When is it hip replacement time?

[drawacircleroundit]

I'm 52 years old and having to straighten up slowly from any length of time sitting or lying down. Yesterday I was tending to my feet to get them summer ready, so I had been adopting something akin to that yoga move with knees splayed outwards for some time. Feet are now pretty. Then, upon standing, my hips were so painful I had to hold on to the wardrobe until I had warmed up, as it were.
This can't be normal, or is it? Once I've warmed up, which takes only a few seconds, everything is fine, but for those few seconds I feel helplessly pained. I do 3k hill walks about 3 times a week and work full time, and, as long as I keep moving, all is good. But as soon as I stop it's like someone takes the opportunity to pour glue into my joints.
Is this what 52 feels like, or do I need to get checked out?

It's what having inappropriate footwear, muscle weaknesses, posture and gait that could be improved and possibly a bit of impact related overuse can do for you as well.

Oh, and a severe deficiency in vitamin D can do it.

Better to check for those before assuming you need a frankly brutal operation/it'll never get better.

I would see a physio and get specialist exercises before assuming it's replacement time. You might have muscle weakness that's impacting joint mobility.

Yep, sounds like hip mobility is an issue.

I went to a hip surgeon several years ago. He advised conservative management.

Do what's been suggested. Decent physio, massage, exercise in more than one plane. Aquatherapy. Lots of things help. Proper diagnosis!

Start taking joint supplements with turmeric. It makes a big difference.

See a specialist for hydro and mobility advice. Replacement so young is usually seen as a very last resort because on average the lifespan of the artificial joint is 15 - 20 years, so if you’re having one in your early fifties you’d have to undergo the procedure again by your seventies.

*physio not hydro (though could also include hydro I suppose!)

Turmeric supplements and Pilates are your friend

Join the club was in a lot of pain at one point, I found loosing weight and increasing gentle exercise (eg walking) helped (I've also given up running due to laziness getting up on Saturdays, perhaps that was the problem )

I'm 53 and had my hips replaced 9 years ago

I couldn't walk, thought it was because I was too fat

I saw a GP, got a x-ray then referred to an orthopaedic surgeon

It has changed my life for the better

I had to finally give in and have the hip replacement at 60 years old. My symptoms started about 10 years earlier with what I thought was groin strain. My physio was treating me for groin strain. One day I saw a different physio who was shocked that I'd never been investigated for hip arthritis as groin pain and lack of outward rotation are the main signs. The op has changed my life. I'm doing pilates 3 times a week and walking loads more. Plus I can tie my shoe laces and cut my own toe nails (and paint them) myself again. I wish I'd gone for the op about 4 years earlier than I did.

I had one done when I was 27 and I am 32 and hopefully will have the other done by October. I've also had one knee and will have the other once I've had my hip done.

It's time as soon as your quality of life is impacted.

Hips should last a life time now. You just need replacement plastic bits not another full replacement

The criteria is essentially pain despite analgesia and particularly night pain, reduced mobility/impact daily living and xr confirmed OA.

Tbh if you’re doing 3k hill runs I’d refuse you. It is significant surgery and doing it at the right time is important. Jumping the gun does patients no favours and at your age there would have to be really bad arthritis for it to be offered. Definitely try physio, weight loss if appropriate and reducing impact activities. I’d ask for an XR from your GP so that you know for definite if there’s significant OA as a starting point.

That’s useful to know, thanks. A friend with osteoarthritis has been given that as the reason against doing hers until strictly necessary.

yes, see a physio and your gp.

I have a squeaky hip. stretches of the hip flexors and strength exercises really help a lot.

look up bob&brad and hip flexor on youtube, but a real life physio can really find out where the pain is coming from and help with exercises or point the gp in the right direction if it's not related to week muscles and stiff tendons.

Um @AllThingsServeTheBeam Not necessarily. Plastic wear can result in stem or cup loosening and liner replacement can only be done if an uncemented acetabular shell is used. Currently the NHS (and I thoroughly disagree with this) recommend cemented cups in the over 60s and so a healthy 60 yr old could be looking at a full revision in their 70s with all that that entails.

I have severe arthritis and already one hip is replaced. You aren't there yet! Get a proper diagnosis - there are many steps that you can take to support yourself to remain without major surgery. I sincerely wish I could manage 300 yards never mind 3k!

I suppose it depends on what the surgeon uses but for both my knee and hip I have been told the metal bit should last me. They were both life changing for me and I was / am very young for replacements

I had something like that at about that age. If I sat on the floor in almost any position, I'd feel fine but as soon as I tried to get up I'd feel like one hip was absolutely seized up and locked, and it was very painful for a few moments. I don't have that now!

I don't know if it's some function of menopause or what. I'm on thyroxine now but no HRT (well, other than vagifem, good stuff but I don't think it reaches my hips). I do Pilates regularly, that may be what's helped, there's a lot of hip mobility and stability exercises in that. I've also been taking regular vitamin D and fish oils.

I also walk a lot (over 1000 km this year so far) - and I've got good hip mobility (more than average probably, can sit in a 'butterfly' position, can do full squats etc.

You are a bit on the young side for a hip replacement. But no harm in having x rays then at least you will know if you need one now or are likely yo in the near future.

You do realise that "replacement plastic bits" (and they often aren't plastic) still require major surgery and the lifetime is still considered to be 15 - 20 years on average. So at 52 that would potentially put further major surgery in the mid-70's. Which is a point many people now get to or exceed. SO there are still grounds for delaying until it is necessary. Hip replacement is a relatively simple and reliable surgery these days, but it is still major surgery with risks, not a lego construction kit.

I have no idea what's normal at replacement time, but the people I knew who had any joint replacement, basically they were hobbling & in more or less constant pain bad enough to stop them doing more, when they tried to use the joint. 300m was a challenge, like others said.

Oh yes, get hrt & thyroid checked too.

Not sure your ready to be honest. I'm 50 had HIP replacment this year. I still have some stiffness 5 months post op and can just reach my feet. No pain though. Pre op walking round tesco was very hard and so were stairs.I limped very badly and hadn't been able to reach my feet in 3 years. That's hip replacement time. Yours is where I was 10 yrs ago. It is life changing can now do 8000 steps easily but I know I'll need a revision at some point and it's big surgery.

I had a hip replacement at the age of 23. I didn't have enough mobility to put shoes on, let alone paint my toenails!