Could yoga help with labral tear and / or chronic hip pain?

[Monroe]

Please, if anyone could offer any advice I'd be really grateful.

I'll try to keep a very long story short. I have had chroni hip pain for almost 5 years now. X rays are clear and the only thing that has shown on mri is a small labral tear in right hip and some tendonopathy (sp?) The consultant felt the tear too small to be causing so much pain so has not been treated. So far I have seen an osteopath, 3 separate physios, a chiropractor, took numerous pain relief tablets, had acupuncture, 3 steroid injections in my spine and 2 in my hip and nothing has helped. I have very reduced movement on my right side e.g. I'm unable to cross my legs properly and geta lot of buttock pain / muscle pain.

A friend has recommended yoga and I'm just wondering if anyone has experience of this helping at all? Thanks

[VelvetGreen]

Could it be sciatica? I know most people think of shooting pains down the legs, but i predominantly get pain in my hips and buttocks, and also have problems shifting my leg (left one) - i have to kind of lift it into place getting up from the sofa, out of the car etc.

Yoga really helps. The only thing it causes difficulty with is laying flat - i use a block and pillow under my knees which relieves the pressure on my lower back. Sometimes leg lifts can be difficult. On the whole though movement definitely relieves the pain.

My sciatic pain is one of my fibromyalgia symptoms, so i know i'm not doing myself an injury by practising yoga. If you're fairly certain the pain isn't being caused by something that could be exacerbated by exercise (like a ruptured disc), then i would definitely recommend giving it a go.

Find a class and talk to the teacher about your issue - they will be able to advise you if their class would be suitable for you. Most will adapt any postures you find difficult. I would probably go for a class where you ease gently into a pose so you can test your limits in a safe way, so maybe avoid ashtanga or vinyasa-style classes.

[CoteDAzur]

I've had hip impingement (inside the joint) and tendinopathy (outside the hip). Yoga will not help the label tear but that might not be what is really causing you pain, if dr said it's unimportant. Where exactly is your pain? Do you hurt only upon movement or all the time, even at rest? Do you hurt when bearing weight on that leg, when standing up? Have you had an ultrasound scan? Do you have calcifications in that tendon?

If your pain is mainly coming from the tendinitis, I can make some recommendations.

[Monroe]

Thank you Velvet

I'm pretty sure it isn't sciatica. I had am mri of my spine which showed some deterioration in my lower discs but no impingement. The hip pain is like a very deep constant pain. Most days it is very low level but it never leaves. Over the last few months it has been getting steadily worse. The muscle ache is eased with pain killers and a hot bath but the hip ache isn't. I'm pretty unfit due to exercise aggrevating the pain but want to be able to do something!

[CoteDAzur]

Can it be osteoarthritis? "Constant deep pain that never leaves" sounds like it.

[Monroe]

I don't know to be honest. That's certainly never been mentioned. Would it show on an x ray?

[Waitingfordolly]

I have what's probably osteoarthritis and some pain in my hip. I do yoga, but I also do daily core exercises and stretches for my spine / legs, which helps - if I didn't those too I think I would struggle with the yoga classes. You need to find the right teacher. Iyengar yoga teachers are very well trained and supervised and generally used to dealing with people with injuries. Otherwise you would probably want to look for classes that are advertised as "hatha", though you will need to look into individual teachers' qualifications, experience and approach. I think it's difficult to separate out things that might be uncomfortable but good for you and things that are causing damage so I'd say just take it very slowly. I sympathise though, I've had to give up lots of exercise because of pain.

[CoteDAzur]

Yes, osteoarthritis would show on an x-ray. You would see bone very close to (or even touching) bone, whereas normally white bones would be separated by black spaces (cartilage).

[Monroe]

Thanks for all the advice. The last x ray I had (2 years ago) was clear.

I have been doing some very simple stretches over the last week and it might be wishful thinking but I think I feel a slight improvement. Last night was the first time in a long time I wasn't kept awake with the pain

[CoteDAzur]

I think yoga would help you not only by stretching the affected tendon & muscles but also by strengthening the muscles that support your joints. I had a knee problem last year that was so painful that I could not even walk. Yoga has helped me enormously, to the point where I am now pain-free.

Of course the usual warnings apply: Don't hold a painful position, stop and rest when in pain, etc.

[Monroe]

Thanks again. Can anyone suggest a starting point for a complete beginner? Any videos or anything I could start with at home before I brave a class? How long / often would you recommend?

I'll start looking for something nearby and have a chat with the instructor first to check it's right for me.

Glad it helped with your knee Cote

[CoteDAzur]

Quite a few of us are doing Adrienne's yoga camp on YouTube at the moment. The first couple of days are extremely slow and gentle. You could try doing them a few days apart to see how you feel.

[Cococo1]

Brave a class - one with a very experienced teacher, and ideally one with experience in rehabilitation. It's really hard to teach yourself yoga. A beginners class is usually non-intimidating.

My class is full of teachers but many of them are older so there is a lot of adapting and simplifying going on.