I’m looking for thoughts from anyone in the ST community who has managed hip pain from arthritis while still running. I’m an MD so I know the medication and surgical options. I’m going to delay those for as long as possible, but would like to hear how people successfully modified training to keep going, preferably still running.
Brian.
I was bone on bone. I roller skied, trained with Lightspeed (treadmill at 80% weight), and wore Stoko K1s. I raced in World Champs even though my sports doctor said my hip could shatter at any time, especially during a race.
Hey Brian,
I can empathize with your pain (literally). I received similar advice from my surgeon, urging me to postpone surgery as long as possible. Successfully, I’ve made modifications over the past five years as follows, having come from a relatively high chronic volume as a triathlete covering 50k in running per week.
Year 1: Started running at most every second day, with a maximum run of 15km.
Year 2: Ran every second day, limiting the distance to a maximum run of 10km.
Year 3: Continued running every second day, capping it at 5km.
Year 4: Implemented a run-walk routine every second day based on how I felt.
Year 5: Maintained the same approach.
Crucially, I’ve maintained a high standard in everything else (swimming, biking, and skiing), and I’m able to walk around pain-free. Losing running is disappointing, but the wear and tear from a lifetime of miles can catch up with you.
Finally, changing to a more alkaline diet supplemented with good old fashion baking soda was really helpful in lower pain in the area for me. And people commented that my limp is no longer visible.
Very best of luck,
Paul
Hi Brian. Not sure why you would want to postpone THR but I am sure you have reasons. I don’t think there is any magical ways to continue to run with an arthritic hip once pain has set in. It typically affects that entire side of the body and pain will find its way down to your knee, to your hip flexor and into your lower back as you run. Even walking can be very painful. I had both hips replaced over the past four years and feel great running. The materials in the new hips will last as long as I and my surgeon says I will not wear them out.
That being said, I was able to swim and bike, as long as I stayed seated, without pain. I trained for and rode six gap the fall before my first THR and only had pain when I initially stood up to climb. Prior to my second THR I did the swim/bike in a half Ironman.
Good luck with it…sorry I couldn’t give you the magic formula.
I started having pain in 2011. Diagnosis in 2013. An orthopedist said it was bad arthritis (bone spurs) but I could do whatever I wanted. She was surprised that I was still running because she assumed it would be too painful. I continued normal activities until 2018. No cortisone and occasional ibuprofen. It did not hurt at night or during rest. By 2018 I was walking with a bad limp and decided it was time for surgery. I had hip resurfacing (not THR) in 2019 and the result has been amazing. Like many hip replacement patients, I should have done it a few years earlier. I am running faster than 6 years ago at age 65.
thanks to all.
I’m running , but slowly, I’ll discuss with my friendly neighborhood orthopod shortly.
I fractured my hip in two places and my pelvis in two places in a bad mountain bike crash. In order to begin running again I started walking/jogging on an Alter g antigravity treadmill using the air lift at various levels as I progressed to hourly run sessions (inexpensive by the hour at my physio). Then I added deep water pool running using a waist float belt. You would be surprised at the effort it takes to complete a hard one hour session in the pool. This was followed by easy running on soft trails. When you combine all three you can have a good, safe weekly run program. I have since be albe to complete a 70.3 and an Xterra at my normal pace.
I use the poor boys version of an anti gravity treadmill. Simply use the handrails. You can make the weight bearing load of your run anything you want, and get a fantastic upper body workout in the process. This was a huge strategy 40 years ago, but seems to be a lost art today. I’m always surprised how few folks don’t realize this option, and once you try it, how easy and effective it is. I was diagnosed with onset osteo in 2007. I’ve become a treadmill convert, and when the hip and knee pain are too much, I grab the handrails and keep going. I ran my 47th marathon last month, and at 63, still keeping them under 4 hours.
May I ask how old you are and where you had your surgery?
I was 64 when I had my right hip replaced and 67 my left. I am now 68. Both hips were done at Twin City Orthopedics in Minneapolis. They are the local sports Orthopedics……twins, Vikings, timberwolves, etc.
And you can still run? And do tris? What distance? I am having some issues and am struggling - trying injections……idk how it will be - just trying to do research and prepare myself
Yes I do 70.3s and half marathons. Check out hiprunner website. I am running about 30 miles per week and will max out at around 45 miles in the summer. Down from my 100 to 120 miles when I was in my 20s:-)
I had posterior THR so have to work on flexibility since they split the glutes to do the replacement and that causes some stiffness as they heal.
I am happy I had it done because I couldn’t run prior. Never will be fast as when I was young but did qualify for AG Nationals for the sprint last August…. 6 months post op
Also check out Talking with the Docs on YouTube. If you search on hip replacements they go thru all the options. Today’s technology will allow you to continue to run with larger ball and sockets and cross linked poly liners. My right hip showed no wear after 2500 miles running when I had it xrayed after two years.
Thank you so much. That was so helpful and really helped me informationally and more important psychologically. I am happy for you as a fellow triathlete I know how important this is. Thank you.
No worries….let me know if you have anymore questions….we can always talk via phone.
Another testimonial for replacements from the right doctor with the best options. Left hip five years ago. Started running after six months and raced about nine months post-surgery (70.3s). No pain in hip. Replaced right hip back in January (2023). Started running after five months and racing after six months post-surgery. No pain in either hip. Dr. Duncan said that the x-rays revealed no wear & tear on the left hip after five years and a few thousand miles of SBR (&20+ races), walking, hiking, and whatnot. Both procedures were mini-posteriors (no muscle cut) with the bigger ball and sockets using titanium with poly liners. I met with three surgeons who said no more running or triathlons. I found someone using the right technology. Send me a PM if you want to talk. You can learn more here: 172 Triathlons. 50 States. 6 Continents. 1 New Hip. : We Are Proof | UK HealthCare
I started noticing mine sometime in 2021. (51 years old then). Managed to keep running for a while, albeit slowly. (Had some achilles issues on the other leg, so would’ve been slow anyway). I’d been running 5-6 days a week for years, so it was hard to just stop. Running became some version of run-walking. I made various attempts at pose/chi running but they didn’t get me anything but sore lower legs. By the summer of 2022 I stopped running. Was still cycling and hiking, but it wasn’t getting better.
I never did any cortisone or anything like that. Don’t know if that was the right decision or not.
One recurring thing was that each time it started hurting more, I didn’t know if it was because of the weather or just a new stage of deterioration. Usually turned out to be the former but not always.
Anyway, got my hip resurfaced 3 weeks ago. All well so far but won’t know for a bit how it all turns out. My wife tells me I’m walking faster with one crutch and an artificial hip than I was with my arthritic hip.
You’re a doc so you know the options. I’ll only reiterate what one of the other responses said - don’t let waiting on surgery cause other problems as you try to compensate.