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"Keep the Hip" exercises are now producing pain for the day.

Posted , 6 users are following.

mark26805
mark26805

Eight years ago I thought I had a trapped nerve in my left buttock, but after X-Rays found I had osteophytes, bone growths, on my hip. They were restricting my hip joint movement. But very little to no pain.

For all these years my limp has got worse, but still no pain. I can still kiss my right knee, can't get within 15" of kissing my left knee, just rotation is not there.

Physio gave me hip muscle exercises, so that I could strengthen the hip joint and compensate for the bone restrictions.

Initially I did the exercises every day and added to them, but after a couple of years I was always in a bit of (after exercise) pain, so I started exercising every second day. Much better but after two more years the gnawing pain came back, not during the exercises, but afterwards whilst walking the dogs.

So I cut back again to just twice a week, generally Monday and Friday. This week, I've noticed how much more painful it has become walking the dogs. I walk slowly and sometimes have to put a fist in my left back pocket; the pressure gives me some relief.

If I don't exercise, I'm much better. Do I now stop exercising the hip. When this happens I can dog walk almost pain free.

My surgeon, over the years, has told me they can cure the pain, but maybe not the limp, through surgery. When I'm on painkillers every day....that's the time to have the operation. Is this just the NHS saving money? The pain has definitely got worse over the 8 years, I was being X-Rayed every year and the Dr's told me it was getting worse every year. So it is all expected, but I still don't require pain killers. I have then just in case, co-codemol 30mg, but only take them if I climb a mountain or go skiing. Not taken one in the last year, but took four a day climbing Snowden, Ben Nevis and Scarfell Pike the year before. Took 8 in total for a weeks skiing, I'm allowed 8 a day maximum.

Anyone else been here?

1 like, 14 replies

14 Replies

  • jen86183
    jen86183 mark26805

    Posted

    I had a limp due to the arthritis getting bad, the surgeon said it might not be possible to level the legs and if not I would have to have a built up shoe. As it turns out he seems to have levelled them, I can stand on two feet and it has been a long time since that happened. My surgeon gave me the worst that could happen, none of the good except no pain.
  • jimbone
    jimbone mark26805

    Posted

    Hello Mark,

    The progression of your hip doesn't exactly match mine but is similar.  You don't mention your age but by 46 I was beginning to notice symptoms, gradual restrictions of movements, buttock pain left size, knee to chest restrictions and a growing increase in pain, sometimes with and sometimes without exercise.  At 59 1/2 while finishing a project I just suddenly and very rapidly had a quantum degradation of my condition.  Walking became very difficult, many mornings on crutches for a few hours because I couldn't bear any weight, badly reduced range of motion and very debilitating pain in my leg/thigh muscles.  Osteoarthritis was the diagnosis after x-ray imaging.  3 1/2 years later I've realized a hip replacement is inevitable and I've had two consultations with surgeons to confirm that.  My concern now is that I have lost a great deal of leg/lower body strength over the last 3 years due to an inability to walk/hike much at all.  Swimming has been my go to exercise- it relieves symptoms occasionally but that doesn't last long.  I take tramadol, usually one dose, just about every day and ibeprofun/aspirin/tylenol once or twice every day.  As others will tell you, symptoms can come on quickly including the pain.  If your surgeon/consultant is telling you, you will need the operation eventually, you might discuss the scenario of rapid degeneration with them and see if you can be proactive in having the surgery sooner than later.  It's a hard decision to go forward with elective surgery this invasive but getting ahead of the inevitable might save you some recovery time in the end before your muscles degenerate from a lack of exercise.  Best wishes.

    Jim

    • mark26805
      mark26805 jimbone

      Posted

      Cheers Jim, I'm currently 53 but had symptoms since 45 years old. I did expect it to deteriate much quicker than this, but being in the UK, the NHS is very good at dealing with the problem, but not good at proactive stuff that costs money!

      I have looked into Arthroscopy, the cutting away of surplus bone, but in my area the NHS won't pay for this as it costs as much as total hip replacement but does not last as long, they claim! Just to see the surgeon costs £1000, but then the operation is £7000. For the same outlay the NHS would rather change the joint not repair it.

      At one time, if I paid for the consultation and it was deemed appropriate to operate, the NHS would fund the operation. But the waiting list in central UK has got so long for this on the NHS, that they have stopped taking dates.

      I'm really rather partial to my own hip and don't want to lose it just yet. But if I start taking pain killers daily, I will book the operation immediately...

    • jen86183
      jen86183 mark26805

      Posted

      When people kept on and on at me to have an operation I always said "I like my own bones" sadly, I have had to give in. 2 weeks and 2 days post op I have to say it is nice not to have pain. I was lucky I guess from seeing the consultant to op was 6 weeks.

    • mark26805
      mark26805 jen86183

      Posted

      How much pain were you in before deciding on the op.? Daily pain killers?

       

    • jen86183
      jen86183 mark26805

      Posted

      A lot in the past year, life had become miserable even standing was painful after a short time and I could not go out without a stick. I took paracetamol because I do not like the side effects of drugs and feel paracetamol is the best for less side effects. I learned how to walk, to minimise the pain and I believe being fit helped. It was the fear of an operation which stopped me having it done but, at the end of the day it was nothing.
    • ptolemy
      ptolemy mark26805

      Posted

      I was really worried about having an artificial hip inside me before my op. After I had the op I would lie in bed not believing that it was not my own hip except it did not hurt any more. You will not recognise the difference once it is done.
  • mark26805
    mark26805

    Posted

    I'm approaching that position now, not taking any painkillers yet....but feel as if I should start. Discomfort, not exactly pain. I've just started a new hobby or paramotoring, like paragliding but with an engine for foot launch. Feel I need to get a summer of flying in before it's banned for me, obviously parachuting is not ideal for a new hip!

    • jen86183
      jen86183 mark26805

      Posted

      If you are not taking painkillers do not have serious pain I personally would leave it a bit. The doctors would probably not operate anyway if they think you are not too bad yet.
  • judith12644
    judith12644 mark26805

    Posted

    Hi, I’m with Jen on this. If you’re not in much pain, then leave it a while, and it’s also unlikely the NHS will operate until you’re in a lot of pain, both during the day and at night.

    I think I first had pain when I was about 52,  but I saw a physio and got some good exercises. X-rays showed osteoarthritis, and I was  told that I would need a replacement eventually, which surprised  me! I hung on until I was almost 58, when the pain was becoming more unmanageable. I thought that if I could postpone it for a while maybe I would avoid having a revision....  (Also I really like skiing, and I was worried that I wouldn’t be allowed to ski post op. Actually my surgeon is fine about it, and it’s been great.)

    My op was v successful, and my surgeon said it was likely that my hip would last as long as me.  Here’s hoping! 

    I wish you all the best. 

  • mark26805
    mark26805

    Posted

    I feel exactly the same. Since diagnosis in 2010 the exercises were what was keeping me going, just stretches and hip muscle exercises, but every year my annual meeting with the Dr showed that the X-Rays were looking progressively worse. Bone growth getting worse. But no pain, so the exercises must have helped.

    Trouble is now the exercises bring the pain on, not the doing of the exercises, that is fine, but for the next couple of days my whole leg hurts, even my foot feels like a cramp is setting in. The only slight relief I get is putting my fist into my jeans back pocket, pressure on the hip joint.

    Yesterday evening I took pain killers to go to sleep, first time in over a year. I slept better than ever until 5am, then wide awake for next 3 hours, not in pain though. I am stopping doing the exercises for a week or two and see if it is that bringing it on.

    • jen86183
      jen86183 mark26805

      Posted

      Only you can decide if pain disrupts your life on a daily basis. I think we all carry on until the pain is affecting our lives everyday and to such a degree it is miserable to walk anywhere. Even standing for me had become a problem, I was getting to the stage, standing for a quarter of an hour was all I could manage. You need to workout how much your life is ruled by pain.
  • mark26805
    mark26805

    Posted

    Pain is so subjective.

    The saying goes...

    If you drop a frog into hot water it will immediately hop out and be saved. But if you put the same frog into cool water and slowly bring it to the boil, he will stay in and die.

    Do we get used to living with pain?

    What one person rates as 9 out of 10 painful....another will say is 4 out of 10 painful.

    Is there not a better test???

    • margot50
      margot50 mark26805

      Posted

      It’s so true that it is somewhat subjective as to how differently people experience pain.

      Pain is a real mystery, especially chronic pain.

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