OA now in my hip

Trish9556

Hi

After suffering for the last couple of weeks I eventually had an appointment with the surgery yesterday and told that my OA has now gone into my hip and they've processed the necessary paperwork for me to the muscoskeletal team for further assessment, treatment and ongoing referrals to surgical team

I know lots of you have been through this so any advice would be helpful. I already use an electric armchair and a stick when I'm out and about - trying to avoid using it at home for now.

I've been given Codeine 30 mg which I can add paracetamol to the mix between doses to keep me boosted. I can't take anti inflammatories and have never been referred to a Rheumatologist. As well as my hip I also have it in my hands and feet and waiting for a Anterior Cervical Disectomy next year which I currently take Gabapentin for. Together with my uncontrolled Asthma I feel pretty grotty at the moment.

thanks in anticipation

Trish x

Lane

Hello @Trish9556 welcome to the online community.

I understand that you have Osteoarthritis to your hip, hands, feet and have been referred to the muscosketal team.

I have attached some links for you information:

https://www.versusarthritis.org/about-arthritis/healthcare-professionals/training-and-education-resources/useful-resources/musculoskeletal-ultrasound/hip-scans/anterior-longitudinal-scan/

also

https://www.versusarthritis.org/about-arthritis/healthcare-professionals/training-and-education-resources/useful-resources/musculoskeletal-ultrasound/hip-scans/anterior-transverse-scan/

I see you have already made connections with other members.

Let me know if you would like any other information.

All the best.

Lilymary

I'm sorry to hear this has started up in your hip - you seem to have had a lot to deal with overall.

The referral to the MSK clinic is a good start, they will assess what steps are needed next, and when. I was referred during lockdown, so a face to face wasn't possible, but they looked at the xrays which showed pretty clearly that I was already at the stage of needing joint replacement. They'll need to know how it affects your daily life, how well you can manage the pain, what triggers the pain (I suspect your answer will be "everything") and what level of pain relief you need. Ultimate hip replacement is extreme pain management, when all other options are no longer working and it's severely affecting your daily activities and quality of life.

Meanwhile, if you can, it's important to keep you muscles in good shape, as they will help support your crumbling hip and will put you in a better place for recovery if and when your hip is replaced. You may find this link helpful.

https://www.versusarthritis.org/about-arthritis/exercising-with-arthritis/exercises-for-healthy-joints/exercises-for-the-hips/?gclid=Cj0KCQiA-oqdBhDfARIsAO0TrGGm2Sg8R4tdbxH5XDTnwOOjDg3r_NoV-35l7vqP1r0uPGIdLPR2hbYaAne5EALw_wcB

Trish9556

Thank you lilymary, I will certainly try the exercises you have suggested. Struggling to move normally, simple things like turning and stepping sideways all causing pain and weakness. I'm trying to remember moty to move that way but it's hard as you know..

Think I need to work out pain relief levels that work best before I start exercising? Also need to work out how to sleep as it's the side that I sleep on. Currently getting 3 to 4 hours sleep so any help with that would be appreciated.

I also have a husband who thinks I shouldn't move walk or exercise so that's a challenge in itself.

The rest of the OA I can cope with for now hopefully the neck will be fixed spring next year and that should help but the hip I'm going to struggle with as I love to walk.

Thank you Lane for your advice as well.

Trish x

speedalong

Hi Trish,

I have a THR in one hip and a resurface replacement in the other. OA late stages is excruciating. The worse thing you can do is to sit still for too long - so find some leaflets for your husband to read! Get him to do any carrying though, pushing the supermarket trolley etc

Definitely do the exercises, the better the condition of your muscles, the more you protect your joint and the better the outcome of the op.

Have you had an OT referral? There may well be some gadgets that can make day to day tasks easier.

I find heat really helps - a wheat bag you pop in the microwave is great (also because it goes cold its an incentive to move!)

If you are a side sleeper, a pillow between your knees may help.

Finally, although no one likes operations - take heart that this pain will end and your mobility will improve again.

Take care,

Speedalong

Trish9556

Hi Speedalong

Thank you so much for your suggestions.

I've not yet been referred to an Occupational Therapist - where I live in Buckinhamshire they like to do everything the long winded way probably in the hope that people will give up!

My referral at the moment is for the MSK team which went over on Tuesday and so far I've just had a brief examination of my movement in the hip and a bit longer of a discussion on how it affects me. No idea when the MSK will decide to see me. I'm not holding my breath lol.

My new perfume this week is Eau de Ralgex which is easing a little. I do use a wheat bag on my neck as that gave up a long time ago so may need to take purchase of another one for my hip.

I'm going to start the exercises after Christmas when I have an endlesss stock of chocolates as a reward for each set of exercises - started having one after each set of exercises post sub acromial decompression on my shoulders and they were the only things that made the physiotherapy bearable lol.

I have tried the pillow between my legs at night time - the jury is still out on this but I will persevere.

I am hoping that the MSK team will refer me straight to a surgeon when I see them after I've had the ct/mri scan - I have so many long term arthritis issues I don't think I could cope with anything else.

Let me know if you think of anything else and thank you again for your help and support.

trish x

speedalong

Hi Trish,

if the pillow isn't helping it might be too plump or too thin - you want it to keep your hip aligned. I also found putting a duvet or mattress topper on top of my mattress helped.

Your GP should be able to refer to you for an OT assessment.

Hot baths (rather a luxury with the COL at the moment) with Epsom salts added also helped. An alternative would be going to the local swimming baths and using the 'baby' pool as the water is a lot warmer in there.

On better days - don't over do it, its very easy too and it can take days to get over it.

Speedalong

PS I'm going to adopt your chocolate rewards idea for my shoulder physio programme, 🤣

Trish9556

hi speedalong the trick is your favourite chocolates and only one after each set of reps

If you've had shoulder surgery you know what it's like, 48 hours post surgery, the sling comes off and you can't move your shoulder at all and have to do five reps of five sets of exercises. You need that inspiration! I put the open box in front of me just out of reach xx

Suebe

I’m on the list for thr. I would just reiterate that exercise actually helps with pain if you can bear doing it. My pain got a lot worse when I was less mobile after a heart procedure. If you can find somewhere to exercise in warm water, that is brilliant. But I do understand that it’s not easy to exercise especially with a husband putting you in cotton wool! I also do hand exercises which seem to increase blood flow and bring warmth to the arthritic bits. Also, the right pillow between the knees if on your side or under them if on your back is a great help. Keep looking for the right pillow!I have this and also a memory foam slope under my back, which helps heart and breathing but also seems to keep a good angle on my hips for me. MSK in Berkshire were great so hope you have the same experience.

Chris_R

Hi @Suebe

Welcome to the online commuity,great to see you posting.

So you are on the list for a THR and you are looking for safe exercising especially in warm water.

Here are a few links that may help you

https://www.versusarthritis.org/about-arthritis/exercising-with-arthritis/

https://www.versusarthritis.org/about-arthritis/treatments/therapies/hydrotherapy/

Hope this helps in some way.

Please keep in touch and do go onto our forums and chat to others it often helps.

All the best Christine

Lilymary

I’m a side/stomach sleeper, albeit that I sleep on my “good” side. I found cushions under my hip so that I wasn’t lying flat out, and under my foot, kept mybleg flexed into angles that were tolerably comfortable. Experiment, see what works for you. A pillow between my knees didn’t work particularly well for me, it guess just depends on the pattern of wear in your joints.

speedalong

https://community.versusarthritis.org/discussion/comment/702713#Comment_702713

😂🤣

Suebe

I’m on the list for thr. I would just reiterate that exercise actually helps with pain if you can bear doing it. My pain got a lot worse when I was less mobile after a heart procedure. If you can find somewhere to exercise in warm water, that is brilliant. But I do understand that it’s not easy to exercise especially with a husband putting you in cotton wool! I also do hand exercises which seem to increase blood flow and bring warmth to the arthritic bits. Also, the right pillow between the knees if on your side or under them if on your back is a great help. Keep looking for the right pillow!I have this and also a memory foam slope under my back, which helps heart and breathing but also seems to keep a good angle on my hips for me. MSK in Berkshire were great so hope you have the same experience.

Trish9556

Hi Suebe

thanks for your suggestions. The hands are just something else that I'm coping with - having had a trapeziectomy just over two years ago I have lots of hand therapy exercises to do and use 'hot hands' to ease pain along with gloves.

I would go to a pool but the one we have here was absolutely disgusting the last time I went and won't go there again (you couldn't see the bottom of the pool!). I'm not a great swimmer either so I don't really miss it.

I am persevering witha pillow - it often gets kicked out of bed in the middle of the night lol.

I will reserve judgement on MSK - I have had one awful experience with them which led to a formal complaint and one brilliant experience. I don't think the Physio who looked after me last time is still there and I am afraid the one linked to my doctors surgery is there and I really don't want to see her again after one horrible experience with her in July.

Thanks again

Trish

Trish9556

Can anyone help with any ideas how to sit down? Pain always seems to increase when I'm sat down. Doesn't matter if it's an armchair or dining chair. I just can't sit without rolling to one side but can't see that's good for me?

Thanks, Trish x

Poppyjane

Hi @Trish9556

Have you tried an inflatable cushion or this sloping cushion?

https://community.versusarthritis.org/discussion/comment/679403#Comment_679403

Best wishes

Poppyjane (Moderator)

Trish9556

thank you Poppyjane

I hadn't considered an inflatable cushion due to this pain being towards the right of my bottom but will investigate.

trish x

speedalong

Trish, if the pain is in your bottom could be your glute muscles giving you grief. Treating your trigger points would help. A remedial masseur or physio would help or self treating with a tennis ball (not so straight forward for those of us with arthritis, but worth it if find away.)

Sheelee

Hi Trish,

I have arthritis in both hips, though my left is worst. Just had a pre op assessment for a hip replacement on that side.

What I've found is my hip doesn't like being too stationery (1st thing in the morning is literally a pain) but it doesn't like being overused either. I think it's a case of seeing what suits your body. Not easy because that involves making mistakes and paying the price the next day!! But it really helps.

You do need weight bearing exercises. I use a mixture of exercises I learnt on a course run by physios, and walking. (I invested in a pedometer. Reasonable from A***n, that well known on.line company!!) But also I find none weight bearing exercise that really allows your joints to move helps enormously ie swimming. Even if you can't swim, walking in water really helps as you get benefits from the resistance the water creates around you. BUT you aren't carrying your weight, which makes a big difference (regardless of your clothes size!!) I hadn't swam much for a couple of weeks last month due to holidays. When I got back into the pool, it was such a joy to be able to move without pain. And my body really reacts negativity to a lack of weight bearing and none weight bearing exercise.

Hope that gives you a few ideas to try,

Sheelee

Trish9556

Thank you @Sheelee

I do try to walk as much as I can and I am doing the hip exercises from here. Had a horrendous day yesterday with the worst pain ever so may have overflow something. Was a triple whammy with the codeine paracetamol and tens maxed up but I do feel better today. I stopped going to our pool here as it's disgusting and you couldn't see the bottom and have yet to find another that not too deep or too busy. There is a wonderful one at the gym I used to use but had to stop going due to cost and not being able to drive there anymore. I have a pre op for posterior cervical decompression on my C4 to C7 coming up next month which I'm hoping will enable me to do some if the things I used to...like turn my head, that's taken 10 years to get to this point. I'm also having a lot of problems with my asthma now being uncontrolled which stops me doing as much as I want. My bad days are when everything says stop doing everything and I don't like those. Those are the days I hide and cry with the pain anger and frustration.

@speedalong I hadn't thought of that. My tens machine does a good massage so I will try that while I'm waiting to be seen by the MSK team.

Thank you both and dirty it's taken a while to reply

Trish xx

Sheelee

Oh boy Trish. You've had more than your fair share. And it may be that your spinal problems (awkward walking style etc) may have been responsible for your hip problems. My dependency on my right side, to compensate for the problems with my left side, has lead to quite severe arthritis in my right hip. It's great isn't it. You try to maintain something of a normal life, but in the process screw other parts of your body up!

Regarding the swimming etc, I'm wondering if the "Exercise on prescription " might enable you to rejoin your gym again. I'm certain it is through a referral from your GP. Weight bearing exercise with spinal problems must be agony. You seem to be getting quite widespread problems. Have the medics indicated any other underlying issues effecting your bone structure, eg osteoporosis?

I really feel for you Trish. 🫂 Definitely time for a hug.

Sheelee x

Trish9556

Hi Sheelee

When I first started having problems with my neck they thought I'd had a major RTA when they saw my neck scans. I have epilepsy as well and although I'm not under any treatment now and seizures rare like unicorn poo I fell downstairs many many times up to the age of 22 (I'm now 66) at my parents house whilst having grandal seizures. My parents had a storage heater at the bottom which used to jump out at me while I reached the bottom. The consensus of opinion was this caused the problem with my neck.

It will be interesting to see if any issues disappear once I've had surgery but I have to have it first. Been cancelled in 2019 when the surgeon told me he couldn't do it two days before surgery as he discovered my vertebral artery is in the wrong place and he would've cut right through it doing a ACDF if he hadn't seen it. The physio assigned to my GP surgery gave me her assessment if me without physically examining me in July which is why I've refused to see her again and gone for the MSK route.

Thanks for the hug, I having a lot of bad days at the moment. I realise most of you have it worse and I am so appreciative of all the help and advice.

Trish xx