Hip/groin injury - frustrating - no real diagnosis or solution

[Scuba]

Last January/February, I did a fitness challenge to help me drop holiday weight gain. I aced the challenge, averaging about 15K steps per day. Many of the steps were obtained by hiking steep trails, not just walks. However, towards the end of the challenge, I started to feel sharp pain in my right groin area, especially but not only when I walked up an incline.

Between then and now, I’ve seen my PCP, a sports medicine specialist, and a hip surgeon who is nationally renowned. I’ve had X-rays and an MRI. The MRI definitely shows degeneration of the right hip, but none of these docs think hip replacement is necessary or would even necessarily solve my problem. The issue is they don’t have any other advice either. I’ve been told:
- Surgery is unlikely to help, definitely not a sure thing
- Physical therapy would not likely improve the situation
- I can take anti-inflammatory meds but those aren’t intended for long-term use
- I can just put up with the occasional but sharp pain

The pain isn’t bad if I limit my physical activity to very little, but I’m an active person and this isn’t good for my health in many other ways. I’ve tried lower impact things like swimming and biking, but the repetitive motion still causes pain.

I have an appointment with one more orthopedic surgeon in February, but three docs have already told me similar things. I don’t want to be inactive the rest of my life, but don’t want to live with more pain either. I wish someone could come up with a plan so that I can return to my usual activity level with minimal pain.

What would you do if you were in this situation?

 

[Dabbler]

Locate a Feldenkrais practitioner, and schedule a few sessions with him/her of Functional Integration

 

[Out of Steam]

How are you managing shoes and their wear?

My feet supinate (indicated by wear on the outside of shoes) quite severely, and have to retire shoes I walk or hike in with what looks like quite little wear. If I don't, I will have pain in my knees and even my hips.

Almost exactly 20 years ago, I tore cartilage in my left knee before I figured it out. Once I figured it out, my knee has been fine and I've been active without ever having surgery.

In short, you might consider the possibility that it is a foot/leg alignment problem and experiment with shoes/orthotics, and/or see a podiatrist with sports medicine knowledge.

Hope you can come up with a solution, it's a frustrating experience to be off the trail.

 

[RetiredHappy]

Sorry to read this. Find an exercise to do that does not aggravate the pain.

I have similar pain - right groin/hip/leg area, since 2 years ago. It turns out that I have a labral tear in my right hip. PT was worthless, been there and done that. I am not a candidate for hip replacement because I still have lots of cartilage. I have seen 2 orthopedists with the same conclusion. There is nothing that they can do for me. A surgeon can try to repair it but success rate is very low. If it is bad, I can have a steroid shot, or just rely on the occasional ibuprofen.

I avoid stairs, no longer do eliptical, exercise bike or treadmill, because they aggravate the pain. I still swim but I have always been a slow lap swimmer, and the hip does not bother me too much. Fortunately I am still able to play golf 5 days a week and it is plenty of exercise for me. I am careful when I step in and out of the bunkers, and climbing up and down slopes.

 

[Aerides]

Have any of the docs suggested a cortizone/steroid injection at the main pain site? While usually not a cure, they can sometimes last for months at a time, and most ortho docs won't mind repeating once or twice to buy you time to heal or seek more permanent treatment.

 

[chassis]

Yep live with it. Adjust your activity and use NSAIDS when needed.

 

[RunningBum]

How are you managing shoes and their wear?

+1. The wrong shoe can throw you off in any number of ways. Usually a local independent running store is better at analyzing your gait better than a chain or general store. Although Dr. Scholes has (had?) a foot analyzer at a lot of Walmarts stores. I stepped on it and it recommended one of their orthotics that pretty closely matched the custom orthotic I had a podiatrist make for me. So that's an option too, if it still exists.

Another suggestion is to work on your core strength. Planks, maybe lunges.

Good luck. Frustrating to want to do something healthy and have a deterrent like this.

 

[Bamaman]

I fell off a ladder 14 years ago and had a terrible ACL tear. And I destroyed the other ankle at the same time that required surgery.

The ACL healed itself in the 7 weeks I was in bed, and I've never had one pain from it.

Maybe your improvements will just be a matter of time.

 

[Aerides]

One other thought on the PT front. Give it a shot. Go find the nicest PT facility and see if they can't give you some tools to help. They just might, despite any shrugging off of the idea from docs. Targeted exercises to strengthen the area, and therapies to reduce inflammation.

Also, if you have a massage/theragun - those can really provide relief.

 

[Jerry1]

Agree with Aerides - give PT a shot. Also, sometimes you have to let things heal which means not doing much for maybe even a couple of months. Hard for an active person, for sure, but the muscle (or whatever) needs time to heal.

 

[yhoomajor]

Listen to your body and adjust accordingly. As we age, our body parts get damaged easily and then don't self-heal as they once used to.

I was a runner for last 20 years (with Runners high addiction). Almost every day. But it was causing sports hernia in my groin area (not to mention knee strain). I had to stop running (cold-turkey) this year. I switched to stairmaster in the gym now.

 

[JoeWras]

For a replacement activity, you mentioned swimming.

As an extra recommendation, have you tried "pulling?" This technique involves putting a float (aka "pull buoy") between your legs and only using your arms. You can then relax your lower torso while still getting a good workout. This may or may not work for you. It is just something you have to try. The alignment for your hips may be good or bad. Everyone's hip pain position is different. Most pools have buoys available, or you can buy for less than $20. Fun fact: most non-elite men swimmers can pull faster than full body swimming. Not the same for women. (It is about leg flexibility.)

When I have problems like this I sometimes do more pulling. When my shoulders hurt, I do more kicking.

The key is to then not overdo it! There is a temptation to go crazy. Don't.

 

[Mark1]

Listen to your body and adjust accordingly. As we age, our body parts get damaged easily and then don't self-heal as they once used to.

Yup, give it more time, but keep moving as a sedentary life style is the worst thing you can do at this point.
If your BMI is over 25 then work on losing weight, which will reduce the stress on your joints, etc.

 

[pacergal]

Definitely seek out PT, they will do a full assessment and hopefully come up with exercises to help. Usual, recommendation: Rest, heat/ice, NSAIDS
Assuming no tingling or nerve issues? Any hernia?

I have had shoulder issues for YEARS, surgery, PT, injections, all help for a while. Shoulder still acts up and when it does, I up the home PT exercises. I know I will be doing them for the rest of my life.

Good Luck to you. Hope you find some help and relief.

 

[wolf]

Listen to your body and adjust accordingly. As we age, our body parts get damaged easily and then don't self-heal as they once used to.

I was a runner for last 20 years (with Runners high addiction). Almost every day. But it was causing sports hernia in my groin area (not to mention knee strain). I had to stop running (cold-turkey) this year. I switched to stairmaster in the gym now.

Agree with above poster. OP, you never mentioned your age. You felt good,
until you "over did it ".

May be time to, give your body a rest, and start an less difficult work out regimine .

Good luck.

 

[Dash man]

I recently saw an orthopedic doctor for my hip pain. They say my hip is fine, but a tendon is injured. They recommended PT and if that doesn’t work they can do cortisone injections to bring relief.

 

[Marita40]

Impossible for us here to give you accurate advice, but I’ve been surprised that certain aches and pains, especially overuse, can takes months and months to heal. It drives you crazy and then poof one day it is gone.

 

[MrsHaloFIRE]

Deleted

 

[JoeWras]

Impossible for us here to give you accurate advice, but I’ve been surprised that certain aches and pains, especially overuse, can takes months and months to heal. It drives you crazy and then poof one day it is gone.

Unless you are 20, then you recover in hours. [emoji3]

It took me 4 months to recover from shoveling too much. And 6 months from taking too long of a bike ride.

 

[Scuba]

Thank you to those who responded with suggestions. I’m 61. I’ve had one cortisone injection in the area, and have tried anti-inflammatory drugs. Neither of these is meant to be an ongoing, long-term fix and neither has helped much.

I haven’t noticed unusual wear patterns on shoes, but my gait could benefit from analysis. I definitely have some issues with other body parts trying to compensate for the injured hip.

I have an old shoulder injury that still acts up from time to time, so when I swim laps, I definitely use my lower body much more or else my shoulder gets super sore.

Seems like losing some weight and doing exercises to build hip and core strength might help.

 

[Scuba]

Sorry to read this. Find an exercise to do that does not aggravate the pain.

I have similar pain - right groin/hip/leg area, since 2 years ago. It turns out that I have a labral tear in my right hip. PT was worthless, been there and done that. I am not a candidate for hip replacement because I still have lots of cartilage. I have seen 2 orthopedists with the same conclusion. There is nothing that they can do for me. A surgeon can try to repair it but success rate is very low. If it is bad, I can have a steroid shot, or just rely on the occasional ibuprofen.

I avoid stairs, no longer do eliptical, exercise bike or treadmill, because they aggravate the pain. I still swim but I have always been a slow lap swimmer, and the hip does not bother me too much. Fortunately I am still able to play golf 5 days a week and it is plenty of exercise for me. I am careful when I step in and out of the bunkers, and climbing up and down slopes.

Your situation sounds like exactly what I’ve been going through. Maybe I need to take up golf!

 

[JoeWras]

I have an old shoulder injury that still acts up from time to time, so when I swim laps, I definitely use my lower body much more or else my shoulder gets super sore.

Aw man, that stinks. You start losing options.

What I see at the pool in these situations are alternative methods of exercise that may involve walking, "running" or swimming using alternative strokes. The goal is to do something. Something is better than nothing.

One alternative stroke that is popular is underwater recovery backstroke. This avoids overloading the shoulder because it keeps the range of motion limited.

Wish you the best, Scuba. You'll get through this.

 

[Time2]

Impossible for us here to give you accurate advice, but I’ve been surprised that certain aches and pains, especially overuse, can takes months and months to heal. It drives you crazy and then poof one day it is gone.

I spent about 13 days rehabbing my daughters fixer up house, back in Sept. I ended my work when both knees swelled with some ankle swelling.
Over the time since Sept. my knees did improve, then the day after Christmas, I developed Pes Anserine Bursitis on my right knee. That seems to be getting better the last 3 days. "Getting old ain't for sissies."

 

[Chuckanut]

Unless you are 20, then you recover in hours. [emoji3]

It took me 4 months to recover from shoveling too much. And 6 months from taking too long of a bike ride.

+1

I have learned that pushing to hard while exercising or engaging in any physical activity actually has negative results. One good solid injury and I may have to stop exercising for weeks, maybe months. Not so good. In this race, I am the tortoise - slow, and consistent wins the race.

 

[Scuba]

Aw man, that stinks. You start losing options.

What I see at the pool in these situations are alternative methods of exercise that may involve walking, "running" or swimming using alternative strokes. The goal is to do something. Something is better than nothing.

One alternative stroke that is popular is underwater recovery backstroke. This avoids overloading the shoulder because it keeps the range of motion limited.

Wish you the best, Scuba. You'll get through this.

Thank you. I hope I will come out of this without significantly reduced options for exercise. Our City just closed our beautiful heated public pool because so many staff are out with COVID, they can’t operate it.