What is Hip Osteoarthritis?
Osteoarthritis, also known as degenerative arthritis, is caused by the wearing away and eventual loss of cartilage in a joint. Cartilage is a firm, pliable material that covers the ends of bones. Its purpose is to cushion any impact on the bones and to prevent them rubbing directly on each other - bone-on-bone.
Without getting too complicated here...my layman terminology is my hip and leg hurt...and I whine a little more than normal (some of you might not even notice the difference).
Of course, here is my dilemma. I like to play sports. I love lacrosse and basketball....apparently these are not great sports for this type of injury. My doctor recommends swimming and Pilates...(....help!!)
The doctor told me it is up to me now. I can try to strengthen the muscle around my hip, extending the "life" of my hip. I could lose some weight (how dare he!), and I should think about what sports I am playing. The next step will be "severe" osteoarthritis...and obviously at some point surgery is an option.
Why don't we skip hip surgery and go right to removal of my heart...because that is what it would feel like to stop playing sports that I love. OK, maybe I am being over dramatic...we all have to "retire" at some point. (don't we DJ?) - I just don't want to, not yet anyway.
I guess I could change the way I play, maybe I will stop coming back on defense, save some wear and tear that way....and in basketball, maybe I will shorten my 4" vertical leap to a 2" vertical leap....little things like that.
On the plus side....
- My brother Steve works for Zimmer Canada, specializing in hips and knees and I am sure he can offer some helpful advice. He has already made a commission off of my Mom and Dad, and our buddy Mark, I would love to contribute to his winter vacation in Jamaica.
- My son is also in the business....however he is in Thunder Bay...and maybe I will let him get a little more experience before I make that flight.
- I am hoping that by the time I need a hip, perhaps Zimmer will develop some sort of new "SuperHip" and I can be the ProtoType Guy...I could play sports forever.....Yahoo!!!
Zimmer Hip Replacement
Think about it...I would love to hear your advice...but today's blog is done, after all it is Monday night....I am off to basketball. (I will be careful).
Hi Mike, well I suspect I am in a similar predicament. My left knee has been acting up for a couple of years now and I have an MRI coming up next month. X-Rays were negative and thus the MRI. I guess just too much wear and tear over the years and of course I have been told that loosing some weight would help. Loosing 30 Lbs would be good, lol, but easier said than done.
ReplyDeleteWell old man:
ReplyDeleteI had the same talk to my orthepedic surgeon a few years ago.He told me that I had done all the damage to my knees that I could and that rather than stop playing sports like lacrosse and hockey, he said to keep playing as long as I could stand the pain (and it is there regularly .... advil helps). He said he would rather that I stayed fit and played than sat on the couch and died of a heart attack. That said, there are a couple of considerations:
1.) Making changes to the way you play wouldn't work (you never have come back on defence) and you wouldn't enjoy it.
2.) Likely you will end up with a hip replacement at some point (most competitive athletes do have joint replacement later in life).
3.) Life is about doing what you love ..... If you quit the sports you would miss the "rush" that you get from scoring the goals, the games and the camaraderie.
I intend to keep playing as long asa my body allows me to and the guys still want me on their team. Retire ???? I don't think so .....DJ
Mike:
ReplyDeleteYou should try Low intensity laser therapy, I read an artice(Toronto Sun) Sat. September 24/11, written by Dr Giford-Jones -he had same problem and reccomended Dr Fred Kahn in Toronto-416-251-1055.His clinic is just off Browns Line in Etobicoke. I have used it for foot wound problems and had great success.
How would I make commission from low intensity laser therapy?
ReplyDeleteIf i were you, you should opt out of choosing hip implants as medical alternative for because it is reportedly high rate of failure.
ReplyDeletezimmer hip recall