I have been diagnosed with advanced arthritis in both hips. I'm only 49. I'm being told I'll need the hips replaced sooner than later. I have been training hard and competing successfully for the past several years. Breaststroke is my competitive event. Does anyone have experience with arthritic hips? Can you advise if you think swimming (and swimming breaststroke) has made things worse or better. I usually swim 5-6x week, up to about 3500 yards per workout. I am a healthy eater, a personal trainer for a living, very flexible, take supplements for these conditions etc.
Also if anyone out there is swimming with artificial hips, would you please share your experience. Many thanks.
I know it's tough but, you will need to dial back on what your have done in the past. You will know when it is time to get a replacement when you hurt so much that it takes over your life & swimming. Many of us that have gone thru this, say "I wish I would have done it
sooner " the pain is something that we have all lived with for too long. Good luck wit adapting, but ---- you will.
Thank you very much, Elaine and orca194, for your responses to my posting. I always forget the vast support network available through USMS and am feeling more upbeat ...
In regards to my swim history: I am relatively new to swimming. I started with our local masters program about 4 years ago - wasn't involved with team swimming previously (I was a band geek in high school). So I have always been 'behind' all the other swimmers in regards to the other swimmers while also being one of the older swimmers (I am perpetually in the slowest lane). I only particpate in open water swims (more anonymous than pool meets) and (thankfully) the cold water feels really good on my 'hot' hip ...
In regards to pool swimming: I was getting to a point of improving my times when the hip started giving me issues. So newer masters swimmers began to swim faster than me and move up lanes while I am still slogging around in the slow lane. Swimming is pretty much a solitary sport, but I have not perfected the use of 'mental blinders' so I get hung up on how fast everyone else is swimming compared to me. So I have been feeling pretty bummed lately. Your posts cheered me up (thanks!) mainly because you confirmed what I have been quietly telling myself: to cut myself some slack, to make some adjustments and just get back in the pool and swim as long as it doesn't kill me and not worry about what everyone else is doing.
My coaches have been pressing me to try at least a couple of events at pool meets so I am considering that for 2014 ... always good to have a goal! Thanks again for your support!
You might consider trying platelet rich plasma injections or it's newest iteration, plasma lysing. www.treatingpain.com/.../platelet-rich-plasma-prp. I've used this to rehab some small tears/tendon degradation in my shoulder and elbow. It's not typically covered by insurance, but it's worked for me to fix pain.
