OA now in my hip

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.

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

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, 🤣

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.

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.

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.

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

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