Osteoarthritis is both hips
Posted , 11 users are following.
Hello all,
?Well I have been diagnosed with Osteoarthritis? in both my hips. I am 50. The x ray showed narrowing of the joint space in both hips. They say it is mild but I have been suffering from pain, weakness and sciatica. It is affecting my left side more than the right which almost feels normal. I have always been fit and a regular gym goer doing a mixture of cardio and weights but this has somewhat knocked my for six. My symptoms are hip, buttock and groin pain resulting in sciatica down the entire left leg. My hamstrings and groin area is very tight. It is almost as if these muscles are pulling on the hip. It's funny things you used to do like pushing a shopping trolley become hard because of the pain, weakness and tightness. Doctor has prescribed me Lansoprazole, Naproxen and Amitriptyline. I have been taking these and they have helped. I am due to see a Physiotherapist in two weeks.
?It's all very frustrating and does get me down sometimes. My Mum who sadly passed away last year also suffered from OA and I can fully understand the problems she was having. ?I would be grateful on any advice from forum members on how I can get myself back to a "normal" life?
?Thank you.
1 like, 45 replies
stephen_18363 hiten68038
Posted
hiten68038 stephen_18363
Posted
I wish you all the best.
susan99930 hiten68038
Posted
Stay at strong and don’t be afraid to pursue replacements if no relief is found. You should be enjoying the things u love. Best of luck.
hiten68038 susan99930
Posted
Thanks for your reply. I will see how things go it's only been a month since I was diagnosed so will see if the tablets and physio help. Hopefully I will get back to doing the things I like soon.
susan67756 hiten68038
Posted
Hi, I was diagnosed with hip OA at age 42 - just a week after passing my 4th degree black belt in karate! X-rays showed degenerative changes in both hips, but I only ever had symptoms in the hip with the mildest degenerative changes.
Here's the good news. I'm now fine. I never accepted the diagnosis - it just didn't fit. I always believed it was a muscle imbalance from too much one sided karate practice.It took me 10 years, but I was proven right.
Here's the thing to run by your doc:
1. Most people with xray evidence of degeneration in joints have zero symptoms.
2. There is no diagnosis for OA. Xray evidence of degeneration is NOT indicative of OA - because it's known most people that have this have no symptoms. NICE now recommend that xray is NOT used in diagnosis and management of OA.
3. Here in the UK, if you're over age 45 and have joint pain the procedure is to label it as OA. So that's essentially how reliable your diagnosis is!
Muscle imbalance produces all of the symptoms you describe. I too went through a spell of nerve pain - I was on amitriptyline too (it did the trick, although it can take a few weeks)! The cause of all symptoms was muscle imbalance - twisting in my pelvis putting abnormal strain on soft tissue. I very much doubt your physio will be much help with this, so don't be disheartened if they give you a daft little exercise sheet that doesn't help!
First thing I'd recommend is trying some self MFR or trigger point treatment on those tight muscles. Maybe wait until the nerve pain has settled a bit though as it could irritate things further when you're in this state. MFR / Trigger point treatment isn't a cure, but it's a method of calming down tight, aggravated tissue. It can help keep you mobile and pain free, and prove to you that the pain ISN'T coming from the joint. Google for info on this - or I can recommend a good book to get you started. Just PM me if you're interested.
Fixing the imbalance is more complex, but if you're interested in trying then contact me when the nerve pain settles and I'll give you more info.
Good luck!
hiten68038 susan67756
Posted
The nerve pain has settled a bit now. Please do let me know more about what I can do to help the imbalance.
Thanks.
Hiten
susan67756 hiten68038
Posted
Great news! Whatever you do, go slow and easy for a while to make sure you don't set off that nerve pain again! (been there, done that LOL)
First thing I'd try is some MFR / Self Trigger Point treatment. There's plenty of free advise online if you google for these terms. This little resource is great for pinpointing the trigger points that may be the root of much of your pain and stiffness:
http://www.triggerpointcharts.com
A WORD OF WARNING - 99.9% of the time trigger point treatment will only provide symptomatic relief. The trigger points form because of abnormal strain on tissue, and this is a result of muscle imbalances - so some muscles being lazy and not doing their job properly. Trigger Point treatment can provide such significant relief that you can get 'lost' in chasing down trigger points thinking it'll lead to complete cure. It won't. It's just a tool in your tool kit to manage pain whilst you work on the POSSIBLE cure (and almost certain root to reduced symptoms) which is addressing muscle imbalance.
The whole muscle imbalance topic is too vast to explain in a forum post. Best thing is have a read through my website: www.impossible-takes-longer.com and then ask questions?
hiten68038 susan67756
Posted
Since the nerve pain has eased I am feeling a lot better in myself.
Thanks for the link to your website and trigger points. I will have a read and try the trigger points out.
I will be in touch with and questions.
fran2355 hiten68038
Posted
I had to come off those along with dihydrocodeine before my hip replacement last November.
It took around a month to come off them... I was in a bad way and felt like a drug addict.
Look after yourself and I hope you get sorted soon... Just take care as Drs are quick enough to prescribe these meds. I started at 10 mg and was on 65 mg before I came off them .
susan67756 fran2355
Posted
The documentation says amytriptyline ISN'T addictive, but I'm only too aware that everyone is different!!!
I too started at 10, and didn't get full relief until I was at (if i remember correctly) 50mg. I had read to take care going above 50mg as (again, from memory) it can be a risk factor for heart problems at higher doses. Not that you can't go higher (up to 70mg?) but you need to be monitored. You need to gradually build up the dose - starting at 10mg and increasing until it starts working for you (this gives you a chance to adapt to the drug and avoid side-effects). I also titred back down, I'm not sure why that's advised....not because it's typically addictive. I did it without doctors supervision and I came off gradually mainly because I was afraid the pain would come back!
dihydrocodeine IS very addictive....or at least, I know codeine is. Could it be the codeine addiction that gave you problems fran?
I'm not keen on any kind of drug and turned down a lot because I didn't like the long list of side-effects. Amitryptiline suited me very well though, and did the trick. Immediately it gave more relief than painkillers (which weren't even making a dent in the pain) simply because it helped me to get a bit of sleep.
Don't be frightened off as it can be a miracle worker. I resisted at first, but I dread to think where I'd be now if I hadn't taken it. But as Fran says - look after yourself and do your homework as well as listening to your doctor.
hiten68038 fran2355
Posted
Thanks for your reply.
I will keep an eye on the medication I am taking. Like you said you don't want to become addicted.
hiten68038 susan67756
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stephen_18363 hiten68038
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fran2355 hiten68038
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Oramorph didn't help me either.
Maybe it was the combination of both drugs... All I know is I was in a continual stupor. I did sleep for about 3/4 hours a night but it was drug induced not a real sleep.
I came off the drugs ready for my surgery as my surgeon requested.
No support from GP as it is impossible to get an appointment in uk.
It was hard but I did on my own but I was so glad I did before I became even more addicted.
Thank goodness no pain after surgery... AVN of left hip.
I have my life back 😃
Everyone is different so just be careful and good luck .
teresa12105 hiten68038
Posted
Hi
I am in the same place you are. I am 50 and was told I have Osteoarthritis in both hips the right is worse than the left. I am a runner but have not ran since October. I have tried supliments, chiropractic and physiotherapy and a few types of NSADs. I found one that is working but I have been trying not to take them unless I really am in pain. I am looking for alternatives to surgery. I have been doing yoga and many types of exercise to strengthen my muscles as well as lots of low impact physical exercise even when stiff and sore. I always feel much better afterward. I don't know what surgeon would be best to look at me and give me options but I am looking at running again someday. I have read many stories on this site that leads me to believe surgery should be the last resort. I am struggling too as it is difficult to go from being so active to living with pain everyday. I wpuld like to hear what you decide to do and how it works out for you.
Teresa
hiten68038 teresa12105
Posted
Hi Teresa,
I think it's early days for me but it does worry you when the pain is bad even though they say I am in the early stages. Makes you wonder how bad it might get later. Like you I want to do all I can to strengthen the muscles and stay active. I am hoping the Physio will help. I have found stretching every morning and walking helps. I miss running too. I will let you know how I get on and share anything I pick up that helps along the way.
All the best. Keep in touch.
susan67756 teresa12105
Posted
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teresa12105 susan67756
Posted
Yes I can do most types of exercise but range of motion for some is difficult. My right hip has a small section that has no cartilage and depending of either the weather or what I eat (haven't figured that out yet) i feel very stiff and find it difficult to sit and walk.I work at yoga deligently and some strengthening exercises for the muscles surrounding my hips inside and out which is helping. What I want to do is provide enough strength to run again and stop the pain.
susan67756 teresa12105
Posted
I wouldn't be too quick to accept the notion that the stiffness is due to worn cartilage. There's no evidence to support that (quite the contrary) and the stiffness you describe would most definitely occur as a result of stressed, overworked soft tissue. In all honesty, I see no gain in thinking of this as a joint problem - muscle imbalance will RESULT in wear to the joint, but in most people with joint wear it is 100% benign. Why assume the symptoms are coming from the worn joint? No benefit in thinking that way - the recommended course of action is the same (exercise), but if you think of it as muscle imbalance you can be much more targeted in your treatment and even aim for complete cure.
Have you experimented with self-mfr / trigger point treatment? Chances are that you'll find you can manage the symptoms quite well with that and this should reassure you that the stiffness is in soft tissue and not in the joint.
i've posted another reply where I talk about the risks of yoga. Check out what I say in that post - I put a link in so it's awaiting moderator approval.
teresa12105 susan67756
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susan67756 teresa12105
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When you do yoga stretches the stretch crosses multiple joints. If you have muscle imbalances then chances are, some of the muscles involved in that stretch will be chronically tight, and others weak and overly stretched. When you do a stretch you want to target the chronically tight muscle, but in practice what tends to happen is the tight muscle stays tight and the already overstretched muscle gets stretched further - making the imbalance worse.It can 'feel' ok for a while, but there's a risk of making things worse in the long term.
You really need to dig around and experiment to get results with trigger point treatment. Most people find at least a few sore spots that they can massage out.