Hello 👋

Lettie

Hello, I’m new on this forum today. My physio directed me to the exercises on this website, I have to say that the information on here is really helpful. I’ve recently been diagnosed with OA of my right hip. I’ve had pain for a few years but until now it’s been manageable. Around Christmas time it suddenly got a whole lot worse. I’m lucky to work for the NHS so I self referred to Occupational Health physio after my GP sent me for X-ray in March. My GP said I’m too young for referral (53) and has basically thrown Naproxen and Cocodamol at me. These are doing nothing for me at the moment and throwing a bit of restless leg into the mix, I’m now not sleeping. Another phone call to the GP now has me on Gabapentin.

I’ve now had to go off sick as lack of sleep is affecting my concentration and quite frankly I’m struggling to answer crash bleeps and emergency buzzers quickly - believe me, you don’t want me resuscitating you at the moment, you’ll expire before I get there!

This is the first time in 34 years of NHS work that I’ve admitted to struggling. I’ve been off a week now and am still no nearer getting a nights sleep. Luckily the OH physio has recognised that I have limited movement in my R hip and has referred me to the local MSK team for further imaging and treatment.

Sorry for the moan, I’m just feeling a bit low, I can’t believe how quickly my hip seems to be deteriorating. I’m looking forward to getting much more information and help from you all on here.

Chris_R

Hi @Lettie

Welcome to the online community,great to see you posting after being recommended to join the keep fit programme,hope you are still enjoying the workout and it is helping your movement.

You say you work for the NHS and have recently been diagnosed with Osteoarthritis,you are also having trouble sleeping because of pain and medication.Everyone on this forum understands what you are going through as we all have some form of arthritis and all that goes with it.

Here are a few links i hope will help you.

Osteoarthritis (OA) | Causes, symptoms, treatments (versusarthritis.org)

Managing your pain | Treatments and self-help (versusarthritis.org)

Drugs for arthritis | Side-effects, uses, interactions (versusarthritis.org)

Hope these links help in some way.Please let us know how you get on and please contnue to talk to others it often helps.

All the best Christine

Lettie

Thank you Christine 😊