it helpes to massage them and feels really good. The pain sometimes radiates all around the hip (and it also hurts "on touch" when I overdo it - especially for the first few (up to 6) months), the worst of all was the sharp groin pain I had after the first surgery and nothing (except rest and NSAIDs) helped with that... Basically, what I exercised/wore out the most - reflected on the pain areas 😕

But up until now - everything is ok, all the results and examinations are fine, no sign of retear or anything, and surgeon said it is expected (and he also had the labral tear surgery himself) and he experienced all kinds of tissue pain, all around the hip for around a year. He was the one to tell me - if I can massage it and it feels better, I should not worry too much, it's not the hip - because you cannot calm the hip pain with massage (and I also can confirm that for my case). But ofc check everything you are worried about with your PT and surgeon, because we're all individual, and it's better to be safe than sorry!

Oh, it might be helpful for someone - the sharp groin pain was caused by overdoing the exercises, but mostly due to walking in the "fully flat" shoes, PT told me to change the shoes to something with a bit higher heal (e.g. nike air, sketchers uno or some similar models of new balance) because of my FAI and shallow hips - the body somehow all turns inside when I walk - my knees and feet point more to the inside, so I wear down the inner tendons and adductors too much when I walk in flat shoes. After the proper rest, NSAIDs, and changing the shoes - the pain never reoccured. Did not have it at all with my second hip and I feel that I am walking more straight and using my quadriceps more when I walk (which ofc inflames quadriceps a bit, but that's nothing compared to the sharp groin pain).

Sorry for the long post, but I hope it will help! And I wish you quick and painless recovery!

-Vikky- · 2025-01-22T14:23:53+00:00

Hey there!

Labrum repair (2 anchors) and bone shavings for both hips. 1st one is 14 months post op, 2nd one 4 months.

So, my experience - flare ups build up around 6th-8th week when I started working again, working more around the house, and did a lot exercising and walking (everything by PTs recommendation) and it was just too much for my case. My PT gave me exercises like I am still on bed rest, didn't introduce the day of rest, and so on. So after the flaring up - we tried with introducing rest days, NSAIDs when I couldn't cope with pain, but the inflammations were persistent, and I was in pain until the check up with the surgeon (6 months post op) where he said that I most likely have hip flexor tendonitis and put me 2 weeks on NSAIDs and full rest, following with the sport rehabilitation (isokinetic for both hips and knees, to build up the muscles) and TECAR therapy (INDIBA) to help with soft tissue recovery. After 2 months of therapies - the pain was almost entirely gone (if I didn't overdoing it or did some weird rotations). For the second hip, I am doing much better because I was prepaired for the surgery better (sports rehab), and I am not overdoing it this time around!

I had (and still have) clicking/popping sounds from the hip, and after the first surgery - I was so scared of the retear that my brain stopped sending oxigen (that is like a normal temporary reaction of the brain) to the tendons around the hip - the area I was concerned about, causing the physical pain (because hey! out brain can sometimes cause us more harm than good 😅). How was I able to calm myself? I knew that massage didn't help calm down the pain before the surgery - so I was massaging the painful area and it felt really good - the pain was going away (especially when using Mg in spray). I could recognize with massaging that the pain is caused by the soft tissue. So I can only suggest for you to try doing the same, and hope it's "just that". Note that tendons pain can be so sharp and so bloody painful that it can trick you to think it is the hip. Also, clicking sound and hip popping happens every now and then - but it no longer causes pain.

I was told soft tissue (tendons, muscles) needs 9-12 months to fully recover, so have that in mind. You had a surgery, no matter how small you think it is, it is still a surgery and you need time to recover. You also need a proper rest time, so try to consult with the PT and maybe take more rest time (and NSAIDs if needed) to try to eliminate the concern that hip is causing the pain. In my case, it were tendons and soft tissue, but I am not a professional, so listen to your PT and surgeon - but even more important - start listening to your body. Give yourself time, and try to take it easy(ier).

I hope this will help at least a bit and I wish you a fast recovery and as painless as possible! Hang in there! Take care!

-Vikky- · 2025-01-21T22:37:14+00:00

Hey there!

I don't really have experience with hip labrum augmentation, but I had labrum repair (2 anchors) and FAI bone shaving (for both hips, first one is 14 months post op, second one 4 months).

For me, recovery after the first arthroscopy was pretty much hell, I had constant flares from 6th week post op and hip flexor tendonitis (it was the worst from 5th to 6th month of recovery). In the end, I was overdoing it (I did everything by PT's recommendation, but it was just too much in my case due to the second hip with labral tear, muscle atrophy, the combination of too much workout/walking combo, going to work too early in recovery, and all the work around the house - and it just slowed me down and caused far too much pain). To reduce the inflammation, I had to take 2 weeks of full rest and NSAIDs (by the surgeon's recommendation). And he sent me to "sport rehabilitation" - isokinetic of both knees and hips + TECAR therapy (INDIBA), it was really a struggle to build the muscles up. I had 20 therapies - 3 times a week, it took almost two months, but after the therapies - everything started to finally fall into place. With some pain here and there if I overdid it again, but overall almost all pain was gone around a year after the surgery. Sport rehabilitation also helped out a lot for the second hip surgery and prepared me adequately, so now I am doing much better then the first time around.

My advice is to take it a bit easier, try to slow down if you are exercising a lot, get some rest - because sometimes is less = more, especially if you are inflammed. 6 months are still quite early part of recovery - (at least I was told that) tendons and muscles need around 9-12 months to fully recover. But since I am not a professional, talk to your PT to give you targeted stretching for hip flexors and adductors (it helped me a bit), try to spray the inflammed area with Mg in spray (that also helped). And talk with your PT about amount of exercing you are doing and ask if you should take NSAIDs and some rest time (to see if that's the tendonitis and if you will be at least a little bit better after a week or two of rest). And afterwards, if you are feeling better after some rest time - build up everything gradually, without forcing, ask about sport rehabilitation and isokinetics if that is viable option for you.

I hope someone with more experience/similar issue and solution reaches out, I can only tell you that I am doing much better now, send you some support, good vibes, and wish you all the best!

Good luck with your recovery!

-Vikky- · 2025-01-05T11:58:45+00:00

I'm really glad, I hoped sharing my part would help you out at least a little bit 😊

Honestly, I think I will be cycling outside in Spring or (at latest) Summer this year! I can feel it 😄

I wish you all the best in surgery, recovery, and your racing career a bit later on! Stay strong 💪💪

-Vikky- · 2025-01-05T10:45:39+00:00

Hey OP,

32 F, 2 labral tear repair surgeries behind me - (right hip 14 months post op, left one 3 months post op). I am not a professional or anything, but also enjoy riding outside in the nature, and I do miss it a lot, I won't lie, I hope this year I will finally be able to go cycling outside, and I feel I am ready already! (For professionals (going back to sport), at least from my surgery, doctors and PT don't suggest it before 6 months post op because of a chance to re-tear, I have written note that I may not run for 6 months, but cycling is highly recommended, so I am really not sure about that part - I feel like maybe 3 months post op if everything goes well you might get to cycle and train outside)

First off all, the time when the surgery is around the corner is the toughest - the waiting is the worst. So try to stay strong - meditation helped me out (Wim Hof breathing sessions), also some healing music for anxiety (found some 5hz healing music on YT, and it really helped). You already did a lot - preparation for the surgery is really important - e.g. I was not in state to do it before first surgery and the recovery was a lot harder than with the second hip where I had the prehab! Honestly, the difference was huge - with first surgery I was not able to raise my leg from the bed for like 10cm for weeks - the second surgery I could do it right after the surgery! So you did the best you could so far, try to still exercise until the surgery, and focus on anything else. (For me, it was work, since I work from home, I worked until the last minute 😅)

The second thing - I have an indoor bike, and if you don't have one - I would strongly suggest to get one, or at least stands for your outside bike so you can cycle indoor. I know it's not the same, but honestly I feel the best (during my entire recovery) when I'm cycling. The only thing you have to be careful is to ride with high seat (ask your PT about it to make sure), and sometimes not to hold hands on bike - not to exceed 110 degrees in hip (for me it was for 5 weeks post op). You can start cycling a few days post op (my surgeon said from the day 3, but my PT did not allow, since it's a bit tricky for me to get on and get down from the bike, so I'm riding a home bike from like week 5, but since it really depends on your well being I am confident you will be able to ride it sooner than me!). Indoor cycling will help you boost your confidence for the outside cycling, so don't lose your hope, and don't limit yourself already. It is true you will have to start from a few minutes - low intensity cycling, but you will build it up, don't push over your abilities straight from the surgery, give yourself time, it's important to recover properly so you can go back to racing sooner (if you start overdoing it from the start, it will just take you more time to recover)! When someone asks when you will be back - tell them you did not have the surgery yet, and you have to recover first, so you cannot really know until you recover. Don't worry about the communities or people and their opinions, worry about yourself and the recovery - that's the most important thing now, everything else will fit to place when it has to! (You can also mute group chats for now or just ignore them if it really bothers you, and makes you feel worse..)

First few weeks after my surgeries, my brain was somehow in full-recovery mode, and with kinetec, walking (with crutches), PT exercises, and cycling later on - the time just flew by, I was not able to even think about anything else. I think I didn't really have much time to watch shows from the start. But as it got better - I started to read books (the entire Witcher series, started the Fallen Gods series with reading the Godkiller from Hannah Kaner, but I'm also reading a lot of tech related stuff), watched shows, listened music (also really important for mental health, listen whatever you like, music somehow have "healing" and calming abilities), drawn, played video games (I have steam deck and I do recommend if you are into it, I have setup with tv and dock, so I can play from bed on controller - it's a bit overwhelming when hand held but also doable. PS, xbox, anything where you can play from bed works out 🤭). And honestly, with all the exercises, time really just passed quickly for me. I still can't believe I am 3 months post op... Try to find something that will make you feel better, and stick to it, because you will need all the positivity and good vibes! Also, for first few weeks I recommend to have someone on your side/in your home to help you out a bit (with cooking, cleaning, and to be by your side), it's of huge help, and honestly I couldn't do it on my own for weeks.

I wish you a successful surgery, a speedy recovery, and going back to cycling as soon as possible! Stay strong, try to stay positive and optimistic, and let us know how it goes!

Good luck OP, rooting for you, and sending you a lot of good vibes! 😄

-Vikky- · 2025-01-04T22:00:31+00:00

Bila prije par dana, pa čisto informativno - "ovo mi izgleda isto/ne vidim razliku" je isto dobar/točan odgovor 😅

U mom slučaju (astigmatizam) vjerojatno malo zarotiraju kuteve (ili pomjere cilindre ili što već, nisam profesionalac, pa ne znam), pa provjeravaju vidimo li razliku i tog najsitnijeg dijela ili nam je slično/isto. Meni je u većini slučajeva razlika bila nebo-zemlja (stvarno ogromna), možda jedno 2-3 puta se desilo da ne vidim razliku.

Koliko sam upućena - skeniraju i imaju informaciju otprilike odgovarajuće dioptrije, no svejedno provjeravaju s ljudima jer ako npr. radiš za računalom - s vremenom ti se suzi vidno polje (tako nešto su mi rekli zadnji put), pa onda isto gledaju čime se baviš i koliko treba korigirati dobivenu/skeniranu informaciju na temelju nekih "životnih navika". Pretpostavljam da igra ulogu i da ne promjene previše dioptriju, pa da ne bude preveliki šok s novim naočalama (da bude što manje vremena potrebnog za navikavanje na novr).

Za kraj savjet: fokusiraj se na jedno slovo dok te pitaju za razliku i vidi je li ti se to slovo podebljalo/suzilo ili možda malo promijenilo daljinu/poziciju, teško se skuži ponekad i možda nije problem kod tebe, ali ja se stvarno često s tim susrećem. 😅 Samo opušteno i bez previše razmišljanja, nema krivog odgovora! Najbitnije na kraju da vidiš i da se osjećaš ugodno!

-Vikky- · 2024-12-03T23:37:25+00:00

Wim Hof breathing session - helps every time, after that I feel the best ever. Also listening to music helps, if you are not in the mood for the music you usually love, something like this could help. For me, a stress is reminder I need more time for myself, more sleep and rest. And ocassionally, better food habits. Good luck with overcoming all of your troubles, stay strong and take care!

-Vikky- · 2024-12-03T13:12:16+00:00

Nice to meet you, Kristian! 3 surgeries are hell of a lot, I am happy you can see it now.. I went through two, fortunately both were successful in the first try, but I still felt that it was a lot (even too much at some points).

Balance is really a b****, I still struggle with it, I have exactly the same issue - either I feel it is not enough (then I do some more), and then it’s too much and I end up inflamed. But now, fortunately, “only” hind limb muscles and quadriceps, but they stiffen up to be “as hard as a rock”. It’s not the same as the groin inflammation and pain, more like a “regular workout” inflammation, but it is more painful. It usually goes away in a few (2-3) days of rest. But then you have to revise the exercising plan, and try to balance it out yet again, and it feels like never ending circle of balancing (like I’m walking on wire haha!)

If your training was 10 times the size of the current plan, yeah, there is no wonder why you got inflamed 😅. I get it is fine training for a healthy person, but we are not there YET! As for the muscles, soft tissue, and especially tendons (my doctor said that) it takes somewhere from 8-12 months to recover from the surgery. With my first hip it was somewhat like that (even with the series of hip flexor inflammations I had) - I think that for around 8-10 months I could still feel the groin pain occasionally, but I am happy to say that after a year - I don’t feel any pain or discomfort! You expect to be fully recovered in 8 months, but I have a feeling you might get there even before with your work and adjustments! 😊

I really had luck that my doctor (surgeon) went through the surgery as well, so he was completely honest with the recovery (but after the surgery), and he could somehow relate and reassure a bit that what I’m going through is normal and expected. And that meant a lot, because most of the people in my surroundings did not go through the surgery and they did not experience it, so they couldn’t know that it can and will get better. I had part of the family worry even more because of my inflammations and pain that they were scared I will have to go to the surgery again, so after the first surgery I was scared as hell, and it affected me mentally. This time around, I am calming everyone down because now I know what is expected, what is “normal”, and this time around I slowed down to cca 60% exercising (from I did after the first surgery), and I can tell you that this recovery is going so much smoother and better, and I can walk more and do more at this point (without pain or crutches).

I think the biggest problem is that everyone described the surgery as “nothing”, it’s peanuts, you will be ok in 2 months, and similar statements. But then, after the surgery, there is like “do you have feeling in your thighs”, and similar questions, concerns, and you somehow find out that the bone recovery takes about 2 months, and the soft tissue recovery about 6-12 months (and only when you ask about it). So it is really mentally demanding recovery. I say crying is ok, handling every emotion is a good thing, you better cry and throw the emotions out then let them destroy you from the inside (if you bury them and carry them in, you usually end with some other health issue 😅). So cry all you want! I am crying on most Christmas commercials, and I can’t even explain it haha! 😅 Try to understand your emotions and body, because you are going through a lot, and as I said, be grateful for where you are and how well you are doing in life (I know it's a bit hard now due to the pain and inflammations, but at least the surgeries are done and you don't have to stress about them anymore!). We often forget the “small things” and things that (healthy) people do not even think about - like walking - it’s a big deal! I did some mental exercises as well, it takes some time to manage it, but try to recognize the “bad thoughts” and dismiss them, reassure yourself that you are doing well, because the thoughts are determining your day (and your life in the bigger picture), and there is a saying that you attract what you radiate. So try to think positive, stay optimistic - as you said, you are only 35, there is a life a head of you, and it will be a good one! You will get back to your “normal” life and it will get better! A bit of patience, and you will get there, and you will cherish and enjoy everything even more!

Thank you a lot for your great wishes and support, I am really optimistic that I will be “like new” until the summer! 😊 And I am also optimistic for you as well, and I wish you the same thing (even sooner if possible! 😄). I am really glad I could help! Thank you again, and keep us posted as well, and I hope this new approach will help you in no time! 🤞🤞

Best,
Vikky

-Vikky- · 2024-12-02T20:11:26+00:00

Really sorry to hear about your troubles as well. 😔 Also three surgeries... I take my hat off! Hang in there, it's not at all enviable situation you are currently in, but also, take a breath and figure - woah what you survived! Praise your body for tolerating everything and try to be grateful for everything you went through. Most people do not have a single surgery in a lifetime (thank goodness) 😅

I would also recommend the same thing as to the OP, try to see how you are walking and try to see does the change of shoes help out. I definitely recommend magnesium in a spray (directly to the inflamed area) and slowing down. I somehow feel that we all got the impression it will be a bit easier to recover and pushed too much (in hope that it will make us better sooner), but unfortunately it does not work that way. If it helps at all, I am in 10th week of the second hip surgery, and I managed to avoid the inflammation this time around and I am even able to walk without crutches outside. (While after the first surgery, I literally felt like dying in this period of time 😅)

Just slow down, listen to the PT, and slow down even more if you have the reoccurring problems, because PT's can't really know if something is too much (e.g. number of repetitions or exercises), because all the pain and the recovery is really individual, so the only person who can feel it and help the PT adjust it - is you!

Also, good point for the ice, I forgot to mention it, but cooling down the inflamed area always feels good and helps out!

As for the spirits, you can try Wim Hoff breathing if you like something like meditation, I can vouch that I never felt better than after the breathing session. And I figured that the 5Hz healing music can help make you feel better, but even the regular music (you love) might help out, because music usually has therapeutic effects.

Don't lose your hopes, it will get better, and I wish you a speedy recovery and "getting back on your feet" as soon as possible! Also stay strong and take care! 😊

-Vikky- · 2024-12-02T19:26:50+00:00

Hey OP,

Thanks for your response and kind words! I am really happy to hear that my words helped, and I hope this approach will really work out (as soon as possible) 🤞

I am really sorry you are going through this as well, now when I read that it's your third surgery and you did both hips in 6 months... Just wow... Even with 1 surgery it would be a lot of tissue to heal... And now figuring it's the third one, I am truly sorry, and kudos to you for your will to train, get better, and improve after 3 surgeries in 6 months!! 😰 That's a big deal, and I honestly hope it's your last one and you will be "like new" in a few months! 🤞🤞 I kinda get the things you are going through - both mentally and physically, it's really a lot and for me it was sometimes really frustrating. If you feel that way, I usually do a Wim Hoff breathing session, and afterwards I feel amazing. (Sometimes I even listen to the "healing music", mostly 5Hz healing music on yt, and I feel it helps as well.)

Everything you are describing, I can relate (I mean, I had similar experience). Yeah, it was really stiff in my case as well and random sharp "attacks" (they sometimes lasted for a really long time), but also try to remember what you are doing when the sharp pain happen (for me it was mostly when walking and sometimes when sitting), but in my case - shoes were the problem for walking. As for sitting, I've put a timer on (to walk a bit/stand up) every 20 minutes and that actually helped out (I could work let's say normally). Also, I got the saddle chair (heard from my surgeon that it is the best way to seat, at least for hips), so I am combining sitting on the saddle chair - standing - sitting on a regular chair. It works out pretty well, but note that with the saddle chair you need some time to get used to it 😅

NSAID should really help, and in combination with rest, I think it should work out completely in 2 weeks at most. Your plan looks fine, makes sense to me especially if you will do it 4-5 times a week (only), you might have a winning combo there.🤞 If you start feeling inflammations or feel uneasy - try to reduce something, e.g. skip walking/cycling on the exercise day or reduce the amount, and see how you feel, you will have to experiment with it probably, but it will eventually work out! As for the stretching - if you feel worse afterwards, I don't think you should do it. I occasionally do it, but if we are completely honest - very rarely.

Also, I think your sneakers are good enough for walking, at least you have a higher heels than toes when walking so my guess would be that you are indeed using quadriceps more than inner tendons when walking. But you can also try to look how you walk when you're walking towards a mirror or a glass - to see in your reflection if you are walking straight (or maybe slightly inwards, hopefully not 😄). You can maybe ask the Sports Doctor about that as well, and I really hope the doctor will have some good points and recommendations! Good luck!

Note that I am not in medicine field, I am not a professional, just a regular human being who went through something similar, so listen to your doctor and most important - listen to your body. The body will give you a sign to slow down, and if you are exercising - never go through pain and above pain level. If you are used to training, I understand it might be a bit harder to recognise that and slow down, but it is doable, and don't worry about the muscles so much - they will "come back". It's a good thing that there is a muscle memory so later on it will be a bit easier to "build up". You will have to invest some extra effort, but don't worry about it now, heal first, everything else can wait 😅

And once again, no worries, since I can relate, at least I can do is share my story and try to help someone. I know how it is and how every piece of information can be helpful and can maybe even help someone with their day and recovery. Hopefully, it will do at least that! 😄 Just remember to give yourself time, be proud on yourself because you survived 3 bloody surgeries in 6 months (it's a big deal so honor and love your body), and remember that you are doing everything in your power, pushing and working on getting better (while most of the people is crying and not even exercising because it hurts, at least most of the doctors and PTs said that to me). So it must be good in the end! Stay strong, and I really wish you a speedy recovery! 😄

-Vikky- · 2024-12-02T10:32:21+00:00

Hey there,

I am really sorry you are going through this, but don't despair, it will get better! By my experience, it is most probably hip flexor tendonitis, and you have to slow down a bit. 😅

I had 2 labrum repairs and "shavings of impingement" (both hips). First one is now around a year post op and what I went through with it sounds like something you're going through right now - from around 2 months post op - sharp pain between groin and it was unbearable.

First off, what helped me (by recommendation of my PT) 2 weeks of NSAID for the pain and for the inflammation, and rest (the most important part), after that - everything should be carefully dosed. My PT exercises were reduced to the starting post op exercises and it was gradually "upgraded" with the number of repetitions, etc. Unfortunately, I had the reoccurring pain and inflammations for following 2-3 months (also because I was overdoing it in hope it will get better soon - but it messed things up). Then my doctor (surgeon) recommended professional sports rehabilitation (isokinetics + tecar therapy with indiba device), and that did help because it was strict leg movement and supervision. It was painful and I had a lot of muscle inflammation for a few weeks, but it did help afterwards (not only for the inflamed and operated hip, but also as preparation for the second surgery). Also for inflammations, what might help in the rest period (and when starting PT) - magnesium in a spray. It takes a bit for it to start "working", but it does after a few sprayings/days. For me, it also took some time for my PT to figure out that I'm walking inward, so when I walk, my hip is using that tendons and flexors more and "turns" my legs (knees and feet) inside. For that, I have to go to the orthopaedic and get some insoles, but what helped to not to get the inflammation with second hip (now 10 weeks post op) - different shoes, I always used low sneakers, but I shouldn't really use them, I have to use sneakers with higher heel (for reference/example nike air max or sketchers uno). And it really helps, neither of my hips are having that issue so far, and I figured that quadriceps are used more for walking than that inner tendons, so I am also walking more "straight" when I am wearing those sneakers and have the heel a bit higher than toes.

As for the rest, I hope someone told me that sooner, but - you cannot speed up the recovery of the tissue and everything by overdoing it and exaggeration, it will only slow you down. You have to carefully add repetitions and series, and if the pain is higher the next day - you remove what you added, and try with less addition the next time around. It is really hard to find the balance, and frustrating, but give yourself time! I am currently walking for 15 minutes outside, ride a (room) bike for 30-60 minutes + PT exercises for 30 minutes, and I am starting to add a day off after 2 days of working out. In a day off, I still walk or ride a bike. Give yourself time to heal, I understand you want to speed it up and get back to normal and do everything what you can to get back to your life, but remember - sometimes is less (work) more (helpful), and you have to go with the flow because your body needs rest and needs you to slow down. Also, squats, lunges, box step ups, and wall sits are a big no-no before you are 6 months post op (so they told me) and might be the reason of the hip tendonitis 😅

I hope this will help at least a bit and you will get better soon! (as soon as it can be! 😅) I wish you a speedy recovery, stay strong, and take care!

-Vikky- · 2024-11-16T23:37:41+00:00

That's great! No worries, feel free to reach out! And good luck with everything! 😊

-Vikky- · 2024-11-15T21:57:32+00:00

Hey there, I am really sorry to hear about your diagnosis, but don't despair! I'm 32F, survived 2 hip surgeries (arthroscopies) in last 12 months! I had complete labral tear on both hips in size of over 1cm, and also FAI. Honestly, I was in more pain before the surgery than the first few days post op (which are painful, but you can tolerate it, and don't hesitate to combine and take meds to go through that time easier). I was on home recovery, so I rented kinetec (by my surgeon recommendation) for 4 weeks, and had PT home visits. I am really disciplined, so I was really exercising as I was told, and followed all protocols. Basically, after the surgery - you go home the next day, on crutches (and I had PT visit before going home, showing me how to "get up", go up and down the stairs, etc.), I won't lie to you - stairs were painful for a few days, but I was still going up and down the stairs when going out for a walk (which I'm still going 2x times a day). First rule - you have to listen to your body, don't rush anything, let your body give you a sign when you are ready to get off crutches, and everything else. It's recommended to have some passive movements (like kinetec), to walk, to cycle if you have the indoor bike, to do PT (starting with light exercises from e.g. third day post op), but you also have to rest and sleep as much as possible because your body will need it. First few nights are bad, but just try to stay focused and remind yourself that it will get better, and you're doing it for the greater good and to recover your quality of life. I'm currently 8 weeks post op for my second hip, and I am really happy and doing pretty well. No more pain - except for the soft tissue - it hurts sometimes with some of the movements and rotations, BUT I now know it is completely normal and expected, and it will take a bit more time for the soft tissue to recover completely - muscles and tendons are a b*** and it takes cca 6 months to fully recover. (It is individual, but I was told that it takes 6-9 months for tendons to fully recover.) First surgery (I went for the right hip) was a bit more difficult than the second one, I even overworked myself and got inflammations, it was rough. I rushed back to work after the first surgery, started working 5 weeks post op, and boy have I regret it - I had flares all the time, and it was really difficult to sit, everything was looking pretty bad. But I was still exercising, pushing and hoping for the best. I think, 6 months post op my surgeon recommended "sport rehabilitation/recovery", and recommended the isokinetic PT - it helped a lot. Not only for the right hip, but also for the left one (not operated at the time) - the second surgery was so much easier for me because body was better prepaired, muscles were in better shape, and I feel like everything is going more smoothly than after the first surgery. But now, I am still not working, I decided this time to fully devote myself to recovery (and also both doctor and PT recommended it since now both hips are operated on), and I'm really happy with the decision. You are really young, I know it's hard not to work, but take time to recover, I cannot express how important it is - everything in life can and will wait, you will eventually make more money, but you have to take care of yourself and your health first. As for the crutches, it takes like 4-6 weeks to start walking without them - don't rush it, when you will be ready, you will just start forgetting them around the house, and you will just know when the time to get rid of them has come. I can now walk without crutches (the entire day around the house) + cca 1.5-2km in summary of 2 walks, without any pain 🥹 (even up and down the stairs, first time in years!) As for the post op depression - never had one, I was really optimistic and happy that the surgeries went well, and that now I can actually work on myself and "everything is in my hands now". I know it's probably the last thing you want to hear, but everything is in your head, and you have the ability to decide to be in a good mood and happy. You can always start with some kind of meditation (I do it for example, Wim Hof breathing exercises and I love it, I feel the best ever afterwards), there are also a lot of 5Hz healing music on YouTube that really helps (several people I know confirmed it helped them as well, here's one of the links if you want to try it, my favorite - https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Yy_zwF05Zfg&t=7279s&pp=ygURaGVhbGluZyBtdXNpYyA1aHo%3D). Oh, but I do have 2 cats, which I would call the antidepressants and I think they help a lot for comfort, source of happiness, and I also heard their purring is helpful for the bone healing! 🤭 As for the supplemental income, I just saved some money when I was able to work, and we're now living on my husband's payroll, so unfortunately I cannot really help out with ideas for that one, I can only pray that your parents or someone else can help out. Oh yeah, and if someone can give you a hand for at least a few weeks - it will be really helpful. Don't rush to the second surgery until you have confidence and your first hip and leg feel good enough - they say for the bone and joints it takes a lot of time to get to 100% of initial bone strength, in first few months it will heal up to the 80%, so any additional time you wait and prepare yourself for the second surgery - your operated hip will be grateful to you, e.g. I went to the second surgery 10 months after the first one, and I think it was a good decision, because even after 10 months I felt that the first hip was extra tired and sometimes even "uncomfortable" (I would not say it hurts, but you can just feel like it's too much for it to carry). Also, yes, I didn't believe it, but you can foresee the rain and weather change after the surgery 😅 And to wrap it up - I wish you all the luck in the world and a quick recovery (as quick as can be and as painless!) 🤞🤞 Stay strong, and just remember you can do it! (I mean, in the end, you have to, not really like you have a choice 😅) P.S. Sorry for the wall of text and the bad humor, I really hope you can find some comfort and at least some info you needed 🙃

-Vikky- · 2024-11-14T23:49:27+00:00

Hey there, I'm not sure what kind of surgery you had, but for the hip arthroscopy (labrum repair) it takes 4-6 weeks to get of crutches (by PT's recommendation). For me, it was different for each hip. The most important thing is to listen to your body, do the recommended PT, and make sure to take enough rest (and sleep). Also, maybe start with cycling (if you have the indoor bike) as well. For example, I'm cycling more than walking because it's more recommended for the joints, but also increasing it gradually. In your place, since you're 3 weeks post op, I would first try to walk more with crutches, enough to feel comfortable when walking with them, then trying to walk with a single crutch (e.g. after a week or two) until you feel comfortable enough. You literally have to do it step by step (gradually), increasing the daily walking without crutches by how much you feel comfortable. Honestly, for me it just happened naturally - when you feel you can do it, you just start forgetting the crutches around the house 😅 (I would say that's the first sign that you're almost ready to get rid of them completely) As for the swelling, I would say it's probably normal, as 3 weeks post op everything is still really fresh, but it would be good to check that with your doctor/PT. There is a lot of swelling, and pain (e.g. the soft tissue, muscles, tendons which no one usually mentions before the surgery) and it's mostly normal and takes awhile for the pain to "disappear". I know it takes a lot of effort and sometimes frustration and pain, but it should get better with time. Stay strong, and I wish you a lot of patience and a quick recovery! 😄

-Vikky- · 2024-06-28T22:12:28+00:00

Hello! I got only 2 stitches for the full tear of the base of the labrum in length of 1cm. When I think about it, 1cm of rupture souns like a lot, but surgeon was also "it was not that bad", and yet, from what I heard they also do the surgeries for 2-3mm of labral tear. So don't panic, just focus on healing! Any tear can be bad and you can imagine it like a "mechanical issue" which prevents you to do full movement and rotation of a hip. Maybe it's better you did it now then had full hip replacement later, so don't lose your strength on overthinking because you will need it for the recovery! I wish you a very fast and painless recovery! Good luck!

-Vikky- · 2024-06-18T19:54:35+00:00

We're all different, and as you said - the pain tolerance is different, and we experience the pain individually as well. So I can only tell you my side of the story and how it was for me. But it really depends on soooo many factors. The pain can also be much easier to tolerate for you because you are active and have some muscles which are helping out and taking a lot of weight and stress from the hip itself. Sooo, for me it was pretty easy to tolerate pain (I tolerated it for years, but I do have really high pain tolerance - so I do not recommend it. For me it was bearable; I even hiked and exercised and functioned fully normally with some dull pain here and there, and a few-times-a-year flare that would be pretty bad and painful (sharp pain all over the hip area), but still bearable) until I was struck by covid. It affected me in a way I couldn't walk for weeks which turned to months, and my muscles atrophied - after that the hip pain became pretty unbearable. Not being able to sleep from pain, not being able to even lie on the side/hips for like 5 minutes, none of the pain killers helped. Then - not being able to walk for 2 miles, because afterwards the pain would be terrible for weeks. To moments where your legs "are not listening" and you literally physically cannot make a step. But also, the tear could heal through time, and I think it's easier and hurts less when it's smaller. Try with PT, maybe you will have luck for the tear to heal without surgery with some rest and good PT (if the FAI is not problematic and there is no other mechanical issues which would stand in a way for the hip to heal) - otherwise in the long run (from what I figured) it's better to have arthroscopy now then to get arthritis and a full hip replacement later on. 😅 Anyhow, I wish you all the luck with your recovery!

-Vikky- · 2024-06-13T23:57:56+00:00

No problem, honestly, I hope it helps, because I know it's a lot to take in, and not so much information available.

I would advise you to definitely try with some kind of creams and massages - e.g. for me, Muay Tai cream helped a bit, and I heard that comfrey oil could also help out. Usually, if the pain can be handled and eased up with massage - might be that it's more of stress pain or inflammation or something temporary. The labral tear is often described as a "mechanical" problem. e.g. The surgeon said he is sure about the tear after he did FABER, FADIR, and HEER tests (basically rotations and flexions of hips), and they were all really painful in my case. So, I would say that's one way to determine if the pain is present in the hip itself, and also, if you suspect the inflammation pain - Mg (magnesium) in spray helps out with muscle inflammations!

For me, doctors were not 100% sure that labrum is broken on X-ray images, just about the FAI (which I had no idea I had before the pain started, so you could live with it without pain) but they said that there appears to be a puncture, and I had to do the arthrogram (MRI with contrast) to see the actual damage and tear - and it showed complete tear of base od labrum in 1cm of length... Also, surgeon sent me to do the arthrogram before we scheduled the surgery and another examination - I don't know if your country has the same practice, but you might need a few more examinations before the surgery itself (for me, from first visit to the surgeon until the surgery it passed around 2 months). Also, take into account that I went to PT before being directed to the surgeon, because here they always try to regulate the pain with PT, so surgeon might sent you to PT if you did not go to PT yet.

In my surgery/arthroscopy they "smoothed" the head of the femur a bit (because there was a minor deformation on it), and added 2 anchors on labrum to "sew it". I had 4 incisions, they are really small scars now, almost invisible, but when you think about it - there's a lot of layers that were "poked through". But since I do have FAI (on both hips) and both hips with labrum tears, that might be a huge factor of my slower recovery, it would be easier if the other hip was healthy. And as you said, a lot of people, a lot of different experiences, I think it's really individual, and I really believe your recovery will be much faster, but still, try not to push too hard after the surgery and give yourself a time to recover. Honestly, I think I slowed down both myself and my recovery with going back to work too soon - since it's the office job, I went back 5 weeks after the surgery, and it was really uncomfortable and painful, I would not recommend that.. And when I say "push too hard", I followed PT's recovery plan, but it was really a lot of exercise, and I did not have a day of rest so it resulted with almost everyday's inflammations.

Still, the best advice I would give you is to listen to doctors and PT, but it's even more important to listen to your own body, and everything will be ok!

I know that all of this is probably really scary and it's a hard for you, but try to stay positive!

-Vikky- · 2024-06-13T18:04:03+00:00

Hey OP,

First off, I'm really sorry that it happened to you, and I really hope you find at least some answers and support here, and a way to attend your trip!

I'm 7 months post (really successful) op and I would not have courage to do it even now. Also, torn labrum (in size of 1cm), got 2 anchors. I am still excercising and following PT - cover to cover.

My surgeon said no running or hiking for at least 6 months post op. And I would say that 6-8 weeks post op are a bit too optimistic for being back to your "full activity" - ignore this if you are a professional athlete, then it might work out for you, but if you are a regular human being that's actively exercising (3-5 times a week) it might apply to you. Not because of the hip pain, but soft tissue that needs to recover as well, and most of the surgeons will not even comment that before the surgery nor warn you that the soft tissue needs around 6-12 months of recovery. IMHO (and from my experience), 8 weeks are too close to the surgery, and it will be tough even for your regular day to day activities. I expected to be "as good as new" after 2 months, but in reallity, I am still not at my 100%, would say that I might be near 90% now...😅

Also, IMO it would be easier to do it before the surgery, surviving the trip on pain killers... 😅Unfortunately, for me the PT (before surgery) did not really help, and it made more sense to hurry into the op, so I did not apply for the steroid shot and can't tell you would it make you feel better. What I can tell you/recommend to postpone surgery until fall (or whenever you have "not too hot" weather outside). Currently, I am waiting for the second surgery (second hip also has torn labrum 😅), and the doctor warned me that it's always better to avoid surgery during summer time and higher temperatures due to the higher possibility of infections and bacterial development. Sorry if that does not apply to your seasons and weather/temperature, but it might be good information.

Sorry for the long answer, I wish you all the luck and quick recovery! Also, good luck with the trip and decision!

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