r/hipdysplasia

I’d love to hear your experience with pain if you have borderline dysplasia with a tear and have been doing PT at least 6 months or more and have avoided surgery so far. How are you doing in terms of pain? Are you still considering surgery?

I’m borderline dysplastic with a tear. Little to no impingement. 3.5 months into PT and have gained more functionality like from not being able to walk out of the house to walking 3k steps per day. Less knee pain and general ache down maybe ~20%. However cshape ache, hip flexion pain, and new groin / hamstring pain persists. Looking to avoid PAO if possible.

I’m not even gonna lie, part of what pushed me away from being a huge J. Cole fan isn’t even just Cole himself anymore, it’s the fanbase too.

For years Cole built this image of being humble, mature, relatable, conscious, all that. And I get why people connected with it because compared to a lot of mainstream rappers he came off more grounded and genuine. But after a while it started feeling like people weren’t treating him like a rapper anymore, they were treating him like some morally perfect figure that’s above criticism.

And that’s where I started looking at him differently.

Because if you really pay attention, Cole still participates in rap competition, throws little shots, pushes narratives about being one of the greatest, and clearly cares about legacy and perception like every other major artist does. But whenever things get uncomfortable or too messy, it feels like he shifts back into the “I’m above this” role, and the fanbase instantly reframes it as wisdom or maturity no matter what.

That’s why the “fake humble” criticism exists in the first place.

Not because people think he’s secretly some terrible person, but because sometimes the humility itself feels curated. Like he understands exactly how people see him and leans into that image hard. The whole “realest conscious rapper” thing started feeling less natural and more like part of the brand over time.

And honestly the glazing made it worse. With some Cole fans, you can’t even have a normal discussion without people acting like you just insulted their savior. Everything becomes:

“you don’t understand him”

“he’s too evolved for rap”

“he’s the only real artist left”

After a while that actually made me enjoy the music less because the discourse around him got so self-righteous.

I still think Cole is talented. He’s got classic songs, great storytelling, and he’s obviously one of the better rappers of his generation. But I also think people are finally realizing he’s way more calculated and image-aware than his fanbase used to admit, and once you notice it, it’s hard to unsee.

I'm sharing this because when I was researching hip arthroscopy combined with femoral osteotomy, I had such a hard time finding real patient experiences and information about what to expect. If this helps even one person going through the same thing, it's worth posting

My pre-surgery scans showed bilateral cam-type FAI (femoroacetabular impingement), with my right side being worse. My femoral anteversion was off (28° on the right vs 18° on the left), and I had some acetabular overcoverage issues.

I had a hip arthroscopy on Oct 22nd to address the impingement and fix my labrum then proximal femoral osteotomy on Nov 7th to realign my femur. They put in an intramedullary nail and screws to hold everything in place while it heals.

I’m 6 months post-op now, no pain, walking without crutches but steal doing PT, working on my strenght and gait too.

Really grateful for this community because reading other people’s experiences helped me feel a lot less alone through all of this. Happy to answer questions or hear from anyone who’s gone through osteotomy + scope recovery too. The Femoral Osteotomy Support group was also really useful once I knew I was going that route.

Good morning!

I had a labral repair/femoralplasty a year and a half ago and am scheduled for PAO surgery in a few months. Has anyone had both? What are the differences in recovery for you personally? Luckily I kept all the crutches, grabbers, etc from the last surgery. Any advice helpful. Thanks!

Has anyone seen Dr. Sink at HSS? I just saw dr. Nawabi and he was amazing. He wants to schedule surgery for the labral tear but referred me to Dr. sink to do a pao. I’m not very familiar with this and wondering if anyone has experience to share about dr sink. Thanks!

Having my surgery this summer and they told me to expect 3-5 day stay at the hospital and was wondering what everyone recommends for clothes. I have a bunch of Aerie joggers and shorts as well as some bamboo pj sets from Quince but idk. Any other recs for what I should bring to the hospital that's not clothing recs are welcome too.

Hi! I recently found out I have hip dysplasia and I’m having a hell of time processing it and also trying to get an appointment with ortho.

I got my MRA done 4/1. Results showed a hip labrum tear and a labral cyst. Provider referred me to ortho for follow up, finally talked to ortho on 5/8. At this recent appt, I was told that the tear was the lesser of my worries because it turns out I have hip dysplasia. Because of this, the ortho has referred me to another surgeon to discuss next steps. He was very specific that I see this surgeon and that I make sure when I call to make the appt, that I don’t let the front desk or appointing people make an appt with any other surgeon.

Unfortunately, the soonest that surgeon is available is 8/28. Keep in mind that this appointment is JUST to discuss options. It’s not surgery.

I guess my main questions are:

1. Has anyone been in this type of scheduling nightmare? if so, did you just wait it out or did you seek another dr/surgeon?

2. What are your experiences with scheduling the actual surgery (PAO)? Like once you’ve talked to the surgeon and decided surgery was the path forward, was it relatively easy to book something soon? I understand that can be dependent on surgeon availability.

thank you in advance!!

I know there’s dozens of pao prep posts already but I was wondering if there was anything i could do to make recovery a little easier?

Whether its stretches, specific muscle group stability/strength training etc. It’ll give me something to focus on and work towards while im a month out instead of mourning my progress haha.

I’m 20f. A couple of years ago I started to get some pretty bad pain in my hips when I lay on my side. After a while they started getting sore regularly and not just when lying down. They get extremely sore from walking/standing a lot and nothing seems to help (otc pain meds, hot/cold compresses, rest, etc.). I saw my doctor and I was prescribed some stronger anti inflammatories but they don’t help either.
The pain happens all year round but does seem worse when it’s cold.
I don’t have any mobility issues with my hips it’s just pain.
I haven’t noticed any stiffness in my hips but I do get some stiffness in my knees and knuckles.

I had blood tests which came back with no signs of inflammation and I was told that arthritis was unlikely.

I also get sharp pains in my lower back (where my back dimples are) but only if I’m lying flat on my back on a hard surface.

Sometimes the pain radiates down my legs but it doesn’t feel like nerve pain it’s more like an aching sensation. When it’s really bad I am completely sore from the waist down: back, hips, legs.

Over the last couple of months I have had extreme nerve pain in my right shoulder that has come back twice after treatment (temporary run of pregabalin).

I don’t know if it’s related but I struggle with recurring depression and anxiety though I haven’t noticed any correlation or link between the timing of that and my pain issues.

My doctor has ordered an MRI for my hips which I am waiting for and prescribed more anti inflammatories but I haven’t been getting any answers. I feel like the pain just keeps going and Its taking a toll on me. I have no idea what is actually wrong and if it’s all connected or not. I feel so lost. I thought maybe someone here would have similar experiences and may be able to point me in the right direction of possible answers and treatments. Thanks.

I would love to know what people do. I can’t really think how to word this better, but for me I’ve known I have hip dysplasia for at least 20 years, now age 43. Having said that I’ve never really done anything about it, and just kind of lived with having sore hips, and being that stiff (yet also hypermobile) person who moans on the girls trip, night out etc.

Is it just that my case is mild? Although I think it is starting to now worsen… Do people have treatment plans, referrals from their gps? Have I just been accepting pain when they are options I should be considering? I feel like it’s always been delivered as “just the way I am” so live with it…!

Hey everyone,
I’m a 28-year-old woman and I feel like my body is deteriorating, and I’m desperately trying to understand what’s going on.
I’ve always been extremely active (dance, gym, pole, strength training), and movement has always been a huge part of who I am. Right now I’m off work because walking, standing, and getting through daily life has become increasingly difficult.
I’m hoping someone here has been through something similar, or can point me toward possible conditions, specialists, or testing that helped.

My timeline:
At 19, I started developing deep pelvic pain. I had multiple tests and was told nothing was wrong, just do physio.
I did physio, but nothing changed.
Around 3 years ago, I started developing severe pain in both hips that radiated down both legs. At first it mainly happened with exercise, but it gradually started affecting daily life.
I saw sports medicine and was told it was probably muscular and to do physio.
Over the past 1.5+ years I’ve been extremely consistent with:
multiple physiotherapists
daily strengthening
mobility/stretching programs
chiropractic care
osteopathy
massage therapy
Despite being very compliant, I’ve continued to get worse.

Then in November I finally had an MRI, which showed:
bilateral partial hip labral tears
hip dysplasia
I saw a hip surgeon, but he said he didn’t want to operate and told me to continue physio.
Since then I’ve tried:
cortisone injections
Cingal injections
multiple pain medications
None of them have given meaningful relief.
More recently:
A new physiotherapist noted that I appear hypermobile in my:
knees
elbows
spine
This opened up a whole new set of questions for me.

Current symptoms:
Deep hip/pelvic pain
Pain radiating down both legs
Back fatigue/pain, especially standing
Legs can feel heavy, weak, or “wooden”
Sometimes one leg feels almost disconnected from my body
Pain worsens with standing, walking, being upright for long periods
Some nights I can’t sleep from pain
Pain medications often don’t touch it
I’m currently off work because functioning has become so difficult
Emotionally, this has been devastating. I feel like my world is getting smaller and smaller. I miss dancing. I miss feeling strong. I miss feeling like my body belongs to me.
I’m starting to wonder if something bigger is being missed?? Possibly hypermobility/HSD/hEDS, nerve involvement, SI joint instability, connective tissue issues, vascular issues, pelvic floor dysfunction, autoimmune/inflammatory conditions, or something else.

My questions:
Has anyone with hip dysplasia/labral tears had symptoms this severe?
Did hypermobility end up being part of the picture?
Did anyone have “normal” doctors/physios miss something bigger?
What specialists finally helped you?
Were there tests that finally gave answers?
I’d be incredibly grateful to hear from anyone who’s been through something similar.

Hello all

I (27F) had a right THR for severe dysplasia and severe osteoarthritis (seem to have somehow unlocked a fast track on the NHS and got mine within 4 months of being told I needed one). It was on 1st May and I’m on 50% restrictions for 6 weeks which is driving me up the wall.

How did you guys get through the initial recovery? I find general advice doesn’t really apply to me considering the dysplasia and my 20mm leg length discrepancy was corrected. I hate the crutches but also cannot fathom how I’ll be able to walk without them in the future. It’s all so scary!!!

Thank you in advance lovely people ❤️

I’ve got severe dysplasia, but a lot I notice that I get a really weird pain in my shins, it feels like they’ve been really heavily bruised and my like calf feels super heavy when my shin is holding the weight of it, it’s really weird to explain but just wondering if anyone else gets this with dysplasia?

Hello! I’m just looking to see what others experiences have been with the following, particularly in terms of timings and pain management…

I‘m 33 and have bilateral hip dysplasia, with chronic pain in my right hip particularly since 2019 (which is the worse out of the two). I’m going through this treatment on the NHS.

I’ve seen two different surgeons: the first one was with the view that I may have to have a hip replacement but thankfully, arthritis hasn’t set in yet, so the surgeon I’m now currently under the care of is more specialised towards hip dysplasia patients and PAO surgery.

I’m booked in for a steroid injection in my right hip next week, which is my first one but judging by the surgeon’s comments during my appt, it seems like surgery will be the ultimate end point (gave me more info on the PAO surgery, told me to start taking vitamin D tablets to strengthen my bones for surgery, highlighted the fact that I was there seeing him, a surgeon lol).

I was just wondering with anyone else who’s been in my position, with having steroid injections before then having surgery - how long was it between the injections before you had surgery, or saw your consultant again at least? Did you find that the injection/s helped with pain relief?

Just looking for anyone who has experienced similar really & doesn’t mean sharing, as I start this part of my treatment, just for some reassurance. thanks!

I (24F) was just diagnosed with hip dysplasia (~19) in both my hips. To add to this, I also found out I’m hyper-mobile and I have a hip impingement and torn labrum in both hips. I’ve gotten multiple opinions and the surgeons said to do a scope and a week later get a PAO on one hip, and 6 months later, do the exact same on the other hip. I experience significant low back and hip pain constantly, but was not expecting to find this out. Has anyone had a similar experience? I’m scared to move forward, but want to decrease my pain :)

Hi all! I'm 19F, just got diagnosed about a month ago with bilateral retroversion and femoral impingement (I think on both femurs, as the impingement was pointed out on my left leg in one x ray but I had to take new x rays to confirm it on the right leg, so it was only officially reported on the right leg, if that makes sense) as well as medial deviation in my left leg. I've been experiencing pain from this since I was about 7 years old, and I had a very active childhood (multiple martial arts, boxing, skiing, horseback riding, etc), which I assume helped the pain present more often. I am currently affected 1-2 times a week with severe pain that leaves ne unable to walk properly. I have taken multiple x rays, all confirming the above issues, but I went in for an MRI about a week ago to check for a labral tear on my right hip (since that is the one that tends to hurt more), and my results completely denied the issues- no retroversion, no impingement. Has anyone else experienced something like this, and what would you recommend doing next? I have been doing physical therapy and I have an appointment with a surgery specialist team in about a month but I'm quite confused by this situation and would love to hear your thoughts and experiences! Thanks

Started having pain a year ago after a fall and diagnosed with borderline dysplasia and labral tear. Was going to schedule for surgery recently but am finally feeling better after a year of PT. The daily pain is a lot better, barely noticeable if I’m not super active, just weird pinch or pressure. But I still have some groin pain, glute pain, and nerve pain down my leg if I am more active, like walking >10k steps or working out. One legged balancing exercises are super hard and irritating, it just feels like everything is inflamed. But even this is less intense now.

Is this from instability? For those of you who have milder dysplasia, what does instability feel like for you? I’ve been told the joint has more range of motion than it should but I’ve never felt like it was going to give out. It just feels unstable standing on it like my knees fall inward and all my muscles shake, but not painful in the moment

I’m a month away from my surgeries (arthroscopy w/ labral repair and osteoplasty, plus a femoral osteotomy), and was looking for recommendations on things that made your lives easier during recovery. I’m already planning on meal prepping, a shower chair, and an ice machine, but is there anything else that might help? Thanks in advance!

I am consulting next week with Dr. Stephan Zmugg in Oakland to discuss the possibility for PAO, after my local hip arthroscopy specialist determined that he would not be able to treat my hip (CEA = 18° on the worse side, with a labral tear). I know it’s a small community, but has anyone met with Dr. Zmugg before?