Surfing & Hip Replacement

General Discussion
21

Mike,

**I totally agree.  I only mentioned my hip surgeries.  But I have had both ears done (surfers ear),   I have had both Carotid arteries cleaned out, & had 2 angiograms without any intervention and got over a pinched nerve by doing traction at home which let me avoid surgery on my neck.  This all started about 10 years ago just before my 54 th birthday.   Before that I felt like I was 18 years old.   I am still trying to get back into my  old shape and weight and am still surfing although primarily in warm water.
**

As they say getting old is not for pussies.

**
**

**Jim
**

 

 

22

hi, i remember asking the same questions about 3 years ago when my hips needed sorting out, i was about 45 or so when i first started feeling something was/nt quite right , it took another 5 years before i really needed the hips done,

so i was just turned 50 when i had the first one done , i was supposed to have a resurfacement but to cut a long stort short i ended up with a metal on metal full hip replacement because my femural neck split when the surgeon was hammering in the resurfaceing cap ,

it all took a long time to heal and regain strength but a year later almost to the day i had the other side done ,

this one was a lot better and i have full mobility in this hip with a bit less in the first hip ,

i have gone back surfing with no pain ,i am a bit rusty and my paddle strength needs to get better but i am having a few waves more each time i go out , i don/t feel its my hips that is holding me back but just the fact that i have been out of the water for so long ,

i would echo easterns advice ,if your hips need sorting out its better sooner than later , navek 

23

ME: 55 ,restricted movement in right hip ,difficulty putting on socks ,shoes ,winter booties,Dad dancing is limited much to relief of my kids

Another perspective. I am sure you have been on internet and found lots of info to reassure and frighten you .I will try to keep it short .

I went to doctor with hip pain and diagnosed hip replacement . Pain very severe at night waking up every two hours. Operation planned but I am freelance and had to cancel op because of work . Meanwhile friend recommended changing diet -plenty on this on internet - and this relieved pain at night where i have no problem sleeping at all. Twelve months later meet another surgeon for op who this time recommends waiting for operation as I am not taking pain killers on a regular basis and longer I can hold it off chances are I will only need one hip replacement before I join Elvis.

Effects on surfing ; I narrowed a long board alla Meyerhoffer shape but i love my Vaqueros so what do is lay on my board or lean across it,like leaning at a bar .This is favourite as you can keep moving it and keep it supple.It was the sitting and stretching of the hip which caused the pain that lasted days after my sessions.As a result I am all most pain free.

I must say that this is my experience and i am not critical of any other posts.I am not against the operation and will one day have to have . Every one has to make their judgement

Just ame back from two day trip and slept in the car for a dawny .Vaqueros flew

cheers

mpcutback

24
[quote="$1"] I went to doctor with hip pain and diagnosed hip replacement . Pain very severe at night waking up every two hours. Operation planned but I am freelance and had to cancel op because of work . Meanwhile friend recommended changing diet -plenty on this on internet - and this relieved pain at night where i have no problem sleeping at all. Twelve months later meet another surgeon for op who this time recommends waiting for operation as I am not taking pain killers on a regular basis and longer I can hold it off chances are I will only need one hip replacement before I join Elvis.
Effects on surfing ;  I narrowed a long board alla Meyerhoffer  shape but i love my Vaqueros so what do is lay on my board or lean across it,like leaning at a bar .This is favourite as you can keep moving it and keep it supple.It was the sitting  and stretching of the hip which caused the pain that lasted days after my sessions.As a result I am all most pain free.
Just ame back from two day trip and slept in the car for a dawny .Vaqueros flew
cheers
mpcutback [/quote]
Very glad you brought this up!!! Many surgeries are unnecessary when done and could be put off years or forever!  There are two huge factors that M.D.'s are almost totally ignorant of due to lack of training in school and too busy to find out later (plus a certain rigidity in some minds  ;)  )
1) Soft tissue supports the joints and controls the mechanics of their use.  Cumulative small even micro-injuries, as well as more major ones, can cause little adhesions, scar tissue, trigger points, etc in the soft tissue (muscles, tendons, fascia...) and impinge on joint mechanics.  This will increase wear and tear of normal use and at least as important, can cause acute pain!  Often, expert deep tissue work by sports massage specialist, trigger point specialist, Rolfer, Aston Patterner, etc can give amazing, very long term, pain relief and increased functional ability.  There is a reason that all the top sports pros have massage and physical therapy type people on their staffs.
2) Inflammation is the killer.  The situation above in #1 causes localized inflammation.  Even worse, diet can cause systemic, chronic inflammation.  Lack of the countless micronutrients in real food, an overly acidic diet, chemicalized synthetic food-like substances, heavily processed and extracted "foods", etc will dramatically accelerate joint degeneration over time.  I don't mean to single anyone out but this sort of thing -- "I have had both Carotid arteries cleaned out, & had 2 angiograms" -- is almost 100% caused by diet.  Artery blockage is ultimately caused by systemic inflammation irritating the artery and causing "sores" there.  The body's best attempts to seal and heal those inflammed sores becomes the plaque that must be reamed out!  If you have kids, recent evidence is growing that "malnutrition"/poor nutrition is a major factor in development of osteoarthritic joint degeneration later in life.  So do some research and get the whole family on board.  You will same lots of surf travel dollars that might have otherwise been force spent on medical care.
No body wants to hear this stuff.  All your "favorite foods" are likely on the block here!  But it is your life and getting older can you can still be highly functional and athletic or miserable and broken down. You may live even rusted joints and clogged coronary arteries.  Not as long perhaps, but plenty long enough to regret it.
Ok, rant over.  I now return control of your television sets to you...
25

The operation was where they make about a 10 inch incision down the side of your hip, cut the ball off your femur and pound a titanium replacement into your femur.  They screw a titanium piece into the socket that the ball fits into.  The whole titaniium thing is designed for your bones to grow through so that it becomes very strong.  The screw disolves over time. 

I was in the hospital for 3 days.  They got me up and walking on crutches the day after the operation.   A physical therapist got me going up and down stairs the second day because I live in a two story house.   I was driving within 6 weeks and surfing after 4 months. 

 

 

Jim

26

I totally agree that diet is very important and was the cause of my problems.   However, at some point when all of the cartliage is gone from your joint impoved diet and deep tissue massage won’t solve the problem.   After several years of dealing with the problem I came upon a book “Heal Your Hips”  I tried everything I could.  Water thereapy, massage etc.  Eventually I made an appointment with the Dr. that wrote the book “Heal Your Hips”.  His name is Robert Klapper.  He is located in Beverly Hills.  I was worried that I needed the operation and wouldn’t be able to surf anymore.  When I walked into his office I saw a vintage Micky Dora Da Cat model board hanging on the wall.  I figured I was at the right place.  He exrayed me in his office and told me that I needed both hips done.  I asked him about  holding off so that I wouldn’t need to do a second operation in my lifetime.  He told me that if I held off I would not be walking correctly and this would have a bad impact on my back over time.  He said that the implants would last 30 years and then would probably only require a change in teflon.   He, also, assured me that I would be able to surf with my new hips.  He put me in touch with a guy from Santa Cruz who  had  a double replacement and was still surfing.  I decided to go for it.  It totally solved my problem.  I no longer even think about my hips.  I still surf.  I go for 3 to 5 mile walks everyday.  (before it was hard to walk around the grocery store)  It is great.  By the way I didn’t believe Dr Klapper immediately and got a second opinion before scheduling the surgery.

 

Jim

 

27

“However, at some point when all of the cartliage is gone from your joint impoved diet and deep tissue massage won’t solve the problem.”

 

Absolutely!  That’s why it is so important to do proper “body maintenance” on an ongoing basis.  It is true though, that proper nutrition and attention to biomechanics of joints etc will have a big effect the development of other problems down the line, not just other joints but metabolic issues as well like cardiovascular disease, diabetes, high blood pressure, all of which can actually be reversed by diet…  You can also significantly reduce your risk for many cancers.

28

I completley agree and have changed my diet, exercise regime etc. 

29

Rested my hip for 12 days after experiencing a lot of discomfort during my previous go out.  Surfed today (carefully) and had no trouble.  Still going to keep my medical appointment to have it evaluated, but I’m hoping this is a good sign.

30

Glad it worked out. As a matter of interest what type of operation did you have and what make of “hip”

cheers

Mpcutback

31

double clicked . Sorry

32

     Howzit Epacman, I have a friend who went through hip replacement and was back in the water 3 weeks after the operation. It was some new procedure and they even had my friend and another guy who had the same op plus the doctor in the Garden Island newspaper with pics and all. If I was still on Kauai I would go talk to my friend and get more info for you. Aloha,Kokua

33

bailykai - I too used Dr Klapper at Cedars Sinai. I’m not sure how much info has been covered here, but I know a few things about your type of procedure ( there are many). You don’t have any Teflon on your body. You have a highly cross linked polyethylene, which has a 90% greater wear rate  compared to the predecessor. That’s why he said 30 year before a revision might be needed. With the revision, only the polyethylene sleeve needs replacing which accounts to about 10% of what the original surgery was. The Titanium head’s now have a porous coating on them which allows the bone to grown around it and integrate with the prosthesis. The book is a good reference, as is “Heal your Knees” by Kapper / Hughey.

From what I’ve learned going through both hips, is that you can pretty much get back what you had before if you are willing to do some work on your own after healing up after the surgery and restrictions. Find the best surgeon that you can, even if you have to travel to see him or her.

 

http://www.completept.com/

 

Heal Your Knees and Hips

Person suffering from knee pain

Tired of Knee or Hip Pain?

Don't let painful knees or hips ruin your life. Learn how these joints function and how to do self-diagnostic tests. Follow the pool and land workouts that guide you step by step to banish pain.

 

34

Finally got an orthopedic surgeon’s evaluation of my problem hip.  He says I have a couple of bone spurs, some degeneration of the “joint-cushioning” cartilage, a benign cyst near the hip socket and a genetic condition which involves a “pistol grip” shaped “ball” on the upper end of both my femurs.   On a “normal” femur, the ball is almost perfectly round and is undercut to allow proper range of motion.  I guess the deformity of mine limits the range of motion and makes me more prone to arthritis in that area, which the doc says is the cause of my discomfort. He pointed this all out on my x-rays, which made it easy to understand what he was taliking about.

 

The good news is that I don’t need replacement surgury…yet.  He just advised me to maintain proper weight (I’m 5’10" / 165 pounds) avoid running and jumping (impact activities) and take Ibuprofin if needed before I surf. 

 

Oh well, at least it isn’t cancer and doesn’t require immediate surgery (at my age, 61, you have to take what you can get). Hopefully, there will further medical advancements in treatment by the time I need to resort to surgery.  In the mean time, guess I’ll just keep ridin’ waves til I start fallin’ down.

35

Aloha nui, Kokua,

 

Good to hear a success story. Not sure what the new procedure is, but if folks can recover quickly that's progress. I'm not happy to hear you're struggling with the big C. Hang tough and think positive. I try to do that, but not always successful.

I know it's not for everybody, but after my recent hip dislocation (it was a minor one, technically a subluxation) I started seeing a naturopath doctor. He's got me on a temporary special diet that helps get the body clean and healthy. The theory is that by being careful with what you eat you can help your body to fight off disease and injury, and you can win that fight.

I thought I knew all about that stuff, but it wasn't until I was really hurtin' that I decided to try it myself. If it sounds interesting to you I'll pass on what I know with some tips on where to look for more info. Sorry, no plate lunch tho'...

 

36

I had a hip replacement 5 years ago and have been surfing right up until last week. My experience might be instructive. First off, all metal large femoral head hardware is a good choice for active people. Secondly, rehabilitation is crucial. The more effort you put into rehab, the better your results. That said, I get to  my feet more slowly than pre-surgery so I've started riding floatier boards. Even so, my take offs can be sketchy and backside is tougher than frontside.

Last week I borrowed a big floaty longboard for a session where a long interval southern hemi meant long waits. I was knee paddling a lot more than I have in years, make that decades. Kneeling is one of the activities that are risky when you're firsts recovering, but I'd never had a problem before. Sitting with your knees far apart is also risky, but likewise, it was never an issue for me before. I practice yoga daily.

My mistake was going from sitting on the board to kneeling on the board, and vice versa. That motion places your legs in a very risky position. To knee paddle you typically build up speed by prone paddling first, then hopping up to the knees. That helps with balance. But I had a board that floated so well I could go direct from sitting to kneeling. Bad idea. You do not want to ever have your knees together and your feet apart after you get a new hip. That's what happens when you pull your feet up past the rails to kneel on the deck. I didn't feel anything at the time, but started feeling like I was getting leg cramps. Bad leg cramps.

I paddled to shore, walked up the beach and tried everything to get rid of the cramps. Nothing worked. They kept getting worse until I decided I had to leave. I picked up my board and took a step and collapsed. I did that twice. I had a partial dislocation, known as a subluxation. People frequentrly pass out from the pain. People have died after passing out if nobody is around to help. I was lucky...but I'm out of the water for at least 3 weeks, possibly 3 months.

37

My father had hip replacement and popped his completely out twice. He was older and had poor muscle tone which didn’t help any, but for example one of those times was when bending to put lotion on dry legs.  It was exactly as you say, internal rotation of the hip. He finally learned the mantra, “knees apart/heels together”

38

Poor guy. I'm assuming that since you didn't mention surgery he was able to avoid that. I believe muscle tone was a factor in my hip subluxation. Pre-surgery we all have a tough 'capsule' of connective tissue helping to hold the joint together. That gets cut away during the total hip replacement procedure and I'm not clear about the long term regeneration of that tissue, which doesn't get the same sort of circulation that muscle fibers do. Anybody know to what extent joint capsules recover?

I keep reasonably fit, but I believe the muscles surrounding the hip joint were fatigued. After a winter of inactivity, I had worked my leg muscles hard in an attempt to get fit in a short amount of time. To spread to the workouts to different muscles I was surfing a variety of boards as well as biking hills and kicking myself into waves with flippers and a pneumatic surf mat. Add to that some low level dehydration and the joint was evidently very vulnerable.

Hope this is helpful to anyone out there contemplating a hip replacement (or hip resurfacing) and especially anyone putting their new parts to the test. Pay attention, stay in shape and hydrate.

39

I sell ortho implants and the above mentioned is correct…a larger diameter femoral head replacement will potentially give you a better chance at not dislocating your new total hip post-op…the head is very important, but also equally important are the stem design (this goes into your proximal femur and is what the big “ball” sits on), the “cup” and its liner that are put into your acetabulum…but there are many factors that will contribute to a good surgical outcome…

Some of the main factors are implant design (these differ vastly from one company to another), surgical technique (posterior or direct anterior), implant material (cobalt chrome, titanium, highly cross linked polyethylene) surgeons skill, proper rehab facilities, patient compliance post-op…

There are several implant companies currently being sued for selling questionable total hip replacements …due some homework!

 

 

 

 

40

Yes, no surgery after the original replacement.  He was ambulance driven to hospital and they just popped it back in and put him in a big brace for a week or so until inflammation went down.  No pain meds at all until after it was back in place.  He was pissed!