Irritable hip - doesn't seem to be getting better

[CustardQueen]

Hi, my DS aged 5 was diagosed with Irritable Hip last week after a trip to A&E in the early hours - he had woken up in terrible pain unable to move. At hospital they did xrays and blood tests and let us go later that day saying that it was irritable hip and would improve over the next few days. It did get better initially but then as soon as he starts to walk on it again it gets worse.

Has anyone any experience of irritable hip and how long it took to get over it. We went back for a follow up appointment yesterday and they dont seem too concerned - its just me being such a worrier! Horrible seeimg little boy unable to walk.

hi my dd had a hip problem two yrs ago, it ended up being tight illiotibial band syndrome. it prob isn't the same, it took weeks and a visiting consultant to diagnose two trips to a+e.

It is awful seeing them in such pain, my dd had the pain worse in the evenings when lying down.

What have you read about irritable hip op, have u googled.

My 2 year DD had it and she took three weeks to get to a stage where she would actually put any weight on it at all. A few days seems a little optimistic. Hope it all works out.

Is he wearing the springiest, softest airfilled soled trainers you can find? It is realy important to minimise the shock that travels up the leg to the hip joint with each step, and thin soled shoes multiply the pain.

Can he take ibuprofen? It does help if you use it before walking, and keep the walking to short episodes, and gradually increase the time.

ps. It took dd 6 months to get over her irritable hip. I was told this was quite normal.

DS was told "therapeutic dose" if ibuprofen for a week. It flares up every now and again, has been about 4 years now, but the ibuprofen and no charging around helps.

Thank you all for your replies. Most things I have read about it (and what the docs have said) is that it should pass after a few days and get steadily better which is not what is happening to ds. Doctors have said he deson't need bed rest but if he doesn't it just gets worse again.

Piratecat - I found your posts from a couple of years ago..glad you got it sorted out in the end.

3littefrogs- He is on full dose ibuprofen and haven't thought about the shoes. Docs said that he will know best about what he can do but this is obviously not the case as he just overdoes it as soon as he is able to walk and is then back at square one again. So yes - seems we need to gradually increase it.

Thanks again for all replies, you have but my mind at rest about how long recovery takes. Guess I need to be a bit more patient - not one of my strongest points!

DS had a couple of episodes end of Jan. He started on a Monday night, Tuesday was in agony and had to be taken to GP, who in hindsight should have sent us to hospital. Wednesday he improved throughout the day and was walking normally by Thursday and back to school but stayed in at breaks nd no PE.

All fine until next week when teacher forgot about no PE, kicked off again Tuesday, was admitted to hospital on Wednesday for a night . Had to have ibuprofen for a week and a half. The next week was half term and he was allowed back to school after that.

At his follow up appt at hospital he was limping slightly and didn't have as much movement in his hip and was referred for MRI to rule out Perthes, no PE or running and jumping whilst waiting.. Scan all clear and fine now. Just occasional twinge. But he's quite unfit where he wasn't allowed to run and is struggling to keep up at play times so we're having to build his fitness up again.

Thanks Wynken - that answers my questions about the importance of rest and not overdoing it. Not sure why the docs haven't stressed that more to us.

sometimes you just have to go with your gut instinct custard, i dont think one rule firs all, well i bloody know it doesn't!
They say, keep on it don't rest, ( know my dd didn't have the same thing ) but i think you have to gauge it for yourself, and work with your ds, to try and minimise the pain.

ie--paracetamol and ibuprofen alterantely. I know they can be taken at the very same time, but a nurse once advised me that this sometimes works better.

go with what HE can do and manage, there is no point aggravating it. Try and make him move a little, but if it gets too much he must stop.

I hope that he shows improvement sooner rather than later, i know it's very hard to see them like this. I found it very distressing not knowing what it was firstly, but then not knowing how long it would go on for.

hth xx

thanks for that pirate, your right about trusting your instinct. Will make sure he tries to walk a little at a time with lots rest inbetween.

My DS had irritable hip last year (at 21mths) - started on a Mon, a&e tues who said it was irritable hip & we should monitor and come back Fri. By Fri he could hardly walk & had been waking up screaming in pain. 6hrs worth of tests (xray, ultrasound & bloods) on the Friday revealed nothing but we were sent to see an Orthopaedic Specialist on the mon......he was very laid back about the whole thing. By the weds it was all over.....10 days. A stressful experience though and I can understand your worry. How many days has it been?

We were told to rest (not easy with a toddler) but it was obviously very painful as DS did this himself and wanted carrying everywhere. He too was on ibuprofen throughout the time. It is a bit of a bizarre thing isn't it.

I really hope it sorts itself out very soon - good luck

Op worth asking to be checked for Perthes
I had it as a child and if my mother hadn't insisted they wouldn't have picked it up

thanks for that pirate, your right about trusting your instinct. Will make sure he tries to walk a little at a time with lots rest inbetween.

Thanks Dolly - they have checked for Pethes on the xray and at the moment it is fine. They said if it continues for a few weeks they will xray again to see if its the start of Perthes..

OzBrit - its been about 12 days now. Some days he has been walking unaided but some like the last few he's hardly been moving. Currently able to shuffle around on his bottom!

THanks for replies, will hope he improves over the weekend.

I hope he improves over the weekend. It's so horrible seeing them unable to walk - a glimpse of how tough life is for parents and children who permantly have to cope with this.

If he doesn't make more progress over the next couple of days I think I'd take him back to be seen again.

Thanks Wynken, will take him back after weekend if no improvement. And yes, I have thought this myself - how some families have to cope with this every day. Makes me feel guilty for making such a fuss about it. THanks again.

Hope things improve soon.
Take care

How's he doing Custard ? Don't feel guilty, you're absolutely not making a fuss, it's very distressing seeing them in pain and unable to walk.

Hi. Did you get the hip sorted? My little boy is just getting over it. It’s been a week now and he’s still not walking but I can see progress. Does anyone else’s little one sit slanty on the floor when recovering from it? Hel sit straight on the sofa but when he gets down he goes on a slant. Is this normal? X

Hi. I have 3 boys and they have all had irritable hip. The older two seemed to recover in less than a week but my youngest took over 3 weeks until he walked. I was really worried at the time but think it was best just to let him do things in his own time and not push him to walk before he was ready.

Did the irritable hip return with your older boys? X

No, none of them ever got it again, they're 9,12 and 18 now.