Doing volley-ball or even beach volley with a HR

[brianflanagan]

Hi guys,

What do you think of playing volley-ball or even beach volley with a HR ?

I would like to do beach volley but I m scared to do it as I believe that this could be one of the worst sports when you have a HR.
Beach volley means lots of jumps, so lots of landings and therefore lots of impacts on your hip , furthermore on sand.

I'm ok to run as I am completely focused to what I am doing but, what do you think of volley -ball ?
Am I right to be careful and avoid doing volley ball as I don't want to ruin the device prematurely.

Thanks a lot

[John C]

The obvious reply is to check with your surgeon. Having said that, there are a lot of people playing basketball, tennis, etc; which is similar but on a harder surface meaning harder impacts. Hopefully some volley-ball players will speak up with their experience.

[Joe_CA]

Hey Brian,

I personally haven't heard of any specific sporting restrictions that are specified by most of the surgeons on here. I don't know, perhaps there are some, for example competitive tackle football or extreme gymnastics (though I haven't heard these restrictions yet). When I was doing my research, I recall a claim made by Dr. Su (one of the best HR surgeons in the world). Here is what he said:

I am often asked by patients what sorts of activities they may expect to do after a hip resurfacing. To this, I am happy to respond, “EVERYTHING!” Of course, each patient and each hip situation is different, but the entire purpose of going through with the operation is to get back to doing the activities that you love doing. Once the healing process has occurred and the bone around the implants has strengthened, I release you from all restrictions. I have many patients who are martial artists, dancers, yoga practioners (sic), swimmers, cyclists and weight lifters. Many patients play competitive tennis, soccer, squash, racquetball, basketball, and volleyball. My most active patients are triathletes and marathoners…


Of course, as John C recommended, you should definitely get your surgeon's input on this. I've heard individuals come back to some very high-impact sports which place heavy loads on the hip joints (martial arts, weight-lifting, long distance running, skiing, ...) without any issues. In terms of device longevity, the long-term statistics are not in abundance at this time, as there are far more patients who have had HR procedures within the last 10 years. However, the future seems bright as most patients devices are still viable 15-20 years out.

I had bilateral HR surgeries two years ago (Dr. Gross). Beach volleyball was the primary sport I wanted to return to. And I was playing 6 months after my surgeries - it was great! It took another 3-5 months to feel like I was close to 100% recovered. I play at least once per week now, and I have zero issues or problems. Get yourself a competent surgeon and go for it!

[Joe_CA]

Brian,

I have now read some of your posts, and understand you already had the HR procedure! Oooops!. So I guess I don't have to talk you into it. In terms of beach volleyball, start slow. Monitor your progress and slow things down if anything hurts. I also recommend strengthening the muscles that are needed for jumping, as you'll be amazed at how much you use your glute muscles (main muscles cut in HR) when jumping. I was impatient, and broke the rules by performing relatively heavier weight training exercises (squats, lunges, leg presses) about 4 months post-surgery. It appears you're approximately 10 months post-op, so weight-training should be fine (though double check with your surgeon to be safe). Good Luck!