Broken hip advice please!

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James6

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Hi. I was kicked just over 2 weeks ago and had hip surgery to insert a sliding screw and plates. I am back home and waiting for physio. In the meantime, does anyone have any advice or any idea as to when I will be riding? All the advice I can find online is aimed at old ladies with hip replacements and isn't encouraging! I am otherwise fit and healthy.....
Thanks
 
Poor you :( I would PM Sarah_Jane on here straightaway, she broke her hip 18 months ago pretty badly, and she was out eventing mid-season last year, she will know all the tricks :) Healing (((vibes))) coming your way...
 
TableDancer said:
Poor you :( I would PM Sarah_Jane on here straightaway, she broke her hip 18 months ago pretty badly, and she was out eventing mid-season last year, she will know all the tricks :) Healing (((vibes))) coming your way...
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Ok, will do thanks. I am devastated as I had qualified for the Grassroots Final in May:(
 
What a complete sod. Definitely pm Sarah_Jane - I've mentioned to her your post.

FWIW my mother fell out of the Scania cab at a show at the end of Sept and is now pretty much recovered. What I would take from it is that you must get access to good physio as early as possible in your rehab. My mother was sent home with no physio and no exercises to do. When I complained she had one NHS physio visit and her recovery is down to private physio solely. I do hope ours was an isolated experience in that respect and when you are on the right track you'll find recovery is relatively quick and improvement ongoing.

Very best of luck
 
I broke my hip on Novemeber 6th 2011 (and now have a dynamic hip screw), I was non weight bearing till mid Febuary 2012, I started riding (cautiously) in mid May 2012. I don't compete so can't help there but I started hunting at the end of October 2012 (so just under a year after the accident) and hunted successfully all season.

For me the non weight bearing for 3 months was the worst as you can do certain physio but you can't stop the muscle wastage so by the time you start weight bearing again your leg is skin and bone.

I only had NHS physio and it was shockingly bad, I used it to get me going then when I was able enough to start caring for my horses again I just threw myself into that, I don't think it held me back too much but I'm sure private physio would have speeded things up a bit.

A bit of advice I can give is you will get there, you need patience at the beginning and then a lot of determination when you start using it again.

I couple of things a found, keep it warm, for at least a year, when the cold gets into the metal you sure feel it. If you get a bad cold or the flu etc it will hurt like hell, this is normal it's your white blood cells attacking all foreign bodies, including what is now holding you together, this also gets better over time and my last cold (about a month ago) had no effect on my hip.

If you need anything else feel free to PM me any time.
 
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No experience I'm afraid but just wanted to send some sympathy. How totally gutting when you were due to go to Grassroots :(

I posted a very similar question about broken shoulders a few weeks back, so your post struck a chord with me! Genuinely gutted for you. These things take just a second to do, and knock you for six :(

I'd echo what others have said about seeking out the best physio. My shoulder was screwed back together a month ago tomorrow, and while my surgeon's been brilliant about referring me for weekly NHS physio straight away, a knowledgeable friend reminded me that it was the NHS physio's job to get me functional again, not necessarily to worry about whether I'm as straight and strong as I could possibly be, as quickly as possible, for riding (why should they I guess). So I sought out a shoulder specialist physio who works with sportspeople and am seeing him too privately. I'm convinced it's already making a difference even though at this stage the physio's very basic.

My other advice would be try not to think about long term goals because it gets depressing. Find the small steps in your recovery, mark them down and tick them off. If I stop and think about not being able to do x, y or z until the summer / whenever, it freaks me out. But if I think "this is the first check up out of the way", "this is the first physio out of the way" or "this is the first time I've managed to put my arm in a sleeve", these things brighten your day and make you reaslise you are making progress.
 
measles said:
What a complete sod. Definitely pm Sarah_Jane - I've mentioned to her your post.

FWIW my mother fell out of the Scania cab at a show at the end of Sept and is now pretty much recovered. What I would take from it is that you must get access to good physio as early as possible in your rehab. My mother was sent home with no physio and no exercises to do. When I complained she had one NHS physio visit and her recovery is down to private physio solely. I do hope ours was an isolated experience in that respect and when you are on the right track you'll find recovery is relatively quick and improvement ongoing.

Very best of luck
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Thanks Measles, I have been chasing the NHS physio this morning. If I have no joy, I have the name of a good private physio :)
 
I.M.N. said:
I broke my hip on Novemeber 6th 2011 (and now have a dynamic hip screw), I was non weight bearing till mid Febuary 2012, I started riding (cautiously) in mid May 2012. I don't compete so can't help there but I started hunting at the end of October 2012 (so just under a year after the accident) and hunted successfully all season.

For me the non weight bearing for 3 months was the worst as you can do certain physio but you can't stop the muscle wastage so by the time you start weight bearing again your leg is skin and bone.

I only had NHS physio and it was shockingly bad, I used it to get me going then when I was able enough to start caring for my horses again I just threw myself into that, I don't think it held me back too much but I'm sure private physio would have speeded things up a bit.

A bit of advice I can give is you will get there, you need patience at the beginning and then a lot of determination when you start using it again.

I couple of things a found, keep it warm, for at least a year, when the cold gets into the metal you sure feel it. If you get a bad cold or the flu etc it will hurt like hell, this is normal it's your white blood cells attacking all foreign bodies, including what is now holding you together, this also gets better over time and my last cold (about a month ago) had no effect on my hip.

If you need anything else feel free to PM me any time.
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Thanks IMN, I am fortunate in that I was allowed to weight bear immediately after the op. I also have metalwork in my other leg so know about the effect of the cold and damp ;)
I am on the case with the physio!
 
philamena said:
No experience I'm afraid but just wanted to send some sympathy. How totally gutting when you were due to go to Grassroots :(

I posted a very similar question about broken shoulders a few weeks back, so your post struck a chord with me! Genuinely gutted for you. These things take just a second to do, and knock you for six :(

I'd echo what others have said about seeking out the best physio. My shoulder was screwed back together a month ago tomorrow, and while my surgeon's been brilliant about referring me for weekly NHS physio straight away, a knowledgeable friend reminded me that it was the NHS physio's job to get me functional again, not necessarily to worry about whether I'm as straight and strong as I could possibly be, as quickly as possible, for riding (why should they I guess). So I sought out a shoulder specialist physio who works with sportspeople and am seeing him too privately. I'm convinced it's already making a difference even though at this stage the physio's very basic.

My other advice would be try not to think about long term goals because it gets depressing. Find the small steps in your recovery, mark them down and tick them off. If I stop and think about not being able to do x, y or z until the summer / whenever, it freaks me out. But if I think "this is the first check up out of the way", "this is the first physio out of the way" or "this is the first time I've managed to put my arm in a sleeve", these things brighten your day and make you reaslise you are making progress.
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Really useful thanks. I had also heard that the NHS physio think their job is done as long as you are relatively mobile, whereas obviously we are much more ambitious in our recovery aims!
The small goals advice is brilliant; I will take that on board!
Thank you :)
 
I broke my hip in January 2005, and, like IMN, have a dynamic hip screw. I was on crutches, paritally weight bearing, for 3 months. During this time I was swimming regularly (with my physio's approval though it was my suggestion, not hers). This helped a great deal to maintain my fitness and sanity. Once off the crutches I progressed to cycling (again my idea). After about 4 months I began to have sessions on a mechanical horse which was useful for rebuilding muscle before getting back on my own mare appx 6 months after my accident. (Was back competing within 9 months, and 8 years on that hip joint gives me no trouble although I understand it will probably come back to haunt me one day).
In retrospect I would have done better with a specialist sports physio, and I would advise any rider in this situation to follow that route if possible. To be fair, the NHS staff are more familiar with rehabilitating old ladies; they probably find riders quite alarming.
Good luck!
 
As others - broke head of femur and was fitted with a DHS in October. Also fractured 2 vertebrae L1 & L2. Was in a wheel chair until Jan but that was more because of spine fractures. Was back riding in July following year. Must stress the importance of getting a good (sport injury specialist) physio privately, as you will get very little "proper" physio through the NHS. Do all the exercises religiously even if it hurts like hell. You're young and you'll be just fine. BTW I have one leg slightly shorter than the other now but have compensated and no longer limp. Good luck!
 
oakflower said:
I broke my hip in January 2005, and, like IMN, have a dynamic hip screw. I was on crutches, paritally weight bearing, for 3 months. During this time I was swimming regularly (with my physio's approval though it was my suggestion, not hers). This helped a great deal to maintain my fitness and sanity. Once off the crutches I progressed to cycling (again my idea). After about 4 months I began to have sessions on a mechanical horse which was useful for rebuilding muscle before getting back on my own mare appx 6 months after my accident. (Was back competing within 9 months, and 8 years on that hip joint gives me no trouble although I understand it will probably come back to haunt me one day).
In retrospect I would have done better with a specialist sports physio, and I would advise any rider in this situation to follow that route if possible. To be fair, the NHS staff are more familiar with rehabilitating old ladies; they probably find riders quite alarming.
Good luck!
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Thank you, I am looking for a specialist sports physio :)
 
Doris68 said:
As others - broke head of femur and was fitted with a DHS in October. Also fractured 2 vertebrae L1 & L2. Was in a wheel chair until Jan but that was more because of spine fractures. Was back riding in July following year. Must stress the importance of getting a good (sport injury specialist) physio privately, as you will get very little "proper" physio through the NHS. Do all the exercises religiously even if it hurts like hell. You're young and you'll be just fine. BTW I have one leg slightly shorter than the other now but have compensated and no longer limp. Good luck!
Click to expand...

Thank you, I have already had so much useful advice from you all! :)
 
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