Fifty Plus (50+) - So how long does it take for a hip to heal?

I'm new to clipless pedals and managed to take my first spill today. I hit a bump in the pavement and did a classic, slow speed, fall over on your side while still clipped in, crash. I landed hip first and it HURT!

Well after 4 hours in the Emercency Room we have determined that the X-Rays and CT Scan are negative and that I have no broken bones. That's the good news.

The bad news is that I cant put ANY weight on my left leg without my hip joint producing a searing, make-your-knees-buckle- pain.

I am 100% comfortable sitting here but cannot stand at all on my left leg. The doctor called it a 'major contusion' and sent me home with a prescription for Vicodin and recommendation to see an orthopedic doctor in several days if I still can stand. Currently I'm icing the injury and taking Tylenol. It's been 6 hours now and I can tell the hip if starting to stiffen up.

So ... the question is .... how long is it going to take this thing to heal up so that I can walk / ride again????

Spring I finally here and I want to ride!!!

Yours,
Spud

Ouch...Take it one day at a time.

I ride with toe clips no straps.

Paid off for me last month.
Had my first crash in 40,000 miles.

Minor knee bo bo...Warning some Blood in the pic.

http://i256.photobucket.com/albums/hh187/10wheels/Angleton%2061%20miles/AngeltonBooBoo044.jpg

http://i256.photobucket.com/albums/hh187/10wheels/Angleton%2061%20miles/AngeltonBooBoo038.jpg

We don't bounce like we used to. Don't rush the process. I'm *guessing * it'll be about two weeks.

You really need to ask a doctor that has seen you. An internet guess is as good as your guess.

Acutally I was hoping to hear from the voice of experience. I'm certain plenty of the group has had hip pointers before.

Spud

Rest and ice sound like a good plan. Ibuprofen or another anti-inflammatory might help more than tylenol. Ask a pharmacist (or a doc if you see one soon).
Glad the imaging showed no breaks.
Have been lucky enough to not have suffered an injury like yours.

Acutally I was hoping to hear from the voice of experience. I'm certain plenty of the group has had hip pointers before.

Spud
Dude.

You get what you pay for.

Acutally I was hoping to hear from the voice of experience. I'm certain plenty of the group has had hip pointers before.

Nope.

Go back out and break your hip. The good news is I can help you with that because I've got personal experience. The bad news is my experience isn't complete yet. It's been 6 months and counting.

The hip muscles are big and deep, and if you injured the bone joint it will take a while. You need to do light easy PAIN FREE stretches on the area. Stretch for 30 seconds, relax, then 45 seconds, relax, then at least a minute. Then ice the area for 20-30 minutes (30 minutes is maximum but may be needed because the muscle tissue goes so deep). Allow the area to warm up completely (give it an hour) then Ice again for 20-30 minutes. You can do this all day long. Don't ice for more than 30 minutes as it will cause more swelling.
You can also get a paper/styrofoam cup, fill it with water and freeze it. Tear the top inch or so off the cup and massage the area for 20 minutes with the ice cup. This helps push the swelling out and gets the cold in. Make sure you do your stretches first before you ice as this will help push the swelling out of the area and help the muscles to relax. Depending on how bad you injured your hip, it may take several weeks before it gets better. Once it starts feeling OK go for easy rides. This will also help to relax the muscles and push the swelling out. If it hurts a bunch after you ride, then take some more time off as you are just re-injuring the wound.

My best advice is to only fall over on nice soft grass. I've heard falling on cement hurts a lot.

I'm new to clipless pedals and managed to take my first spill today. I hit a bump in the pavement and did a classic, slow speed, fall over on your side while still clipped in, crash. I landed hip first and it HURT!

Well after 4 hours in the Emercency Room we have determined that the X-Rays and CT Scan are negative and that I have no broken bones. That's the good news.

The bad news is that I cant put ANY weight on my left leg without my hip joint producing a searing, make-your-knees-buckle- pain.

I am 100% comfortable sitting here but cannot stand at all on my left leg. The doctor called it a 'major contusion' and sent me home with a prescription for Vicodin and recommendation to see an orthopedic doctor in several days if I still can stand. Currently I'm icing the injury and taking Tylenol. It's been 6 hours now and I can tell the hip if starting to stiffen up.

So ... the question is .... how long is it going to take this thing to heal up so that I can walk / ride again????

Spring I finally here and I want to ride!!!

Yours,
Spud

Spud, now that you've succeeded in injuring yourself with clipless pedals......was it worth the tiny power gain of clipless?

If you said "yes" then I'm going to wonder who you're trying to kid.....us or yourself.

Bike riding is supposed to be fun not a contest for pain and permanent injury. (bone injury is often forever)

Spud, now that you've succeeded in injuring yourself with clipless pedals......was it worth the tiny power gain of clipless?

If you said "yes" then I'm going to wonder who you're trying to kid.....us or yourself.

Bike riding is supposed to be fun not a contest for pain and permanent injury. (bone injury is often forever)

I've had more problems with my feet slipping off of platform pedals or not being able to get into a toe clip pedal than I've ever had with clipless pedals. Toe clips always hurt my feet. I'd never go back to platform or toe-clips. Once you get used to clipless they are wonderful, but like anything, you have to get used to them and make it automatic when you need to unclip from the pedal.

Your body will speak to you pretty loudly. If you return too fast you risk a nagging long term problem. Ice, Heat, IB profen and the remote control are your friends for now.

Don't know about hips, but it's been about 10 days since I took a spill at around 18 mph when I ran into a pedestrian. Landed on my right elbow and hand, and strained my left shoulder when bracing for impact. The first few days were really brutal, but by day 3 or 4, I could shower and pull a shirt over my head without too much pain. It takes time and recovery shouldn't be rushed. Keep icing and take Ibuprophin and it should feel better soon

An internet guess is as good as your guess.

obviously this is how you get to 12,000+ posts

obviously this is how you get to 12,000+ posts

If you have enough injuries that are serious enough to keep you off your bike you have time to post more.

If you have enough injuries that are serious enough to keep you off your bike you have time to post more.

correct :)

What did you DOCTOR say?
I'm an eye doctor....."but you don't specialize in that". I'm an Optometrist......."but you're not a "real" Doctor". You see, you have a built in bias toward anything I will answer, so why on Earth are you asking plumbers and truck drivers and salesmen and bakers and.......the same question about a health-related thing?

ASK YOUR DOCTOR!!

Why do people ask health-related questions on the internet? Blows my mind.

You know, my Doctor rode a bike once. I think I'm gonna ask him how to adjust my derailleurs.

I'm sorry. I know you are looking for...whatever. But this just strikes a nerve every time I see one of these. Trust your DOCTOR. And if he doesn't give you an answer you like, then maybe he's.................................RIGHT?

Now, if you are posting for sympathy, then you have it. I'm sorry it happened to you and I hope you recover faster......than your Doctor says you will :)

Well here's my answer: Everyone heals at different rates and everyone get's injured at differing levels. You will be ready to ride when you are ready to ride :)
Heal fast and get back on that bike!

Dang people, he's not asking for medical advice. For you that are inept at social interaction, he's looking for reassurance that it will heel so that he can ride, preferably from someone who has gone through a similar experience.

^^^Dude, how rude, we like playing the doctor therapist role.

Of course OP will get better in time. HEY, part of biking is healing from one injury or another. The bike needs a rest and you will get back out soon. The weather will be better than ever. The down time is good for building posts and getting to know some of the posters here. Some of us even own bikes. Not me, but I hope this Christmas, if I am really good.

^^^Dude, how rude, we like playing the doctor therapist role.

Of course OP will get better in time. HEY, part of biking is healing from one injury or another. The bike needs a rest and you will get back out soon. The weather will be better than ever. The down time is good for building posts and getting to know some of the posters here. Some of us even own bikes. Not me, but I hope this Christmas, if I am really good.

Actually I was referring to the people who say "go to the doctor, not the internet". Your reply to the OP was helpful, IMO.

BTW: If you have a birthday coming, I'd ask for the new bike, the Mayan Calendar ends before Christmas.

... the Mayan Calendar ends before Christmas.

Unless there was a mistake in translation or Mayan math and the world really ends Dec 12, 2021

Well I found out the offical answer to my question. According to my doctor I've managed to crack my hip socket! (acetabulum is the medical term for the bone I cracked) X-Ray didn't find it. CT Scan didn't find it. Eventually a MRI found the crack. They took the MRI because I could not stand on the leg 4 days after my mishap.

The good news is that the bone is not 'misplaced' and therefore will not require any pins or surgery to repair. I just need to keep weight off my leg for 6 weeks. So ....now I am learning to get around with a pair of crutches, a walker and a wheel chair.

At least I'm not in any pain as I sit or lay ....so other then the limitations on my mobility I feel 100% fine.

I'm looking forward to getting healed up in the next 5 weeks and getting back on my bike as soon as the doctor allows. This is sure going to put a dent in my mileage goal for the season. Oh well. Live and learn.

While I'm sure they don't want you doing anything with your bad leg, find out about doing rehab NOW and start a program. You can use your good leg and your arms and keep your health up. Lots of different exercises you can do, and a pool is great. If your insurance covers physical therapy, get going now. If you have a stationary trainer, clip in with just the one foot. Of course check with your Doc first, but your recovery time will be decreased immensely.

obviously this is how you get to 12,000+ posts

So you're saying there is no place in this discussion for honesty and accurate information. Very clever.

Read post number 23 if you would like to visit reality.

I stayed off the Harley for a good year after I broke my hip and no I did not break it while riding. It was two solid years before I felt completely normal again. I still have a bolt, plate and two pins that I am leaving in there because I absolutely do not want to go through rehab again. Sometimes I have to walk with a cane if it is a long day out with a lot of walking. Most of the time I am pretty good. Just got done doing 11 miles half of which are steep grades and I feel great. Just don't try to rush the recovery.

Wow - sounds like you had something far more serious to come back from. At this point I'm 8 days into my recovery and I'm almost completley pain free. I just need to give the bones enough time to heal and I should be back to 100% normal. The only drag is having to hop around on one foot for a month or balance on crutches or drag my walker or roll my wheel chair. Still, I think I got off pretty luck. It could have been far far worse.

Well, here is my $0.02 as an 'internet specialist'. Although you will be serviceable before then, it will take a good 3 months until your hip fully recovers. That is, of course, if you properly rehabilitate your injury.

Wow, that makes me feel lucky. I had a spill last year when I hit a patch of mud/sand on pavement while going a bit too fast. The bike flew out from under me and landed on the grass. I wound up partly on mud and partly on pavement on my right hip. I came home looking like I crashed in a cyclo cross race. Nothing worse than a couple of abrasions and a small bruise and everything covered in mud. I was a little sore for a few days but I was back in the saddle after a day off.