Long term hip pain with other symptoms

[BoxOfBabyCheeses]

Hi all, I'm just looking to see if anyone has experience of similar symptoms to myself. I do have a GP's appointment booked, but I was hoping to have some suggestions as it's the third appointment I have booked for this problem, although my symptoms have worsened and more have popped up.

I'm 30 now, and since I was a teenager I have had hip pain. It was intermittent at first with no obvious cause. I would have an ache or sometimes I would have a sharp pain and the feeling that my hip was "locking" or on the verge of dislocating.

The pain has gradually got worse, and now it is really affecting my day to day life. I have had to give up driving lessons as I would be in agony after 2 hours and would spend the evening crying afterwards in pain.

I went to the GP about this last year who referred me to the MCAS clinic. They in turn referred me to the physio but have never been given a reason for this pain. during my appointment with the MCAS phyiso I was asked if I had any problems with my bowels or bladder. At the time I said no, but this has now changed.

I am now experiencing constipation, and when trying to "go" I have shooting pains down my leg. I also have a feeling of needing to pee, but never feeling like my bladder is fully empty.

I suppose I'm just looking to see if they are related, and other people have had similar experiences, or if I'm just adding 2 and 2 and making 5.

[Hallouminati]

I've not had a hip problem but I think you need to call the NHS for advice. I saw a specialist for lower back problems and was told to seek medical attention if I had problems with my bowels or bladder (ie incontinence or problems emptying), or I felt numbness in my genital area.

I don't mean to scare you but it's worth a phone call in case it gets worse. It might be nothing but at least you'll know.

[BoxOfBabyCheeses]

I do have a GP appointment this afternoon, I'm just worried that I will be fobbed off again with physio. If they could tell me WHAT was wrong and WHY I needed physio then I would be happier to just attend. But the on session that I attended, the physio hadn't looked at my file until I turned up and then she just focused on my curved spine.

Thanks for not telling me it's in my head though!

[Oliversmumsarmy]

I had hip pain for 7 years after I became pregnant with dd.

The NHS were useless. Went private and within a few minutes the chiropractor diagnosed me with a problem with my back.

She looked firstly at my back and the discs were sticking out.

Her words were “hip pain can be deferred pain from the back”

[StrongTea]

Have you had an xray?

[BoxOfBabyCheeses]

No xray or scans of any kind. All I've had is an appointment with the MCAS physio where they manipulated my leg and referred me for physio. They said it sounds like bursitis and tendinitis and if the physio didn't work then I may need injections into my hip. But now my bowel and bladder have become involved it's making me think it's to do with my nerves and it's worrying me.

[StrongTea]

Hope you get more help ar this appointment.

[BoxOfBabyCheeses]

Sorry Oliversmumsarmy I missed your post. I'd be happy to believe it was related to my back, I'd just like some investigation into it first. The amount of pain I'm in really doesn't seem normal for a 30 year old. I am basing my life around taking pain killers. Only eating when I'm due ibuprofen, and even then the pain killers don't touch me. The pain wake sme at night, sometimes all I can do is just cry. I feel like an old woman.

[Bombardier25966]

If you can afford it get a recommendation for a private physio. NHS physio is mostly dire but a decent one will look at you as a whole and can identify all sorts.

I can recommend someone in Nottinghamshire if that's any help.

[Bombardier25966]

This is the Nottingham physio in case it helps you or anyone else.

www.physiodirect.com/an-interview-with-phil-rippon-nottingham-panthers-and-physiodirect-physio/

[mando12345]

I second the advice to pay for a good private physio, I had hip pain and now it's sorted. I never got a whole nights sleep because of the pain.

[mumisalliam]

Go private!
Honestly, if you can afford it
Just pay! Nhs physios are well meaning but just shockingly bad
If I had stuck with nhs physios I probably would be in a wheelchair
Thankgod I found a private Physio and I'm on the slow road to recovery (wouldn't be so long if the nhs physios had picked up the problems)
Also agree hip problems are most likely referred pain... I speak from experience 😭

[TokenGinger]

Hi OP, the symptoms you suggest are exactly what I have. I've got hip impingement and suspected labral tear. A labral tear is very difficult to find on a scan, hence only suspected.

The best scans to push for are an MRAnthrogram and a CT by ultrasound (they inject dye in to the hip then ultrasound it).

It took me 3-4 years to get my diagnosis.

The first thing suggested was bursitis which seems to be the easy thing to diagnose as.

[silentcrow]

Is the pain in the front of your hip - at the top of your thigh? I struggled with pain there for years and years, to the point where I could barely walk. I'd presumed it was because I was unfit/fat/pregnant for a long time. Eventually I went to a sports and spinal injuries physio, who figured out that my pelvis is offset - it's been twisted upwards and forwards on the right side since I was a child, but the only sign of it then was the wear pattern on my shoes (I roll my feet inwards). Consequent to that my psoas muscle is too short on one side and my lower back, IT band and glutes fill up with knotted trigger points as the rest of me tries to compensate; the pain refers into the front of my hip and it's agonising.

I do a lot more sport now - some very high-impact - and a combination of yoga and regular sports massage keeps me moving and generally pain-free. There's no permanent fix, and I have limits on how far I can run (max 10km, but I don't enjoy running so I don't care!) and on what surfaces because that's what irritates it the most. But it doesn't keep me out of the dojo. I did have postpartum bladder issues which my physio picked up on, but the GP said he'd never heard of such a thing. Funnily enough getting fitter and loosening off the tight bits regularly does help keep it to a minimum.

[BoxOfBabyCheeses]

Thanks everyone for replying. It's a relief to know I'm not the only one.

The pain I have is at the side of the hip which aches almost constantly but at its worst its a shooting/stabbing pain.

I was told when pregnant that I had a tilted pelvis but its never been mentioned again, and apparently isn't in my notes.

I'll look at seeing a private physio. Thanks for the link - sorry I can't remember who it was - but I'm in South Wales. Is there a certain kind of physio I should look for?

I've started to get pain in the other hip now, which I think is from trying to compensate for the bad hip. I also get lower back pain and "knots" so it may well be referred from back pain.

Thank you everyone for sharing. I feel so ridiculous complaining about my hip when I'm barely 30, but I've been in pain for so long that now it's become so much worse I'm worried I'll end up in a wheelchair because I genuinely can't see it getting any better while doctors don't listen.

GP has prescribed naproxen, which did help when I had some of my dad's, but because I wasn't prescribed them I didn't want to take them regularly without doctors advice. She also said that I should go back to physio and ask for another referral to MCAS for more investigations.

You've all made me believe I might actually get better. Thank you, you lovely lot!

[mumisalliam]

How old is your baby/child??
I see a great physio in Cardiff
She deals with post partum and pregnancy issues (pregnancy is what caused my problems)
Did pregnancy make it worse?

[Harrykanesrightsock]

FAI hip impingement
I had the same with both hips and have had surgery on both. I’m now pain free and slowly getting back to fitness

[scottiesheep]

Look up Cauda Equina and also joint hypermobility

[TokenGinger]

OP, I've done years of physio which doesn't help. My partner is a personal trainer and trains my hip. It helps in that my hip is much stronger to deal with the pain but no amount of muscle exercise can stop bone and cartilage pain.

Please don't let them fob you off with naproxen and physio. It doesn't work. It's a sticking plaster.

I also have a titled pelvis but many of the population do.

I'm pregnant now so I can't have surgery but after finally being referred to a specialist hip hospital, a senior surgeon has agreed I'm a good candidate for surgery after the pregnancy.

This is for the hip impingement and suspected labral tear.

Please read in to hip impingement, labral tear and hip dysplasia and read the symptoms. If yours are similar, persist for tests.

My friend had all three and had surgery. Her mum left the symptoms, similar to yours, and has just had hip replacement surgery because the damage was then done.

[Oliversmumsarmy]

See an osteopath first before a physio. When I saw my osteopath the first time after taking notes and discovering the bulging discs she did a bit of physio on me.

I walked out still in pain but about 4 hours later the pain suddenly stopped for an hour. I hadn’t been pain free in 7 years

I too had the pain in the same place you have and a tilted pelvis.

Overall I spent £500 getting it all fixed and being pain free.

I had spent 7 years of my life in agony unable to sleep and at times look after my children. I would have paid 100x that amount if someone had advised me to see an osteopath in the first place

I was under a “top” back consultant at our local orthopaedic hospital.

He was useless. He refused to look at me just continued to write his notes and shout at me if I pointed to where the pain was. He refused to turn his head to see where I was pointing and started shouting that I should know if it was fibia or tibia or whatever the technical name of the hip bone or thigh bone was.
An X-ray appeared in my notes. I have never had an X-ray and now if I go via the NHS for anything to do with my hip, I had some recurrent pain at one time and needed some physio. They think I have dementia because I keep saying that the X-ray isn’t mine and they think I have forgotten having it done

[BoxOfBabyCheeses]

Hi all, thanks for so many replies! I've been laid up this weekend feeling sorry for myself with a stinking cold...which really hasn't helped my hip pain!

To answer some of your question - sorry if I miss any:

DS has just turned 7. Hip pain was worse when I was pregnant. I also had the same kind of constipation and shooting pain whilst trying to go, as I do now. I'm not sure if it's related but I do also have separated stomach muscles, which have never reconnected. Although no doctor's seem worried about this. Basically when I lean back there is a bulge between my abdominal muscles. It's definitely not a hernia, and I don;t get any pain from this.

Hip impingement could be a very good suggestion. I seem to have a lot of the symptoms.

It's funny that hypermobility was mentioned. I actually have joint pain in my elbows and knees but not chronic and acute like my hip. My elbow actually can bend 2 ways, and my shoulders and ankles are very hypermobile. I actually asked a GP once if I could possibly have EDS as I also have other symptoms - such as gastro problems and slow healing wounds that leave wide scars. I was basically told not to be silly.

I spoke to the MCAS clinic this morning. They have requested a follow up appointment, and if the person I saw agrees then I will hopefully see them in the next 2-3 weeks.

Thank you all again for all of your suggestions. I will be looking into a private physio - although it may have to wait until after my birthday when I have some spare money from family to spend.

[Oliversmumsarmy]

I think you are wasting your time with the NHS MCAS.

I have been to them several times and come out usually with a piece of paper with exercises on we which make no difference. They seem to want to treat the symptoms but not the cause.

An initial private appointment with an osteopath was only £70. Obviously more now but still worth every penny.

[BoxOfBabyCheeses]

I think you're right. If I see an osteopath privately, would I be able to get an NHS referral for further treatment?

I've just been researching EDS again, and I'm becoming more convinced that I have Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome and Sacroiliac Joint Dysfunction. I might just be clutching at straws, as it seems like an answer finally. The only thing is that it's so badly handled and misdiagnosed 90% of the time. Do you think a private osteopath would be able to investigate this more?

[LilQuim]

GPs know NOTHING about EDS. My son was diagnosed with it years ago, via rheumatologist at Gt Ormond St. We were lucky as he was already under GOSH for orthopaedic surgery, so everyone got involved.

I, personally, would ask for x-rays, CT or MRI - only proper way to diagnose joint issues. It's easy to say "bursitis" without actually having scans, I'm afraid.

I would also ask for a review if your pain meds as often NSAIDs are not enough on their own. Pain waking you from sleep is not good.

With the bowel / bladder issues, I think your GP needs to suggest further investigations. If you feel up to it, I would honestly insist. Being referred back to musculoskeletal is a fob off (in my experience).

Hope you get some progress this afternoon.

[LilQuim]

I have sacroiliac dysfunction, and best thing that helped me was osteopathy. I also had tilted pelvis.

But definitely insist on more investigations. If you can, find out your nearest EDS specialist (rheumatology) & ask for a referral.

[BoxOfBabyCheeses]

I have just emailed a local private hospital for more information on seeing a rheumatologist and an osteopath. Hopefully one or the other could help get to the bottom of it.

I think that I'm so used to being in pain with my joints that I only focus on my hip and lower back because they are the worst. I often have knee and shoulder pain too. I'm so glad I asked for help on here.