I dislocated my knee cap when I was 13 (I'm 51 now), and in 2009 it came back to haunt me. Initially it was just noisy going up stairs but progressed to barely being able to walk. I had a slow recovery through physical therapy, only able to go every 2 - 3 weeks since I could not take on any new work faster than that. I left therapy at the point I could manage some small jumps. I discovered this group around the same time which means I also discovered exercise DVDs. I found barre really helpful initially, but now do a wide variety of DVDs. My knee is still noisy but does not really impact me much. I am aware of it, and know that certain things taken in large quantity might be dangerous, but I do not feel it is very limiting. I can do full squats and some other moves that would have been really bad at the time.
In 1997 I learned I have hip dysplasia in my right hip, eventually leading to now severe arthritis. I did complete some PT in 1997 but only thing I recall about it is that I also had SI joint issues - a "posterior innominates rotation". What this means is if I don't maintain strong core and hip strength my SI joint goes out of alignment, leading to one leg being longer than the other. I know how to adjust for this at home and determine if I am out of alignment, but rarely have to do this now. When I am out of alignment, it is also painful, and not adjusted for puts additional pressure on the knee.
During my 2009 PT for my knee, we also worked on my hip as it was very painful at the time. Even following this PT I continued to do many of the strength exercises I learned as I found them important for pain management and focused strength.
I returned to PT again last year, this time for my left hip. At first we thought it might be a groin pull, but x-rays and eventual MRI Arthogram showed a labral tear and arthritis in my left hip.
One thing I learned from my consult with a hip replacement specialist is that x-rays do not equate to level of pain. Some patients can reflect mild arthritis and have severe pain, others can have bone on bone and much less pain. While I am positive that I will eventually require hip replacement, my goal is to delay it as long as possible.
My hips do have some level of pain. Very little to none on work days. I do take 2 ibuprofen at bed time to ensure pain-free sleep. On weekends I am pretty good - sometimes on Sunday I may take a couple at dinner time. On vacations or days where I am more active than usual, I will take OTC pain medications as needed. The doctor provided me a sheet of safe levels to take. I have also found Aspercream extremely helpful for my hips.
I do a wide variety of exercise - most recently Fe Fit, 21 Day Fix, and currently BBL. I think BBL is a good fit for my hip issues - anything that focuses on my hips is good. Up until my issues last year I considered myself to be high-intermediate/low advanced. I have not yet returned to some of my more challenging DVDs but not really missing them (except perhaps Dream Body - I hope to try it again). When doing a rotation, I may need to work an additional recovery day into a week, but sometimes will do this by combining two workouts onto one day.
I also do my PT exercises once a week although think I will be able to drop them during BBL. I mix in yoga and barre, and elliptical (although less often than previously as it can irritate my hips). Luckily I don't have any urge to pick up running so that hasn't presented any issues. I eliminated Step way back in my 30s due to hip pain and haven't missed it. While my right hip is pretty flexible given my age and arthritis, I have restricted rotation in my left hip. As such, while I love yoga I have to be careful too - Crescent pose is better than too much Warrior 1, and the alignment of my feet may be slightly off from normal. Some of the Jill Miller movements that helped my right hip are really bad for my left hip. Yin yoga is like torture.
I think some of it is a personal journey, learning what works and what doesn't work for you. Each version of arthritis is a little different. I feel that my hips are "well managed" and I am happy with the level of activity that I am able to do and I enjoy my workouts. They actually are very important to reducing pain and keeping my body balanced and strong. I focus on hips, lower body and strong core. Without exercise I think I would have had hip replacement years ago. Good luck and hope that helps!
You didn't mention what type of doctor you had seen - I would make sure it is a hip specialist and not a general practitioner. Also, would recommend PT.
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