Subluxing hips as well?

[libertynm]

Hi all,

Just wondering if any of you have subluxed a hip. . .if so, how long did it take you to recover and was there anything you found really helpful in terms of pain (not just meds, but positions. . .and in the long term strengthening exercises)?

I subluxed my hip twice last week (just forward-bending both times). . .sometimes it feels like if it's not one thing, it's another.  My reconstructed ACL is doing great, though. . .it's a real shame my knee rehab exercises are on hold (until the hip settles down)

Sincerely,
N

[smiley196]

Im not sure but I did have hips that your 'float' somewhat out of their sockets a few years ago...a bit of PT got rid of it though.
krista

[libertynm]

Hi Krista,

Did your hip joints get inflammed at all when they floated out of place?  What kinds of exercises did you end up doing in PT?  I'm glad to hear that PT fixed it for you!

Much Aloha,
N

[smiley196]

Im not sure if they got inflamed or not...there was some visible swelling but I had bursitis at the same time and the swelling was more from that than anything else. I did lateral leg lifts and butt-strentyhening sutff.

[NancyMich]

Hi,
Yes, I sublux just about everything.  I ended up with bursitis in both hips, shoulders, knees, and tendonitis in the elbows.  I believe that is what results when I am subluxing my small amount so frequently.  No major subluxion here, just a general looseness of the joints.

I have been doing PT for about three years now.  I do a lot of exercises to strengthen the joints.  Some of the first were toe rises - carefully rising up on my tippy-toes, and gently back down.  I am not to go all the way up on my toes, though.  Then I did arch raises.  Standing on both feet, tighten the thighs and buttocks and flex the arches up and gently down.  This strengthens the kness and hips.  I also did "walking the plank."  I walked on a 2x4 board heel-to-toe, making sure I did not drop my hips as I moved the foot forward.  Someone would spot me and let me know if the foot dropped below the level of the foot I was standing on.  Then I stood sideways on the board, on the balls of my feet.  I would scizzor-step down the board and back.  This one really hurt the hips at first.  The trick to doing it right was to keep the heals raised above the 2x4.  It really strengthened my hips.  I also did hip hikes.  Standing on the 2x4 with one foot, raise and lower the hip on the free foot side, being careful not to hike it too high and stand with one hip hiked up.  I have greatly improved my hip pain by stopping standing with one hip thrust out!  I also did exercises flattening the small of my back against the wall, using abdominal and pelvic muscles.


All of these exercises did the trick, and I have far less hip pain.  I do not overstress the hip joints by abusing them in my loose-jointed way anymore!  Why it took almost 45 years to learn that I could not walk or stand correctly is beyond me.

[libertynm]

I have been doing PT for about three years now. I do a lot of exercises to strengthen the joints. Some of the first were toe rises - carefully rising up on my tippy-toes, and gently back down. I am not to go all the way up on my toes, though. Then I did arch raises. Standing on both feet, tighten the thighs and buttocks and flex the arches up and gently down. This strengthens the kness and hips. I also did "walking the plank." I walked on a 2x4 board heel-to-toe, making sure I did not drop my hips as I moved the foot forward. Someone would spot me and let me know if the foot dropped below the level of the foot I was standing on. Then I stood sideways on the board, on the balls of my feet. I would scizzor-step down the board and back. This one really hurt the hips at first. The trick to doing it right was to keep the heals raised above the 2x4. It really strengthened my hips. I also did hip hikes. Standing on the 2x4 with one foot, raise and lower the hip on the free foot side, being careful not to hike it too high and stand with one hip hiked up. I have greatly improved my hip pain by stopping standing with one hip thrust out! I also did exercises flattening the small of my back against the wall, using abdominal and pelvic muscles.


All of these exercises did the trick, and I have far less hip pain. I do not overstress the hip joints by abusing them in my loose-jointed way anymore! Why it took almost 45 years to learn that I could not walk or stand correctly is beyond me.

I'm wondering the same thing about why it's taken almost 30 years for me. . .now looking back, there were a number of signs. . .it took a knee surgery that really threw things way off kilter for it to be obvious, I guess.

Thanks for the exercises!!  Now that my initial flare up seems to be calming down a little bit, I'm going to try them out.  When you say you scizzor step, do you mean that you do one step crossing over a foot and then the next step straight sideways?

It's very encouraging to hear that the exercises have really reduced your hip pain.  My hip pain is relatively new (about 1.5 months now). . .and it's been a bit recalcitrant. . .weight-bearing exercises seem to make it flare up more.  I guess the key is working at the edge so as not to flare things up too much but to still push a little to gain strength; and then with strength, the edge moves further.  I've been focusing on core exercises using a physioball for the past 3 weeks or so (crunches on the ball, pushups on the ball, dumbell exercises lying on the ball, tabletop on the ball), plus planks (on the forearms).

Do you feel that you are able to do most things you'd like to do now?
I'm wondering if running/jogging is every going to be a real possibility again. . .(and I'm very much wondering how I was able to do it before).

[NancyMich]

Hi Libertynm,
No, you do not cross the feet while walking sideways on the plank on the balls of your feet.  You step sideways with the left foot until it meets your right foot, then you pick up the right foot and step sideways to the right and plant your right foot.  Then stand on the right foot and bring your left foot sideways to meet the right foot again.  You do this with just the balls of your feet on the 2 x 4, and make sure your heels do not fall below the level of the top of the 2 x 4.  You will be surprized at how soon the muscles start to burn!

I don't know if you should be doing any of these exercises, though.  I had not totally subluxed my hips, they were simply loose and had developed bursitis from being so loose.  Does your doc let you go to PT?  If so, ask for a prescription to see a good orthopedic Physical Therapist.  You need to find out whic exercises are good for your condition.  These exercises did help me strengthen my hips.

[libertynm]

Hi NancyMich,

Thanks for the walking on the plank details!

My doc does have me going to PT (right now I'm going once a week and doing my exercises every day on days that I'm not there).  I just had an appt with him and he basically said to let pain be my guide in activities.  He also stressed that swimming would be a good idea (which I did today, and it felt great with respect to my hip. . .my reconstructed knee was complaining a bit, though).  I'd like to slowly start doing more weight bearing exercises.

Out of curiosity, did you do any soft tissue work in PT?