i am stuck at a place i feel like i will never get out of.
my hip doesn't like a lot of different kinds of activities and it doesn't like no activity. where is this balance, this magical place that i am supposed to find? why can't someone just tell me exactly what to do and how to do it?
i have been reading up on some other people's post op advice and experiences and i finally came across a guy on facebook who i really think has it nailed down. he has had three hip surgeries to get the post op thing down. his honesty and candidness was refreshing. so many of us try to keep a positive outlook on how we are doing, giving advice on what is making our post op amazing; the reality is that this sucks! this guy was honest enough to say that the recovery process, in reality, takes two years.
so here are some of his words for insight. you can look them up on the understanding hip impingement, fai group on facebook (Tuesday 5.17.11, Justin Ross):
In effort to provide some concerned post-op patients some relief please allow me to share my personal experiences with labral tears and FAI treatment. Short story, I had two hip arthroscopy's on my right and one on my left. My first was poorly done and impingement was not addressed, thus resulting in a second tear and a subsequent surgery. All three of my labral tears were vividly triggered while doing aggressive stretching. It should be noted I am athletic, but not an athlete.the conversation continues with great back and forth about post op if you want to take a peek at it...
Intense stretching and PT people do is great for athletes that NEED to quickly get back to there job being athletic and can accept the long-term consequences of rushing rehab. In reality, the hip is unlike any other part of the body, and it requires much more time and rest for it to recover (i.e. Minimum of 6 weeks for hip tears of the muscles/tendons/etc (excluding labral tears). It will take TWO years for the hip to recover from surgery, although relief and surgery benefits can be felt much sooner (i.e. Phillibon telling A. Rodriguez at his two year follow that he can now push his body). Many other surgeons can attest to this.
Achieving range of motion is great, but stretching like a ballerina will only put you back in the hospital because hips are not naturally designed to be subjected to extreme angles. Aggressive stretching and PT after surgery prolongs recovery because the body simply just needs time to repair itself (that is what inflammation does, albeit it is not comfortable and is quickly confused with something wrong happening).
Simply put, walk, gently stretch, ensure range of motion, trust you used a quality surgeon and let your hips relax after surgery. Personally, I spent two years visiting every prominent hip specialist and sports hernia specialist on the East coast surveying the best treatment and getting their anecdotal experiences because let's be honest, empirical evidence in medicine has its gray areas and underlying agenda if it is published.
Anecdotally speaking, I learned the best results are from those folks who did not follow their surgeons instructions to do PT because they could not afford it. They had quicker recovery times. I tried this approach on surgery number three and can attest to rest and range of motion being superior to stressing a recently operated hip with aggressive activities. I re-injured both hips post op stretching, not running or kicking, but educated stretching.
I value forums such as this one because they are a source of optimism and information about our hip conditions. Please let me know if I can offer further insights. The road to recovery is long, but it does bring many patients to a happier place, a place in which you do not feel your hips, and to me, I love being active and not noticing I have hips. Best wishes.
