Post Operative pain - Labral hip tear

[DamnImSore]

I joined the military in Dec 1999 and the following december jarred my hip while on a morning run. I didnt think much of it at the time but my hip was never the same after that. I discharged from the military in 2003 having never been diagnosed. I had many tests, injections, MRI's, bone scans done but they all came back with nothing except the MRI showed a slight issue inside the hip joint but the military doctors told me it was a variance of normal and nothing to worry about.

After discharging I saw a sports physio doctor who told me a variance of normal in the hip joint of someone that is showing hip pain is more then likely a problem so I had a hip arthroscopy which showed a labral tear which was repaired. I woke up from surgery and felt 100% straight away (probably the anaesthetics) and proceded to fully recover. Unfortunately over the course of 12 months the hip started to deteriate again so I was scheduled in for another arthroscopy, almost 2 years after first surgery. After surgery the doctor told me there was another tear which he said was highly unusual but he has never heard of ANYONE having a reoccurence a third time, but after waking from my second arthroscopy three days later the pain in my buttocks persisted. Admittedly my hip felt GREAT and after a few months of physiotherapy and stretches I am returning to normal activities. I can run, walk, and exercise to my hearts content and feel NO pain whatsoever. The only pain I feel comes from sitting down, to me it almost feels like im squashing a nerve or something because I feel the pain all the way down my leg to the bottom of my foot.

I suggested sciatica to my physio but he simply laughed and said no way, he has checked over my back and said he cant feel anything out of place however my surgeon has put me in for an MRI on my back and my hip to see if the scan will show anything. I had one steroid injection since the operation but that did nothing. I wake up every day feeling 100% no pain at all and walking around standing is fine, just as soon as I sit down or even lay down at an angle the pain in my hamstring, or whatever the bony part of my buttocks is that takes the weight when you sit down, starts to get sore and is very uncomfortable

I feel like im at the end of my rope, I dont want to deal with this for the rest of my life as it's so frustrating and I want to get active again maybe even rejoin the military. Hopefully the upcoming MRI will show something but I doubt it will, if nothing shows up I'm tempted to just wait a few more months then ask my surgeon what he thinks about doing another arthroscopy to rule out another tear.

Does anyone have any suggestions/advice?

[vitt]

hi

I have read your story carefuly and can say that I suffered from the same thing, and had hip arthoroscopy too, which thanks god worked out fine for me and didnt have to be repeated, I too had pain in the buttock and the front which went with the op. But still had this pain when sitting down, basically like you said the sitting bone was compressing something....and IT IS sciatica, I too had an MRI of the spine in total and nothing came up, but this doesnt mean that you dont have a nerve compression or even nerve injury, the test to do would be a nerve test called electomiogram or something similar....anyhooo I went to see a ortho that put me onto these vitamins for nerve repair and have to say that it worked!!!! they are called Acetyl Carnitine 500mg, take 3 every day to start with, I had results after a week and still taking them now, basically if it is sciatica it will work.....my doctor said that the hip wouldnt do that pain.

buy them from the net if you cannot find them locally, see biosynergy.com

also try an ultrasound of your armstring as you may have a tear, if not it is sciatica

worth the try, V

[DamnImSore]

Thanks for your advice.

Already had the ultrasound of my hamstring and it showed nothing.

I went out today and bought some Acetyl Carnitine unfortuntely couldnt find it in capsule form so had to get it as powder, and DAMN does it taste crap, but I'll willingly try whatever I can. I'll start taking it today and post an update in a week here to see how it's going.

[vitt]

hey glad you followed the advice, it did work for me....basically you should take around 1500-2000mg per day, I have been taking it for 2 months now and I am really pain free, but I did notice some improvement in the first week already, hope it will be the same for you, thanks v

[Unregistered2]

Hey,

just found this thread because I am having surgery at the end of the month for a labral tear in my hip (serious car accident). I had quite severe sciatic pain for a long time, and the only things that helped (non-narcotic) were strengthing my core muscles with Pilates, and Myofacial release massage (rolfing).

I really hope that you feel better soon,

good luck!

[Krista18]

I also was diagnosed with a laberal tear that no doctor thought I had until an arthroscopy, my arthorgram showed a slight discrpency. I am 18 and have the same exact pain and have had it for four years. Steroid shots provide a little relief but i cant sit up and do my hw for long and school is torture. I find lidocane patches work after a couple of hours and that icing helps numb the pain. I am told it may be chronic pain now and therefore am attempting to break the pain cycle. Pilates has provided a little relief I also found that laser combined with accupuncture treatments and heating pads allow for temporary relief. I had surgery with one of the worlds top hip specialists and am going to see another in the near future. It seems like a large burden to bear but eventually my doctor says the pain can simple burn itself out. I have progressed to loosing feeling in my foot because of the swelling so I am hoping that it burns out soon. I have tried physical therapy four times, accupuncture, prolotherapy, and yoga. I find pilates helps teach me how to take some pressure of my hip. Good luck and I will let you know what the other hip specialists says.