Acute Hip Pain

[arnsider]

I am a big 69 year old guy, 6 feet tall and 17 stones.
I live at the top of Morecambe Bay and ride two or three times weekly, often over hilly routes.
Coupled with cycling, I do a little bit of Hill Walking and swim twice a week.
I have two bikes;
A heavy Thorn Nomad steel tourer and a lighter Alloy/Carbon Kinesis day tourer.
Both have drops and Brooks B17 saddles.
Recently, I did a lot of cycling in one week and rode a total of 113 miles, the longest ride being a 46 mile circuit of Ingleborough with a drop to Lancaster, then a return via Morecambe front.
After the last ride, I realised that my seat post on the Thorn had slipped in the frame and dropped some 25 mm.
Pedalling had become pretty tiresome but not painfull.
Within a couple of days, I was in a lot of hip pain, mainly from my right side.
I can follow the outside thigh muscle up over my buttock and feel a tender area.
Also, the pain is worst when I take the weight of my right leg and raise it in the sitting position.
I have had an Xray, but as yet have not got the results.
I did try a thirty mile flattish ride about a week after the problem started, but was in a lot of pain the day following, so have laid off the bike.
I have tried 400 mg Ibuprofens and rubbing Glocosamine gel in, but only get marginal relief.
It may well be onset Arthritis aggrivated by the saddle slippage, but the discomfort has come on so suddenly that it might also be an overstretched tendon.
I'd love to hear from anyone experiencing similar symptoms.

[al_yrpal]

Get an osteoporosis check, you may have a cracked vertebrae like my wife has. This can cause nerve pain around the hips and groin.

Al

[reohn2]

It sounds as if you've over stretched something due to the saddle being too low,25mm is quite a bit especially if you've been riding a long time (years not just one ride)in the same position.

[Audax67]

Speculation and internet diagnosis won't get you anywhere. Best see your GP, get an X-ray and go on from there. Back in 2006 I thought I had a dodgy hip joint, but taking the GP route meant that within a week I was on a physiotherapist's table and in two weeks I was fine - I had a contracture of the gluteus medius, brought on by concentrated long rides.

And even if you do have a dodgy hip-joint, I've done 100k rides with a bloke who had a titanium hip. He was 70 when he got it and did the first 100k of his life at the age of 71.

[charliepolecat]

Speculation and internet diagnosis won't get you anywhere.Best see your GP, get an X-ray and go on from there.

Best advice!

[John1054]

Yes, get it checked out properly. Hip pain can have several causes, each requiring different treatment. Please say hello to Arnside for me (an ex-Cumbrian).

[arnsider]

Well, things have moved on.
My xray shows Osteo degeneration, more on the right side, but I'm told it is par for the course bearing in mind my age.
A physiotherapist has highlighted a disc problem as the most likely cause and has put me on traction and a TENS like treatment that addresses nerve damage.
Recovery is very slow and frustrating.
I have a frozen right shouler to add to my problems!
Getting up from the low sitting position is painful and trying to cross my right leg over my left knee feels as if my right leg is a tonne weight.
I have exercises and I go to a Spa Pool almost daily, but it's going to be a very slow process.
I am still perplexed at how this problem developed in a reasonably fit person.

[Tigerbiten]

I'd say general wear and tear.

At a guess .............
You've probably been ticking along for the last few years were any joint damage due to the light exercise has been roughly equal to your bodies ability to repair itself overnight.
So the joint damage has been very slowly accumulating without causing you noticable pain.
Then you did a hard week where the damage done well exceeded the damage repaired.
Hence you got a sudden flare up of pain.

[John1054]

I agree with above, mirrors my life experiences.

[arnsider]

Well, after inconclusive treatment for an impacted disc in my lower spine, I started to get pain in my right shoulder which my physio reckoned might be bursitis.
Then the same pain in the left shoulder.
My physio offered a steroid jab for the right shoulder, but I declined, thinking that my Doc would be able to offer this on NHS.
Meanwhile, the shoulder and hip pain persisted especially on getting up in the mornings.
I could not do up my shoes or put on my socks and felt like an old horse!
I scoured the web for some sort of diagnosis and hit on Polymyalgia Rhuematica as it resembled my condition very closely.
The day my Doc was to give me the steroid jab, I asked him if I might have Polymyalgia and he agreed I might and instead of the steroid, he took a blood sample and a while later confirmed the Polymyalgia.
Medication commenced in the form of Steroid pills. 3x 5mg /day.
I feel so much better now and although I've purchased an E Bike, I am back on my Thorn albeit on short runs for the time being.
I've done a couple of hardish Hill Walks and three 45 mile plus runs on the E Bike.
Apparently, the condition is an Autoimune reaction, possibly and infection and can take months or years to subside.
It's great to be back in the land of the living though!

[John1054]

Good to hear that something is starting to get sorted. My sister-in-law developed the same condition after losing her husband. He had a prolonged difficult demise, which caused her unbelievable stress. After about two years, she lost all of the symptoms and is now back to her normal self.

Try to keep reasonably active without pushing too hard and hopefully all will eventually be well. Good luck