Femeroacetabular Impingement

Good to hear that everyone seems to do be doing well. I'm three weeks post op now and really glad I bought an exercise bike. It's keeping me sane. Also really enjoying my weekly hydroptherapy session.

loverunning - how's your PCT case going? Have they sorted it all out yet?

Pipes - good luck for your MRA tomorrow. Hope all goes well

Hi Sue and thanks for the good luck wish for tomorrow. Can anyone tell me what the dye injection was like - did it hurt/ make you stiff & sore afterwards?

You seem to be keeping positive after your op, Sue. I remember the weeks post-op before I was allowed to do any cardio except the exercise bike - I was hooked on it for sanity's sake! Do you feel that the recovery is going well? What do you have to do in hydrotherapy? That's something I never had.

How are you doing now, Martyn? Have you had any more post-op checks with the surgeon yet? When are you able to run again? Charndon's coming up next month - I'll be out marshalling again this year. One year, we'll be back running there...

Things aren't quite as bad with my other hip at the minute. A friend doing a massage course has been working on my quads and glutes, which have been suffering and tight. I have also been doing more cycling, stretching, swimming and aquajogging, so things feel generally looser. The sharp pain in the hip is still there, but at least I don't feel quite so old and decrepit. Must do a spinning class when I'm a bit fitter as you suggested, Sue.

Hi Pipes, The actual dye injection didn't hurt. They injected local anaesthetic in first. Can't remember that hurting either! The joint did feel quite sore afterwards, though. This extra soreness lasted for about seven days and then it gradually settled back down again. I also felt a bit out of sorts for a day or two (but then I did have mine in the week before Christmas and I was rushing around like a mad thing!). I'd make sure you don't plan anything too hectic for tomorrow. Take it easy! I was treated as a NHS patient at a private hospital and there was an option to pay for hydro myself. It's £20 for a small group session with a physio that lasts for half an hour. I'm down for 6 sessions. The exercises are pretty similar to the ones I've been given to do on land, but you seem to be able to do more in the water. We also did sideways walking, star jumps, etc. Good luck!

Hi Sue - good news re your post op recovery.

No decision yet, but did take it up with my local MP and was told on Monday to expect a decision by the end of this week on my funding case...a triage meeting is taking place and if I fit the Bradford criteria/pathway then I'm hoping for some good news....watch this space!!!!

Hi Pipes, I had the contrast dye MRI and whilst it didn't hurt during the procedure, afterwards, almost immediately afterwards, I was very sore and much stiffer than normal - this lasted a few days. Hope it goes ok.

Thanks for your experiences with the dye, loverunning and Sue - very helpful. I plan to go back to work after (teaching), but will sit down!

Best of luck with the decision, loverunning - sounds hopeful! Will keep an eye out for a result in the next week or so.

I've been swimming and aquajogging again tonight - it really is refreshing and good to feel like I'm doing some sort of exercise. I still feel like a rubbish swimmer, but don't care if it gets me out of breath!

Funding agreed for my hip arthroscopy!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Referral now to Mr Conroy at Harrogate, no idea of timeframe should know more next week - so happy at the thought of getting fixed

Fantastic news, loverunning!! Must be such a relief for you. Hope you aren't waiting too long now.

MRA done - injection was fine and, although I had to go into the machine head-first, the MRI was fine. Just got to wait for results now.

Hello fellow hip people.  Have been lurking on here for a while, and think I even posted a while back.  Had my right hip arthroscoped 19 days ago and they found (and repaired) laberal tear as expected.  Also found the labrum had come away from the bone so (in simple terms) stuck it back on.  Had the same hip arthroscoped for a labral tear 8 years ago where they just simply repaired the tear.  This time it was a new tear and they checked for any impingement at the same time.  No bone impingement but they did find a mass of fatty tissue which would have caused pain as well as impingement, so this was removed. 

Obviously I have had more done this time than last time round, but I really cannot remember being in this much pain the first time it was done.  Have only just started to stop using crutches and I am continuing to take paracetamol to get through the day (have been taking Tramadol at night as well), last time I clearly remember not having to take any pain killers after leaving hospital.  I would be interested to know how much pain other people had after their arthroscopies, once coming off crutches.  I know everyone is different and it does significantly depend on what was done surgically, but suppose I am just looking for reassurance that all is normal.  I did contact mmy surgeon's office last week to ask their advices.  They said to ditch crutches as soon as I was comfortable without them, and expect to take pain killers for 6 to 8 weeks. I am sure I am worrying unnecessarily but you can't help but think is everything OK.   BTW, I hate taking any tablets so maybe this is what is putting my mind in overdrive!!

Loverunning-that's brilliant news! I really hope things start to move along quicker for you now.

Pipes, I'm pleased the MRA went ok for you. Fingers crossed for the results.

Hi Bumble1, I'm 26 days post-scope on my right hip. I had labral excision and a rim trim. I tried to come off painkillers far too quickly, I now realise. When I got to my physio appointment at just over 2 weeks post-op, the physio told me that I needed to keep the painkillers going with regular doses. She said that it wasn't unusual to be still on them at 6 weeks post-op, which tallies with your surgeon's advice. So, yes, it seems to be normal. I hate taking them too, but it seems to make sense - if you're pushing your operated hip to deal with new activity, then you need to be as painfree as possible I'm on one crutch for trips outdoors BTW. I think it's more a confidence thing than anything else. It's also very helpful if you bump into a friend and stand chatting - it gives you something to lean on!

Can I pick your brains here? I have lower back pain and have had it for 2 years now. I am trying to find out what it is via my GP as its been progressivly getting worse for almost 2 years now, it started off as a niggle and now its just painful! It started off and still to some degree feels like an irritation, I'd put it on a par with the intense irritation you get if you've ever gone to a womens bums and tums class and attempted to do the buttox clenches, nastily irritating!

Its now progressed and feels painful, its at the base of my spine just where the sacrum meets the lumber spine and also hurts on the outside top of the illiac crescent. It feels like its a joint issue as its made worse by movement and feels at its worst after having to lean backwards or curve my back upwards so things like walking and carrying things (where the spine curves), riding a bike, swimming breast stroke and yoga (the second series) it hurts like mad afterwards and can often hurt for a day or two if I don't rest.

It feels like a dull ache generally and all the time but following exercise feels more like I have been kicked very hard in a very small pinpointed area at two points just next to/around but not on, the base of my spine where my hip/illiac crescent is. Leaning forwards helps, leaning from side to side helps in a different way because it can help to stretch it out but it only partially helps because now aside from the irritation feeling there is the added ache/pain its now become.

I am also hyper mobile which apparently puts me at risk of osteoarthritis and so after my GP sent me to a physio who basicly said he didn't know and sent me back to my GP, my GP just said it was regular back pain, palmed me a few prescriptions for heavy duty pain killers and sent me off. I am not happy to live the rest of my life between tramadol and coedine so went back and asked to be referred to a rhumatoid doctor to see if it was osteoarthritis. They ran an MRI which showed up nothing and I have been told its not osteoarthritis though am not sure if I believe that!

So my question: what does a F.I feel like and do you think my symptoms sound like something similar to what you have experienced?

Hi Sue.  Thanks for your reply.  Has put my mind at rest that ongoing pain is quite normal after this sort of surgery.  My pain seems to vary day by day, yesterday was pretty bad so replied on the pills, today has been much better and I haven't needed any.  I read with interest that you have been on the exercise bike.  My rehab protocol says that I can do this from the 2 week point but I am holding back a bit - don't want to push too much too soon (my physio keeps reminding me of the tortoise and the hare story!!), but thought I might try bunging my mountain bike on the turbo this weekend, with low resistance, and see what aftereffects there are.  Do you get any pain whilst on the bike, or afterwards?

BTW, agree with your point about the crutches!  Handy to lean on and take strain off the hips if chatting, also I have found useful at children's parties.  My little boy had a couple of parties at the weekend and all the little kiddies kept a wide berth, leaving me lots of peace!! 

Don't suppose you're tried icing your groin area have you since the op?  Did it a couple of times about a week ago when I remembered, after physio at hospital had suggested it (and then I had subsequently forgotten to do as soon as I got home).  Haven't done since, not sure what impact it would have 3 weeks after op.  Anyway, hope your recovery is going well, always nice to have comments from others going through the same thing.  I'm treating myself to a road bike once I feel rehab'ed enough to give it a test ride (partic as consultant said I needed to do less weight bearing stuff once up and running (hopefully ) again).  Nothing beats running for me but suppose it adds a bit more interest to the rehab to try something I've never done before.  

Hi Bumble1. I hope the operation was successful and that you don't get anymore tears. Did the surgeons think that the tears were caused by the fatty mass? You are only a few weeks from your operation, so I would say the pain is probably very normal. When I had mine done in December, I expected lots more pain than I had, so it was a welcome relief. However, I was still using crutches (or crutch) at 3 weeks and was taking fairly regular ibuprofen to help with minor pain and any swelling.

I totally agree with Sue about the exercise bike being great - I tried to use it a couple of times a day from only a couple of days after the op, to help get the movement back. I only progressed to the turbo after about a month, as the exercise bike was more upright, which was a more comfortable position for the hip to be in. I still find, sometimes, that leaning forward and cycling gives me some discomfort in the hip. If you're using the turbo, start with low resistance and try not to pedal too fast (obvious, I know, but important to build up gently).

I iced until about a month after the op, every evening. Don't know what good it did, but it made me feel like I was trying my best to aid recovery and reduce any possible swelling.

Have you been told when you can run again?

jennn - I have always had minor lower back problems - much earlier than the actual hip problems started. The pain is exactly where you describe it. I sometimes go to an osteopath and get a lot of relief from being re-aligned, but I can't afford to do this very often...so I end up constantly cracking my own neck and lower back! The osteopath warned me that I was making the area hypermobile and that I should really just try to strengthen my core to try to support the area better. Now I wonder whether the whole SI joint problems have been linked to the hip problems - I guess I'll never really know. But I am now starting to do the whole core thing (about time, having run competitively since my teens!) and hope that I will have less back/ glute stiffness when I get back running.

It's hard to describe the impingement symptoms. I get most of my pain at the front (middle) of my hips, especially when extending the legs (ie running with a long stride) or during internal rotation. But there is also a constant dull ache and stiffness, especially in the morning and evening and especially after sitting for a long time.

Pipes wrote (see)

But there is also a constant dull ache and stiffness, especially in the morning and evening and especially after sitting for a long time.

I think the hip hurting after sitting for a long time is very typical. I have a mild case (minor tear) and it's not the running that makes my hip hurt, it's long drives or sitting watching the TV for too long!

Hi Bumble1. I iced for the first few weeks around the hip and groin area. Like Pipes, I'm not sure whether it did any good, but at least you feel like you're giving the op a fighting chance! The exercise bike is set up so I'm set up quite high in the saddle and the hip doesn't usually hurt, unless I try to go too fast, ho hum. I do 2 x 20 minute sessions a day to keep cabin fever at bay .

Hi Jenn, I was originally diagnosed wth a dysfunctional SI joint (six years ago). Back then, I booked myself into a pilates class and have been going ever since. My core strength was atrocious when I started, but now it's quite good and I think it helped to keep the hip/SI stuff at bay for quite a while. Last year, however, the lower back pain turned into groin ache and also a sharp pain/clicking/catching feeling towards the outside of the thigh - all classic FAI signs apparently. It was worse when running, walking (especially up hills) and sitting. My FAI wasn't picked up straight away from an xray. I was referred to a physio who suggested I had labral tear symptoms and referred me on. The hip specialist looked at the xray and said it was clearly an impingement in both hips. Of course, all this takes time and is terribly frustrating. I hope that you manage to resolve your problems soon. Let us know how you get on.

Sue Wats 3 wrote (see)

Hi Jenn, I was originally diagnosed wth a dysfunctional SI joint (six years ago). Back then, I booked myself into a pilates class and have been going ever since. My core strength was atrocious when I started, but now it's quite good and I think it helped to keep the hip/SI stuff at bay for quite a while. Last year, however, the lower back pain turned into groin ache and also a sharp pain/clicking/catching feeling towards the outside of the thigh - all classic FAI signs apparently. It was worse when running, walking (especially up hills) and sitting. My FAI wasn't picked up straight away from an xray. I was referred to a physio who suggested I had labral tear symptoms and referred me on.  The hip specialist looked at the xray and said it was clearly an impingement in both hips. Of course, all this takes time and is terribly frustrating. I hope that you manage to resolve your problems soon. Let us know how you get on.

Thanks- thats really helpful as you have described symptoms which are near enough exactly the same as mine, I find though the pain is worse during cycling and having rest days rather then when running, infact running doesn't seem to affect it as much as anything else does (not even as bad as walking)! But I do feel it 'clicking' into place- and often clicking all the way up to the top of my thoracic spine and thats getting worse (though not painful just an odd sensation).

I have had an MRI and an X-ray already which have been looked at and said to be OK but will ask them for a second opinion -the thing that slightly concerns me is that I have whatever test which gets looked at by the person watching/doing the test and then is written up on a computer, so the person I speak to- the consultant just reads the report onscreen rather then looking at it themselves and coming up with their own conclusion! But as I have these scans I am hoping they will be able to pull them up onscreen. I had an MRI done last year, it had a report saying it was "all fine" yet the orthopedic consultant brought up the scan to see on the computer and picked out that my entire leg was inflammed! (It was inflammed because it had a stress fracture).

I have an appointment with a student doctor (it was either that or wait until the end of July for an appointment with a consultant- the last test was done 6 weeks ago and I am in pain so kinda want to see someone as soon as I can). I will mention F.I and see if I can get anyone to say if this is a possibility. Its a Rhumatologist I will be seeing so I hope I am in the right area for this!

One thing I will say though is that my core stability isn't bad at all. It wasn't always the case and in August/September when I was referred to a physio I was given the advice to work on my core stability and given exercises, told to do a set of 6 classes with them all of which I did. I don't now have bad core stability/strength yet the lower back pain has gotten worse.

I did notice that lying flat on the floor KILLED my back! OMG I will never EVER do that again unless I have to- it left me in a lot of pain for hours afterwards! (and yes, we did all have Pilataes/Yoga mats below us) It was instantly painful and as Pilataes classes seem to have a floor section it sort of takes that one out of the equation. I didn't find it helped me at all anyway though and I do core stability exercises by myself (balancing on a bosu ball or other wobbly surface, with eyes shut and sometimes when moving head and arms around, quad stretchs on the Bosu ball, cross trainer with my eyes closed- I used to use the spin bike with my hands off and out of the saddle but it hurts too much to cycle now so I avoid this). But I do all my own balancing/core stuff without the need of classes or to lie on the floor so not such a major issue.

Thanks for comments Pipes about turbo.  Pain levels have been much better the last couple of days so thought I would give the turbo a try - did just 10 mins, v low resistance, and sat v upright (didn't hold handlebars, just left my hands dangling by my side) as could feel more discomfort if I leant forward.  Won't say I didn't have any pain, well, it was more discomfort actually, but no worse after than before I had started.  So will do the same tomorrow and for the next few days before building it up a bit.  Thought I would try icing a bit in the evening as well - bit like the consensus from everyone above that not sure what it does, but certainly does no harm so what the hell.

Just checked my rehab protocol and it suggests 'jogging' from week 8-10 post op.  Have been battling with AT in my left achilles so haven't actually run since Sept.  It's a bit up and down, just got an addition to my orthotics to see if that helps with a leg length difference, so actually a slow come back to running with the hip will hopefully protect the achilles as well.  Really hoping it works as I need to get my running mojo back - feeling a bit lost without it and damn grumpy at times!!!

Both times my tear symptoms were pretty much the same, i.e not so bad when exercising, in fact, pain free at times during exercise, but a constant dull ache in the groin area, exacebated by sitting and driving (anything that 'pinched' the groin).  A freind of mine also had surgery for impingement/laberal tear and her symptoms were completely different - she had pain down the outer side of her hip. So, I suppose everyone is different. 

Bumble1 - nice work with the turbo - I'm sure you'll feel the benefit of it both physically and mentally very quickly. I also sat upright on the turbo at the start, until my husband told me off for putting more pressure on the back wheel and turbo. Well, it is his turbo and bike, so I had to do what I was told, even though I think it was a load of rubbish!

My (generic) rehab sheet also said running at about 8 weeks, but the surgeon told me not to do it until 12 weeks. I wonder whether it might have been because he expected me to go out too long too soon, as 'jogging' means something different to a runner than a non-runner. I'm sure many of us on here totally understand that lack of running grumpiness. I really hope you get back smoothly and that the AT is kept at bay with the orthotics.

Interesting to hear about your friend and her experience of FAI pain. Can't say I've had much pain down the outer side of the hip. I've had it along the upper-inner sides of my legs after trying to run. How has her recovery gone?

Reading all these posts makes me realise the dark grumpiness and frustration I feel when I cant run or get an exercise buzz is not just me which helps sanity and so many times I am reading nodding and feeling less that I am a hypochondriac moaning on about a pain that really does get you down but isn't exactly life threatening!

So thanks everyone.

(Boinging this FAO Mickster)

Good to hear that, Linz - I always feel the same way when I read other people's posts.  I've had a busy couple of weeks with work, so little exercise. As a result, both  hips are feeling tight and sore, especially (for some reason) the operated one.