RUNNING PAIN!!! Advice Please...

[chuckm]

Ultimately I think everyone is going to have to find their own solution that works best for themselves. If you are the hardy type who could spend the night in the quaff house the night before, gobble down some water the next morning and win that day, things might change after resurfacing. Might have to down a water every other round from now on!

Chuckm

[23109VC]

i am going to try and watch my hydration levels to see if that could play a role.

i'll load up on water before a run to see what happens and will post back!!  thanks for hte suggestion.

I also recently bought a pair of Hoka Bondi 3 running shoes..they helped a little.. not game changing..but i htink I can run a bit longer than before... they certainly are comfortable.  i like them a lot.  just having them makes me want to go run more!  :)

[Sandspinner]

Thanks for your observations chuckm.  I'm a former competitive runner who hasn't run in a few years but I'm getting an itch to get back into some light running.  I will be cognizant of drinking water enough water to stay hydrated prior to and during my attempts to run.

[chuckm]

I just did an experiment today to test my own theory because I don't really support the one about cobalt levels around the hip.
One common theme that stands out with the onset of running pain is that everyone has to just take it. Once it comes on, there is not much you can do. You can't seem to find any relief. And then it finally goes on its own and all is fine.

So, as I posted before, the leading theory (backed by at least one top surgeon) is that there is a spike in the cobalt level in the fluid around the resurfaced hip that irritates the tissues temporarily. And once the body flushes out enough the pain subsides. But this does not happen in everyone.

It does make some sense but I do not believe this theory.

It has been so cold and snow covered for so long this winter I wasn't in the best of shape. And I was coming off a bad cold that lasted for several weeks. Today however, I was finally feeling good and it was not below freezing so I got out and pushed myself a bit by getting some exercise. I stayed very close to home at a nearby school ground. I did a combination of jogging with mixed in sprinting.

At about two miles in with this type of activity, I began to feel the onset of that ache creeping in. Once I felt it, I headed straight home which was only a quarter mile away.

I had my FOAM ROLLER ready. I hopped on it with the glut in full stretch and rolled away. Within a minute the pain was gone. I could feel it massage the pain as though it is a very very deep tissue cramp.

So here is my theory. The tissues around the hip after resurfacing are traumatized. Muscles and tendons have been spit, stretched, cut, and sewn back together. It is a long process for the body to restore a high level of blood supply to those areas in addition to the healing of nerves. Does the tissue fully vascularized at those small inner muscles with everyone? If not, during running some of those small inner muscles can become oxygen deprived and ache. They are so deep in I think that is why everyone just has to wait around with the pain. Regular palpation doesn't really find a sore spot.
But, get on the foam roller with all your body weight on your glut and you suddenly find that spot where the ache is.

This theory goes hand in hand with being better hydrated. The better hydrated you are the more efficiently your body is able to sustain supplying your muscles with nutrients before the pain sets in. It also would explain why as my conditioning after resurfacing improved, the ache would take longer and longer to set in and since all people heal differently, it is not a problem for everyone. And surgical technique could affect this too.

I'll keep experimenting and posting. Next I think I'll try rolling after the pain and then try to get back out there and see how long before it comes back in. But how long would it be to recharge those starved muscles. Perhaps rolling and sports drink combination.

Chuckm

[toby]

Hi Chuck,
Very interesting post- I feel like you about the cobalt theory and your smaller muscle oxygen deprivation theory provides a highly valuable consideration for further research, expert consulation and discussion. Hopefully, if this is the case with training these muscles can be developed and their vascularisation improved to fully overcome the problem.
My situation is slightly different as I didn't experience a significant problem when building up the running after my HR but now have experienced the  discomfort since building up post my complex Achilles reconstruction.
Apologies but I've copied my previous post below(under the Hoka thread) as it fully describes my situation but put in some updates. Also, Chuck I find that it's strange but if I'm once I'm running and feel the ache, if I start walking it goes away-then I can run again. So as I said before like you- I'm 'experimenting' with my running at the moment as I've had some ups and downs.  Quick resume -after my resurf Jan 2010 I waited a year and picked up the running-initially had some discomfort but through gradual steps building up walk/runs combined with stretching and strengthening eventually managed 3 mile runs at 8 min mile pace without discomfort and could also break into a sprint without a problem. Although several years before my severe OA and resurface I ran half marathons at 1.18 mins (6 min mile pace), I was delighted to be able to run again and with my improving pace-I never had ambitions to do distance runs again anyway-but wanted to complete a Triathlon. But as some may remember 20 months post resurface hip was so brilliant I returned to squash after long lay off and then DISASTER!  Ruptured my achilles tendon. Then following surgery had deep wound infection-NIGHTMARE-section of tendon eaten away-fighting to save life/leg etc long story short-had surgeries to reconstruct tendon (7 surgeries in total). Hence, I do not have a proper tendon-mine is constructed from scar tissue. OK so I'm lucky to even walk but my last year once again with gradual steps I completed a Sprint Triathlon- in the build up got the hip discomfort but worked with a physio and this was definitely due to the stress going up the hip from biochemical issues caused by not having the spring from a proper tendon. So now once again after a few month lay off (work/calf tear/severe flu)  I'm experimenting with what helped before to build up to sprint tri in May/June.
1.Learning from Chi Running technique.
2.Building slowly and gradually increasing the speed and distance.
3. Walking to warm up and combining running and fast walking-even stretching out hip flexors-half way-currently I'm out for 50 min in total. Starting with 4x5 min runs-2 min walking (previously experienced discomfort on 2nd run now later part of 3rd run) *also more recently 3 times 8 min runs with 2 min walking in between.
4.Playing around with speed to see how it effects discomfort
5. Now up to 2 runs a week as above and one treadmill 4x4 with 1 min walking in between.
6.Tried out different shoes (Asics Gel Nimbus-heavily cushioned and Nike Vomero-lighter shoes) and keeping a log of which prove most comfortable-now prefer the less cushioned Nike's.
7. Getting back to a more disciplined stretching and strengthening routine and a bit of foam roller.
Sorry again for such a lengthy post-just trying to share ideas.
Best
Toby

[chuckm]

I am with you on the Achilles tendon issue. I have been battling tendonitis for awhile now. It is the Achilles on the same side as my BHR. Before resurfacing I had lost so much extension in the hip that the Achilles and calf muscle below had shortened and atrophied.
Surgeon pops in a BHR and now the leg can extend back and suddenly the ankle is being put to use in an angle it hasn't been in for years. The calf strength came back quickly but the tendon and the transition where the tendon and the calf connect are so slow in adapting and healing that it is quite susceptible to injury.

Chuckm