I started feeling some issues about seven years ago. I was playing on a basketball league once a week, and indoor soccer league once a week, playing outdoor soccer twice per week, pickup basketball on concrete twice per week and working out in tae kwon do twice a week (at night), also hitting the gym for weights and stuff about three times a week.
I noticed after my league basketball games that I would walk in limping. I first thought this was strictly from being tired, but then it started happening for a longer period of time after the game. It was my right hip that was sore. Eventually it was sore enough that I had it checked out, an ultrasound was done and the orthpedist said that there was a slight decrease in cartilage, but that if I had any hip replacement it would be in my 60's. He also said my left was fine.
The pain got worse over time, with my left becoming much more painful than my right. I did physical therapy, massage, etc. and nothing helped. I eventually (five years later) saw an orthopedic surgeon when my left hip started dislocating and I was having trouble with stairs; he told me I had no cartilage left in my left hip, and only a veneer on my right, I also had bone spurs on both. He suggested THR, but I had read about HR and wanted that, so I found Dr. Snyder and had my left done last August, with my right done last November. We scheduled both at the same time, the intervening time let me get my left leg strong enough to support the right when it was done.
Why it happened? Don't know for sure, but I have pounded my body over the years. I played linebacker in high school, have done martial arts since I was 15, had several injuries in doing both, including two I remembered to my hips (overextended). Martial arts relies on hip power and rotation for almost everything, and I was doing four to five workouts a week for two hours each for an extended period of time. 35 years in all. I also have weight lifted for power, so that may have had an impact, but I do remember that since I was 21, if I didn't stretch my muscles for three weeks, I would start to have sciatica, so something was playing in there.
I'm just glad I had the procedure done. I am 6 months out from my left hip being done, and about 8 weeks out from my right. No pain in either leg/hip and the constant tiredness in my back and shoulders is gone. My right is still not 100% feeling, some unsteadiness when doing balancing exercises, but I can sleep through the night for the first time in 7 years.