Back pain - could it be referred pain from hips?

BethJin

Hoping someone in this community might have something more useful to say than the silence I get from doctors and NHS physios! My right hip has advanced OA and is bone on bone now. My left hip also has OA and causes me far more problems (increasingly I cannot weight- bear when rising from my chair - the medics just keep ignoring the left hip because the x-ray (from a year ago) shows that it is not as advanced as my right hip). I have minor OS in the lumbar area of my spine which the Dr and Physio have both dismissed as "lots of people your age will have the same level of degeneration but they will have no pain". What am I supposed to do with that info? I have pain but it's clearly not valid.

My back is the source of 80% of my pain. At times I feel so locked up I can barely move. When I walk I feel as if I am sticking my bum out and feel really rigid. It's uncomfortable and I'm extremely slow. I've been having physio for a year now and the exercises have been really helpful to my hips. Whilst I'm definitely stronger I am also getting worse. My current physio was assigned to help with my hips as this is what the x-rays showed. But she is finally starting to understand that it is my back that is causing me so much pain and I'm now in my 2 weeks of accupuncture (which I'm not sure about as it seems to have made me even worse). In the past I have seen a sports physio (privately) and an osteopath (also privately) - both of these professionals actually listened to me and both suggested that my back pain was probably referred pain from my hips and that I should have a hip replacement as soon as I can. The NHS don't want to even talk about surgery because "you're too young and too good". Well, I'm mid fifties and I walk like an 90 year old. NICE guidelines say that you cannot make a decision based on age.

I'm at the stage where I now where I want to start pushing for referral (and, if I don't get one I'll go to Lithuania where the price is £7K). But, I fear that the back pain could be separate from the hip OA maybe the NHS is right and I don't need a replacement? I have had an MRI on the back and there is nothing sinister going on. Has anyone else with hip OA had severe back pain when the medical evidence suggests that you shouldn't? And, if you then went on to have a hip replacement did your back pain go away? Did anything else help the back pain?

Thank you.

noddingtonpete

Hi @BethJin you are not the only one with a question like this. I just tried a search of the Community and it pulls up a few discussions which might be of use. Click the following to see the search.

https://community.versusarthritis.org/search?domain=all_content&query=back%20pain%20hip%20replacement&scope=site&source=community

Hope you find something that helps

Best wishes

Peter

BethJin

Thanks @noddingtonpete

I see this is a common problem and that the few who have been lucky enough to get a replacement have found relief. Now to get myself on that waiting list. The barriers to this are very high indeed.

Elle239

I’m the same I’ve got osteoarthritis in lower lumber of spine, sciatica and the vertabrea at that section had slipped slightly backwards. In pain constantly never had a day in the last 12 years where I haven’t had pain.
GP just keeps telling me it’s normal for your age, do you know about the nervous system it can fire messages to your brain to say you are in pain and there isn’t anything wrong.
a physio has said the same lines. With my argument back but you have an MRI scan there saying there is something mechanical going on, explain why some days it takes all my energy to walk or move?
I ended up having to pay private to see a specialist as GP response was I don’t know who to refer you to. He also saw his backside because I paid private saying your care should be with me.
To which I replied yes but you aren’t doing anything. I’m currently on a year and half waiting list to try steroid injections until then I’ve been told to crack on.

KC1

so sorry to hear about the pain you are suffering. Pushing to get onto a waiting list is worth a try, as many here will testify. If you can manage to follow some of the exercises suggested on this site it’s worth it. It feels a bit counterintuitive but I found exercise was a real help in pain management and it got me in good shape ahead of my surgery.

I wish you well