 Poster: A snowHead
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Hello,
I had some keyhole surgery on one hip last week (to repair a labral tear), and am now on crutches for a few weeks, doing physio while waiting to get back on my feet. The physio schedule seems to suggest (and the surgeon reckons) that I’ll be ok to ski again by the end of January, when my ski trip is planned for. I would like to, but was also wondering whether it’s wise to.
I was thinking about trying snowboarding rather than skiing, with the thinking that with skiing, there’s a lot of potential for stressing the hip flexors and groin (the region where my hip problem was) whereas with snowboarding as legs are fixed with respect to each other, they won’t be moving apart so shouldn’t have this problem. Is that a fair assumption? I have never tried snowboarding, so what I know is only from watching it.
Also, has anybody got any tips/warnings from a similar experience? Not this specific thing but maybe having had to recover from an injury and then gone skiing/boarding just a couple of months later?
Thanks!
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Im a knee specialist not hip specialist but i think it more likely you'll come down heavily on your hip when snowboarding.
However you also may find maximally internally rotating the hip is restricted or uncomfortable after hip surgery - so id' check that out before committing to skiing.
Jonathan Bell
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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You do have some pretty spectacular crashes onto your hips, learning to snowboard. We were taught to fall onto a hip rather than the coccyx, if possible. I fractured my pelvis skiing, though, not snowboarding.
You do have a permanent turnout on your legs, snowboarding, unlike skiing.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Hmm. Still a lot of thinking and waiting to do for me, then! Thanks for the advice 
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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Hmm. Can't recall ever falling on my hip while snowboarding - you might have issues while skating the board around in chairlift queues. Tweaked a few groin/hip/upper leg muscles that way before now. Wouldn't worry about the turnout of the leg - best position is to simply go with whats comfortable for you and allows you to maximise the pressure you apply through your feet when setting stance angle and width, (within reason, pigeon stance is a no-no)
To be honest, it's probably not the best time to be learning a new skill IMHO because you will fall and while you won't necessarily hit your hip directly, you could end up putting more strain on it than it can take or ending up crocked for the rest of your trip. Devil you know and all that.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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I was originally diagnosed with a laberal tear, which eventually required me to have a hip resurfacing. Snowboarding was implicated in the original bone damage, although no one is certain. I returned to skiing 3 months after surgery (as reported on a different thread on this forum). I don't intend to return to boarding until a year after surgery and then with impact shorts. Good luck.
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Richard_Sideways, yup, some good points there - thanks.
Ski lots, cool, really good to know that someone has done what I want to do! Any issues skiing after the 3 months (or just a link to the thread you mention)?
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Ski lots - found t'other thread, sorry, saw your reply to me there. Find it hard to remember so many usernames
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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...having said all that - once you're a bit more confident in your recovery, then I think that snowboarding could be a good skill to learn. Once you're over the initial learning hump and riding properly by pressuring the edges with your feet, there is very little mid to upper body movement needed, and none which isn't in line with your normal muscle movement so very little in the way of ligaments etc to damage unless your throwing yourself about.
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The only real scare (as opposed to temporary pain) I had on my snowboard was dismounting a chairlift with only my front foot in the binding. I fell, trying to negotiate the skiers standing round faffing. The board dug into a pile of snow and gave my knee a fairly savage twist. But all was well.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Why @pam w you MUST be mistaken as it's only snowboarders who stop in the wrong place and faff about... 
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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@shazchip, when I first returned, it was much better than I had anticipated. I only intended to use the indoor nursery slope first time out, but soon found I was able to ski reasonably well on the main slope, although I noticed that the muscle tension was not as good, meaning the foot of my operated leg wobbled around just a bit. I skied on a glacier after 5 months (and stupidly fell on the bad hip, without consequences). I returned to teaching indoors after 6 months - no consequences. But as they say take medical advice and listen to your own body.
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Fabulous, thankyou all 
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You know it makes sense.
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I can only give you some information from my own experience.......couple of years back in the june i had a mountain biking crash and fractured the Femur and the neck of the femur (bit that forms the hip join)...I underwent surgery to re-built it all and put screws and pins in place., full open surgery no keyhole here!!
Anyway i was skiing again by the Jan. I was off my feet for 12 weeks but it was heavy physio right fro the start. 5 or 6 times day for 30+ mins each time. best tips i can say are tell your physio that you are an active person and want to ski again, make them give you the hardest exercises, most physio's are there to get you walking properly again not fully ski fit!.
if you can get to a indoor ski slope for a couple of hours to "try everything out" last thing you want to do is get out to the hill and discover your not fit.
buy yourself a pair of protective shorts....I wear the POC ones, they are super comfy and under snow kit no-one can see them, so if you do fall it wont hurt...I've had some big hits with them and they work!
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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If your surgeon says yes then go for it:-)
I wouldn't take up snowboarding right now though, stick to what you are familiar with until you are confident. Don't assume that boarding is better for your hip, as a beginner you would find all sorts of interesting ways to fall and potential strain your hip (especially getting on and off lifts). If you want to try boarding then that's up to you, but I'd get back on the snow on skis first.
I had major hip surgery that required a whole season off, I had all sort of aches and pains for the first few days back on snow (not just in the hip, I got back ache too). I hit the gym, did a lot of stretching (with advice from a physio) and now I'm back to normal (normal for me might not be the same as anyone else, but as far as I'm concerned my hip is fine).
Protective shorts might be a good idea, if only to protect the scar tissue. Might look into that myself come to think of it.
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Poster: A snowHead
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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If you're not 100% by the end of Jan I wouldn't push it. See how it goes, but maybe have a backup plan of stuff to do on holiday if you only ski for a couple of hours a day. It's not worth risking serious injury for a short term gain. Can you put your trip back a couple of months? Skiing in March is better anyway:-)
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