Excercise

HappyH0402

Hi, I have not been diagnosed with arthritis but my chiropractor strongly suspects that I may have arthritis in my hip.

I have chronic pain in lower back, radiating into my hip and down my thighs. I can’t sit, lie , stand or drive without being in excruciating pain.

ive paid private for physio and then chiropractor. Both gave me excercises that make the pain in my hip worse.

now I know I need to move but I’m worried about doing an exercise without fully knowing what is causing my pain. But I’m worried I’m going to make things worse by not moving.

Any advice would be really appreciated.

DebbieL

Hiya,

It doesn’t appear that you have had a diagnosis. I had back pain for over a year and the doctor just gave me painkillers- no examination, no tests and no X-ray or MRI. On one appointment after over 12 months of back and hip pain I complained that nothing had been done. My doctor said “ do you think you have cancer or a tumour?” Well I hadn’t till then. He then sent me for a MRI. I phoned for the results and they said I had Osteoarthritis in lower back (L5 S1) and maybe I should have some physio. No explanation/ no treatment/ no nothing. I felt my life had ended- nothing but pain ahead. I wrote a complaint email and got a referral to a specialist back physio. He was great and gave me the confidence to exercise and helped me understand that that I could exercise and that I should.That I could do whatever I wanted as long as I was sensible and that I couldn’t really make the problem worse. I think you need to keep going back to the doctors until you get a diagnosis, then push for a referral for specialist treatment and advice.

I feel better, the more I understand my condition. It was lack of confidence, understanding and the fear of making my back worse that actually made it worse. I know now that the worse thing for my back was to stop all activity but as I had no idea what the problem was, I didn’t think exercising when in pain was a good idea - but it actually makes my overall pain better.

You are right you need to know what is causing the pain. Most of my pain is in my hips, but it comes from my spine. A MRI scan may help to identify the problem.

Debbie

frogmorton

Hi @HappyH0402

Can you afford to pay for a private MRI some people here have and then they know for sure what is going on.

Oddly enough people here have in the past complained of hip pain and it's actually been their backs and vice versa.

If you can't afford it maybe you can try asking your GP for a referral for an MRI.

Take care

helpline_team

Hi HappyH0402,

Thank you for posting on the Helpline forum. I am sorry to hear you are experiencing a lot of pain which is affecting your daily activities. It sounds as if you are going through a tough time and life has been more of a struggle due to the pain.

DebbieL and frogmorton have given helpful responses. It is good that you have consulted a private physiotherapist and chiropractor. However, it sounds as if it would be good to go back to your GP to help get a proper diagnosis and explore treatment options. Your GP can review your pain medication and may refer you to a specialist and/or NHS physiotherapist for further assessment and treatment. Osteoarthritis (OA) of the hip can be confirmed on an X-ray. Too much exercise can aggravate symptoms but the right kind of exercise a little and often can really help. It is important to pace yourself and balance activity with rest. Eating a healthy balanced diet and maintaining a healthy weight will also help to put less strain on your joints.

A plain x-ray of affected joints is one of the most useful investigations. Changes that occur on x-ray can be characteristic of specific musculoskeletal diseases such as osteoarthritis. Most changes occur over a prolonged period and x-rays can therefore provide a useful historical record. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans provide more information but are not always required.

I hope the information given below about osteoarthritis (OA) of the hip and managing pain is of some help. 

https://www.versusarthritis.org/about-arthritis/conditions/osteoarthritis-oa-of-the-hip/

https://www.versusarthritis.org/about-arthritis/managing-symptoms/managing-your-pain/

If at any point you would like to talk things through informally and in confidence, you are welcome to call our Free Helpline on 0800 520 0520 weekdays 9am – 6pm.

Best wishes,

Fiona, Helpline Advisor 

HappyH0402

Hi,

Thank you everyone for your reply. Yesterday I went a walk with my dogs and was in car longer than usual. I felt ok lastnight not too sore as I rested in between. I had a day off.

But today I woke up pain is bad again, back at work which is a sit down job and im just so exhausted I want to cry and go to bed.

I am going to write an email to GP as I struggle to be up for the 8am call to get an appointment. And then I feel they don’t take me seriously anyway.