osteoarthritis in my left hip.

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SteveR
SteveR Member Posts: 2
in Chat to our Helpline Team

I've been diagnosed with osteoarthritis in my left hip. I've always been active but the condition has worsened considerably over the last 6 months to the point it's very difficult to do any meaningful exercise.

The pain is worse when I raise my left leg or particularly going up stairs or an uphill slope.

The pain almost seems muscular at times rather than a joint pain would this be correct and are there exercises I can do to help reduce the pain until I have a hip replacement?

Many thanks

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  • Ellen
    Ellen Moderator Posts: 1,628
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    Hello @SteveR Welcome to the online Community.

    I see you have been diagnosed with Osteoarthritis in your left hip which has worsened over the last 6 months.

    This must be very frustrating when you have been an active person.

    You are very wise indeed to want to keep moving while you are waiting for Hip surgery.

    While you are waiting for our members to share their own experience I am attaching a couple of links for you to look at: Osteoarthritis (OA) of the hip | Hip pain | Versus Arthritis

    and this one includes information about exercises: What helps hip pain? | Versus Arthritis

    If you're up for it this category is all about moving :Let's Move — Versus Arthritis

    I hope to see your posts in future.

    Best wishes

    Ellen.

  • helpline_team
    helpline_team Posts: 3,490
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    Dear SteveR

    Thank you for your posting on the forum. I am very sorry to hear that your condition has worsened considerably over the last six months and this has made it difficult for you to do any exercise.

    I see that Ellen has provided information and links for managing hip pain and exercise. I understand that you are waiting for a hip replacement. If you are having increasing pain in your hip then it is important to speak to your health care professional. They can review your pain relief and also they may be able to refer you to a physiotherapist who can advise you on specific exercises, movements and changes to your posture you can work into your day, that’ll help improve your hip pain. There is more information about managing pain and about osteoarthritis on the links below.

    Managing your pain - treatments and self help

    Osteoarthritis, causes, symptoms, treatments

    If you feel you would like to talk things through with one of our helpline team you are very welcome to call us on 0800 5200 520 (Weekdays 9am – 8pm).

    I hope this information is helpful.

    Best Wishes

    Dawn, 

    Helpline Advisor

  • RogerBill
    RogerBill Member Posts: 223
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    Hi @SteveR Sorry I've only just seen your post but thought I'd comment because six months ago the osteoarthritis in my left hip first caused pains in my thigh when walking and I was convinced it was a muscular problem. Previously I enjoyed regular ten mile walks but now can only manage 15 minutes. I self referred myself to Dynamichealth a physio service funded by the NHS. For three months I did their exercises two or three times every day but didn't notice much improvement. I then had an x-ray which was reported as showing severe osteoarthritis in the left hip. I'm due to have a hip replacement operation in a few weeks time.

    More recently I've been doing some exercises recommended for preparing for a hip replacement operation by Lou Grant (a UK physio who had a hip replacement a couple of years ago). These exercises seem to have helped more than those I had from Dynamichealth but it might just be that I've been doing leg exercises for longer.

    My hip osteoarthritis mainly causes problems when walking, standing or climbing stairs. I'm fortunate in that I can do most of the recommended exercises without too much trouble.

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