Thigh pain

Terrydan

Hi, I understand that with hip osteoarthritis I can expect knee and groin pain. However I am pain in my thigh and cannot raise the leg more than 6 inches off the ground so walking is very painful and exhausting. Is thigh pain also linked to hip? Thanks.

jonr

Hi @Terrydan,

Whilst my OA is in my knees, it is commonplace for what's known as "referred pain" to affect other areas of one's body. There are primarily 2 reasons for this:

1: Changes to gait and posture which an individual makes to alleviate pain in affected joints

2: Strain on connecting tissues and tendons surrounding the affected joint which pick up the slack

I've experienced pain in my legs from my ankles to my groin and I found it only began to reduce as I strengthened the affected areas through physio and exercise.

I'm no medical expert and obviously have no idea of the nature of your pain but I found a deep tissue massaging gun, TENS machine and a hot wheatbag helped soothe and relax the parts of my legs which were protesting and getting my pain under control helped enormously with the exercise.

I don't know if any of this will help but perhaps serve as an explanation for your pain if nothing else.

All the best,

Jon

Norny

I have been diagnosed with arthritis in both hips my main pain is in right hip buttock area. Have stenosis in back got injection in spine no improvement so have been referred to hip specialist have shooting pains down leg to knee can only walk unaided 100 yards.

ozzy62

Hi Terrydan I am new to here , I am in need of an Urgent ! left hip replacement the hospital have said [ also need two new knees ] I am like you in constant pain , I have been waiting 65 weeks plus for my operation because my BMI is over 40 and the top of the list is 70 weeks plus. All I do is sleep or sit in a chair unable to walk very far in constant pain and exhaustion, I am Anemic and waiting for a Iron infusion be the operation, I get so fustrated and angry being in limbo I just want to get my life back

Nurina

The OA in hips could radiate to back, thighs, knees, buttock. It depends on where the damaged bone is pressing.

Janlyn

@Terrydan As others have said the pain can vary as to where and how you feel it. And as time goes on it can change as you change your routines/walking to accommodate the pain. As to not being able to lift your leg more than six inches from the ground I found similar, especially in the weeks leading up to my recent hip replacement. Much of it was muscular - I wasn't able to exercise and use some of my muscles and so they became so weak. Maybe you could see a physiotherapist or MSK clinic and see if they can help?

TLee

I have severe OA in my left hip, and it can do all sorts of odd things! Sometimes it seems like a nerve is being pinched by the grinding bones in the joint & I get sharp pains all the way down my leg. One wrong move & things can feel painfully out-of-place, and that pain can travel down the leg as well. In fact, if I hold or push my thigh as if holding things in place, it sometimes helps. I also agree that exercises to strengthen the muscles that stabilize the joint are a good idea--I myself could be better about that!