Sorry to hear that.

Yes - I struggled for a long time. I was competitive triathlete and road cyclist and the last 6 or 7 years was really struggling with issues my knee and glutes. Turns out it was my hip throwing everything else out but I only got that diagnosed late on after I had 'retired' from competitive sport because of the pain and reduced performance. I kayaked too and it was 'hilarious' to everyone else when I fell over when getting out of the kayak because my right side had gone to sleep and lost power sat in the boat with a duff hip.

I caught mine early enough for surgery. Not full hip replacement but arthroscopic surgery for a cam hip impingement. Not a blinding success if I'm honest. Surgeon discovered I had shredded my labrum so instead of waking up to him having sewn it back together like the plan I had had it completely removed. End result is a bit hyper mobile on the right hand side and told not to consider running again (as I'm very liable to do a load more damage without a labrum and also get arthritis). Winter mountain walking/ mountaineering is just about possible but it does get a bit achey after a couple of heavily loaded days. I am biking again however - not competitively but do what the general public would call proper biking. It took me a good 6 months to be as good as I was before surgery let alone better than before.

After my surgery I met this bloke on holiday.... http://www.opnews.com/2016/08/man-wins-triathlon-three-months-after-hip-replacement-surgery/12804. Kind of wished I'd had the full surgery now. Claims are he will be good for life which was never the case before and why you'd normally put off having a replacement in your 40s. He must have had it 5 or 6 years now (dates on that article don't seem right as I met him about then) and in his mid/late 40s he is still posting near elite level times. If you PM me I'll send you a link to his facebook (you can probably find it yourself tbh) if you want to talk it through with him. His was full NHS too. I have half a mind to stop protecting my lash up hip and live a little more if that means I might get a new hip as it does not seem to be holding him back.

Yes, it’s how I started riding - I had to stop running. I’ve got a slight tear in the labrum too. The consultant basically said that the arthroscopy had very poor stats around success so if I could find another sport that I could do, just switch. I have to be careful with dismounts and weight bearing - no hike a bike or CX for me.

I think by stopping running I’ve managed to catch it before it got to the stage yours is at but eventually it’ll get there. I did find it took me about 18 months to figure out what aggravated it and then recover from that so it felt normalish. Sometimes a crash will tweak it and I have a few months of feeling like it’s going to give way before it gets better again. I avoid heavy shoes and walking boots (I wear fell running shoes for hiking) as that definitely hurts more. I don’t carry rucksacks with weight in for walks, I’ll push my bike instead of carrying it, I don’t do movements at the extreme range of the joint - like climbing would require. All that makes it just about manageable. Not sure that’s any help to you though 🙁 but you have my total sympathy with the pain.

Unsure what Murray had exactly. But I suffer from perthes disease, so loss of blood to hip, which means lack of movement, worn joint etc. I am getting to the point where a hip replacement is likely, but I am terrified of having at 35 years of age. My muscles around my hip and glutes all tighten up, then all down my leg to knee. I am in agony some days from hip down to knee. I have stopped running and just SUP and bike.

I have found one of those knobbly foam rollers really useful, plus some acupuncture. I really do feel your pain, and sorry I have nothing to add really. Good luck OP in your treatment.

Yeah, sounds similar to me MrWhyte, it's just limited in motion and range, power is getting less and less, not horrific, but noticeable, hence why i got an ebike earlier this year to compliment the normal bike.

First surgeon recommended hip replacement straight away, second one asked if possible i should delay as long as possible, starting to think the first one was the right decision, hoping injections will delay a bit and allow freedom to get back to more distance and power, but i guess if it fails, the hip replacement is next up, just need to line it up over a bad winter!

I suffered really badly with this in both hips, stopped me cycling for about 5 years, had 2 arthroscopies on one hip and one on the other, it was a very dark time. Can now after a very long slow and at times painful process ride quite a lot. Before I could bash out 100 miles on the road at the weekend and cycle twice a week during the week plus commute daily. Now3 times a week is my limit and I rarely go over 70-80km on the road and a few hours on MTB.

Edited to add the dark times started when I was about 35, now 46.

Unsure what Murray had exactly.

Me neither but having seen a video of his hip "catch" trying to get off a stool, I'd bet my left but it was hip impingement and laberal year.

I think surgeons are moving away from hip scopes due to lack of long term success but seeing someone who does do it for an opinion may be wise, it'll cost though.

I had a hip resurfacing 3 years ago aged 60 as my right hip was so bad that I had to lay a bike down to get on or off it . I did a lot of research and decided that this was the best option for me . It's the same operation that Andy Murray went for and although it has had some bad press over the years I am delighted with my outcome and cycle , swim and walk as well as I ever did without giving it a thought . I choose not to run as I have a dodgy left knee that I don't want to make worse and also because I want my hip to last for the rest of my life . I know Andy Murray was told that his hip would wear out in about 7 years if he continued to play top level tennis . I had mine done privately by Derek Mc Minn in Birmingham . He is the man who actually pioneered the resurfacing technique and was first class . http://www.mcminncentre.co.uk/

I’m 33 and have now had this in both hips. My first arthroscope was about 7 years ago and was a long recovery but it worked! My other hip was done in October last year. Just done my first ride last week and felt great. I know people are saying it’s low success rate but both mine were successful.

While it’s tough going for recovery I thought it was worth it! Started back to golf and riding my bike which I haven’t done properly for years!

So not alone, unfortunately i believe when they say 'mechanical', they mean bone on bone wearing and impacting, so they ruled out arthroscopy as a way around it, i believe it was down to the lack of cartilage left in that area, probably due to me being daft and just continuing to mess about until it actually stopped me doing stuff completely.

I'll give the injections a try, but i think the more i read and hear from others, getting the op now is probably the way, yes i might have issues in later life if i need to have a third replacement, but by that time i'll be in my 70s and they'll be knocking out robotic legs!

You're definitely not alone, was diagnosed with labrum tear and impingement probably 3 years ago now by MRI and x-ray (which Drs didn't pick up). Had an injection, didn't work for me. Like a few of us, was all set to go for arthroscopy, but started questioning whether it was right thing, as my physio had said some folk have had good outcomes, some not so good - risk with any surgery I guess. Plus I was interested in how it happened, and whether it would reoccur after surgery. Sought a second opinion and went to see Tim Board at Wrightington, who I can't recommend enough. He discovered that my pelvis/hips hadn't formed "correctly" after I was born (something which is now monitored in childerbeasts) so even if I'd had the op, chances are a tear would reoccur and I'd be back at square one. The one thing he did suggest was to work on my core to help build up some strength. As for exercise, swimming helps, as does SUP-ing, I can't sit for long periods so choose not to, long walks I tend to used nordic poles to take some strain off - but still in a lot of pain after a long day walking. Biking does niggle it and got to be careful when getting on/onto bike, ended up on the floor last year after moving awkwardly and hip giving way and in a world of pain...so now I've kind of figured out what aggravates it, as there's definitely limits of movement. Suspect I'll need a hip replacement at some point, though will just continue to manage it, I'm 46, slim-ish, fairly active and ask too many questions! Happy to have a crack about all things hippy if you want to message me 🙂

Definitely not alone. I had to give up a 30 year hockey career because of increasing pain and lack of movement in my left hip, which led me to mountain biking (which is a bonus). It took two years to fully diagnose, and only then when i went private. My hip was worn down to bone on bone and eventually i had trouble walking and tying shoe laces etc. During that time i had various physio and Chiropractic treatments which didn't help due to the mechanical nature of the issue. However after a full hip replacement i'm back on the bike and as good (or bad) as i was prior to the op. Running is a definite no-no for me according to my surgeon but i'm happy with that. So although not exactly what you're going through there is good news if and when you have to have a full replacement. Good luck with whatever treatment you have, and my advice would be to get it dealt with sooner rather than later, as i hadn't appreciated how many little things it had stopped me doing and my overall fitness and mobility had suffered.
All the best.

Exactly as i am undarra, bone on bone and only option is full hip replacement, i'll give injections a try, but can't see them doing too much, it is the loss of being able to do stuff that is getting annoying now, golf went early as it is pretty hard going on the hips, i couldn't even finish a round in the last few weeks, running just stopped, even doing little bits hurt like hell the next day, football is a no-go, not even kicking the ball with my little girl, it's too sore, but biking is starting to get annoying, always fidgeting in the seat, that feel of having been kicked in the arse for the entire ride, discomfort and having my left side just not have the power, it's a weird feeling as in my mind i can do it, but it's as if my brain tries to make my whole left side push down on the pedal as my glute/hip doesn't want too!

Tying shoe laces, cutting toe-nails and putting socks on are starting to be weird experiences, where i have to try different ways of getting down to the foot, still hurts, like a hamstring strain but at the hip joint.

As before though, think i might have a word with the surgeon again, i think i need to focus on the here and now rather than worry about the issues i'll have in any replacement after i'm 70!

Bilateral impingement here too.

First noted in 2008, aged 32, while cramming in a full summer of big routes before firstborn arrived. Felt a pop in the right side while climbing a very steep hill. It settled and didn't give any issue till training for a fell run in 2010. Off to the surgeon in 2011 for trimming of labrum. This seemed to help a bit but 6 months later the left popped while standing up from desk. I decided to ignore it as I wasn't convinced about the first surgery. I've looked at surgery again (labrum trimming, resurfacing and total replacement) and decided that it will be necessary sometime but best avoided as long as possible. I have slowly and steadily increased my riding, have competed in a few races and done ok (enough for me), done some bikepacking and generally done more than the majority of the UK population with perfect hips will ever do. I stand up paddle boarding, rock climb (bouldering) and sail. All to an acceptable level for a 43 year old.
I never ever run. It will get me to the surgeon years before I am planning. I don't walk anywhere that I can't get to on a bike. I've given up kayaking as my legs go to sleep after hurting like hell for a while. I try not to stand in one position for a long time.
I am a doctor and remember when I was being used as a demonstration for hip examination at med school being told by the consultant teaching that I had anteverted femurs. Basically I'm further to the left on the bell shaped curve of 'how long will your hips last'!

Yep that all sounds far too familiar, especially not being able to get your bad side to engage. I had that exact same issue due to my glutes not doing there job properly and other muscles compensating. I'm still having physio to get them working again and strength balanced, but like i said i'm back on the bike and enjoying it again. I went through the same thoughts with regard to further ops down the line (i'm 48) but i decided that i'd rather have the quality of life now whilst my son is relatively young than protect it for my later years. Who knows what other things may stop me before then!

If you are worried about needing further hip replacement in the future one of the advantages of resurfacing over replacement is that you get to keep all of your femur so if you need it doing again 20 years down the line then you can still have a total hip replacement and it is relatively straightforward .