The Hip Replacement Podcast – Episode 4 Transcript
Welcome to The Hip Replacement Podcast, where recovery meets motivation and healing leads to a whole new lifestyle. I’m Chris Bystriansky, your host. I’m an author, athlete, and double hip replacement patient.
I’ve been through the surgeries, the setbacks, and the comebacks, and I’m here to help you do the same. Each week, I’ll bring you tips, tools, expert advice, and inspiring stories to help you take back your life one step at a time.
Thanks for joining The Hip Replacement Podcast. New hips, new you. Let’s go.
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Welcome back to The Hip Replacement Podcast. I’m Chris Bystriansky, your host. I’ve had two hip replacement surgeries, and I’m now more than ten years out from each one — one surgery was over ten years ago and the other was about twelve years ago.
In that time, I’ve completed IRONMAN triathlons, a number of other endurance events, and I’ve lived a fairly active and healthy lifestyle. I’m able to do far more than I ever thought I’d be able to do after my hip replacement surgeries.
That’s why I’m here — to share these experiences and help you in your recovery in any way I can.
In this episode, I want to talk about all the alternative treatments I tried before moving forward with hip replacement surgery.
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I don’t know about you, but I was absolutely terrified of the idea of surgery — of being cut open, having my femur worked on, and having metal and ceramic parts put inside my body. The thought of that process, and what life would look like afterward, scared me.
So I tried everything I possibly could to delay surgery — or ideally avoid it altogether.
This went on for years. Ultimately, these treatments didn’t work well enough or long enough for me, and I did have to move forward with hip replacement surgery. That doesn’t mean these treatments don’t work for anyone. They may have delayed my surgery. They may have helped in ways I can’t fully measure.
But here’s what I tried.
I also want to note that I consulted with three different surgeons and got three opinions before deciding to move forward with surgery. I truly felt like I exhausted every possible option before going under the knife.
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It all started with a sensation in my hip that felt like it was jammed — similar to sliding into a base playing baseball or softball. I grew up playing baseball and softball, and it felt like if I could just pull my hip apart a little, I’d get relief.
The first thing I tried was seeing a chiropractor. I thought maybe my hips or back were misaligned and needed adjustment.
The chiropractor took X-rays and saw something concerning. That’s when I was first told I likely had osteoarthritis, and that I might eventually need to see a surgeon if the pain worsened.
The chiropractic work gave me some back relief, but not much relief in my hip.
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Next, I turned to physical therapy. The thought process was that stretching and strengthening the muscles around my hips, legs, and back might reduce the pain.
I was still trying to golf at that point, but I couldn’t rotate the way I wanted to. I did get some short-term relief, but it didn’t last.
Eventually, I stopped going to physical therapy regularly because it was expensive, and I continued stretching on my own. Stretching felt great — until I stood up or walked any distance. Then the pain came right back, often intensely.
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After that, I tried acupuncture. I was hesitant because I don’t like needles, and I was skeptical of the process. But I was willing to try anything to avoid surgery.
I lay on the table with dim lights and soft music, feeling tiny pinpricks. When I looked down, there were dozens of needles in my leg. It honestly felt more like a spa experience than I expected.
But while it may have helped my muscles feel relaxed, it didn’t provide relief in the hip joint itself.
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Next came deep tissue massage — and I mean deep. The therapist worked on professional athletes and NFL players, and she went deep into my hips, back, and legs.
It was painful but oddly satisfying. I felt looser afterward, but the relief didn’t last. I went multiple times, spending hundreds of dollars, hoping it would be the solution.
It helped my muscles, but the hip pain always came back.
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After that, one surgeon suggested PRP (platelet-rich plasma) injections.
They drew blood, processed it, and injected it deep into my hip joint. It was a large needle and very targeted. I may have felt some short-term relief, but again, it didn’t last.
I think there’s promise in treatments like PRP — and they may be far more advanced now than they were when I tried them — but at the time, it wasn’t a long-term solution for me.
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The final and most expensive treatment I tried was stem cell therapy.
I traveled from Texas to Colorado because it wasn’t available locally. They extracted bone marrow from my pelvis, processed the cells, and injected them back into my hip.
I was awake for the procedure. It was unnerving — not painful, but unsettling. Afterward, I followed the recovery instructions carefully, including pool running with a flotation belt to avoid weight-bearing.
I desperately wanted this to work. It felt cutting-edge and hopeful.
But again, any relief I experienced didn’t last.
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In the end, I had tried everything: chiropractic care, physical therapy, stretching, acupuncture, deep tissue massage, PRP injections, and stem cell therapy.
Months after the stem cell treatment, I went back to the surgeon I trusted most and decided to move forward with hip replacement surgery.
I was in significant pain, and I was also up against a deadline — my wife was pregnant, and I wanted to have surgery and be well into recovery before our baby was born.
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Would I do all of this again knowing what I know now?
Absolutely.
For me, surgery truly was the last option, and I needed to know I had tried everything before choosing it. I don’t regret exploring alternative treatments. Many of them helped my overall body, even if they didn’t fix my hip long-term.
If you’re considering hip replacement surgery, it’s worth learning about your options, talking with multiple surgeons, and deciding what’s right for you.
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In the next episode, I’ll talk about something else that surprised me: having a hip replacement at a young age.
Hip replacement isn’t just for people in their 70s or 80s anymore. More people in their 40s, 50s — and even 30s — are having these surgeries.
That realization changed how I viewed the entire process and we’ll dive into that next time.
Thanks so much for listening to The Hip Replacement Podcast. Until next time, I wish you the best recovery possible.
Take care.
