Stupid, stupid hip. Grrrr. Physio given up.

[2kidsintow]

Brief history....
Hip pain upon sitting or moving in certain ways. Got worse. Started giving out when climbing stairs or standing from sitting. When it 'goes' I can't walk properly on it and it is painful. Easily fixed by sitting and getting up again, but gives pain and awkwardness in many occasions daily now, so definitely something going on.

GP 2 years ago - blood tests and xrays. All clear. Go away.
GP 6 months ago when it has worsened - no idea. Will refer you to the physio dept.
Physio 3 months ago - exercise to do - makes some of it better, but also makes some of it worse.

Physio this week - no idea. It could be bursitis, it could be scar tissue, it could be something else.

They are writing a letter and refering my back to the GP....who had no idea the first time and refered me to the Physio in desperation because I wouldn't go away and kept politely bothering them. In theory the physio said they may now refer me to the Muscular/Skeletal dept, whoever they are.

Have you tried an osteopath? I had a fantastic one that after many months with a physio helped me in just a couple of sessions.

It cost about £100 total going back 10 years, but for me was money well spent.

I'm still exploring what the NHS can do, but if the next round of referrals doesn't achieve anything (or it continues to get worse) I shall investigate alternatives.
What did they fix for you? (If you don't mind me asking)

Would a private physio be an option down the line? Obviously paying is a disadvantage but they will have more time to spend with you and you may be able to go more regularly. I had tendonitis and the physio shifted it after an epic few months of ultrasound, splint, taping and finally accupuncture which shifted it. I don't know when I would have got rid of it if I'd waited for an NHS referral. Good luck, pain is awful.

If you don't mind me asking, what is it that 'goes'?

The MusculoSkeletal dept are specialist physiotherapists who should see you for a thorough assessment, and hopefully help you find a diagnosis.

I've had a spine/pelvis problem for 18mths now, and it was the MSK clinic referral that finally got things 'moving' in the right direction as regards to treatment. GP and physio were useless.

I think you need an MRI rather than X-rays.

Sue, to me it first felt as if it was dislocating slightly. It gave me a lot of pain and if I tried to carry on and walk after it had happened, I couldn't extend the leg normally in front or behind when walking. Very painful.

The worst occasions are where it gives me trouble unexpectedly when lifting, bending or climbing stairs as the pain and my body's natural unconscious reaction to get my weight off that leg leave me sprawled on the stairs or hopping on one leg.

The physio is pretty sure there isn't anything they can spot wrong with the hip socket etc so it isn't actually dislocating.

They have suggested possible bursitis (and possible steroid injections) and think that the movements that cause pain are ones that trouble an area of sensitivity and tightness that they have found running down the front of my leg from the hip joint. There is a nerve as well as a muscle there, though, so it could be either one causing the problem and it could be catching the nerve instead.

They have mentioned lots of possibilities, inc accupuncture. But the problem hasn't been helped by the NHS relocating my usual physio lady to another hospital, so suddenly I'm seeing someone else.

Was the accupuncture useful? THere is a private accupuncture clinic at the top of my street and I may go and make a private appt there to see if that helps.

Are you hypermobile (double jointed)? I have suffered with hip pain for 30 years and have just found out that it is common amongst people who are hypermobile (especially at night in bed) - I didn't know I was hypermobile, I just assumed being able to put my foot behing my head was normal. It has suddenly explained all sorts of aches and pains that blood tests, xrays and mri couldn't diagnose - I have consequently been refered to a rheumatologist and diagnosed with fibromyalgia, according to the rheumatologist hypermobility increases the likelyhood of developing fibromyalgia.

Ask for a referral to a hip orthopaedic consultant.

When you had your blood tested did they test for vitamin D deficiency? Severe deficiency can cause osteomalacia, one of the symptoms is severe pain in the hips. Vitamin D deficiency is common in the UK.

2kidsintow Sorry to hear you're in pain. It's horrible feeling like physics, etc have given up on you. I really think you need to do as puzzlepetal says and see an orthopaedic consultant, and ask them to take another look at your X-rays. Sometimes hip x-rays are diagnosed as 'unremarkable' on the basis that no arthritis is present - this is a good thing but if that is all that is looked at, other problems can be missed.

I had really similar hip symptoms to yours, for some years, before I was eventually diagnosed with hip dysplasia. This is when the hip sockets are too shallow so that as you enter your mid-20s to late 30s, you start to experience increasing pain in your hip, which is not often helped through physio, and never by osteopathy, chiropractic etc. It took several doctors to diagnose me - when I went to my GP, she said 'oh we all get aches and pains as we get older'. I was 27 . Pain during walking / moving at that age is something she should have taken seriously! This year I had surgery to fix the problem in my right hip, and it's making a huge difference to my quality of life.

My condition is quite rare, but it's made me realise that doctors need to be more aware and test for it when they see a young-ish woman with hip problems. So see if your doctor or orthopaedic consultant can check you have the 'centre edge angle' on your hip x-rays. It's not anything to worry about, because it is a fixable thing - but worth getting checked.

Main thing - keep pestering.

PM me if you want to know the name of my ortho consultant.

Nolemit, on my 1st physio appt she asked me to stand, then straight away said "sit down again" then got me to stand a couple of times and did say I was hypermobile.

Thanks Wombat. I've definitely learnt the power of pestering as that was what got me seen by the physio in the first place when the gp had no idea.

It was nice to be taken seriously above all else.

It has reached an all time worse now.... every single time I climb the stairs I have to take care else the smallest twist as I step up leaves me with a stab of pain and then unable to walk properly.

Tsk, sorry - physics = physio in the above post

Yy stairs are a bugger. One of my earliest symptoms. I think you should really get your x-rays seen by a hip specialist. An MRI can also be helpful because X-rays don't show up soft tissue problems (cartilage tears, etc).

Things that really helped me when I was in pain: non weight bearing physio to strengthen gluteus and core muscles, avoiding uneven ground, heat packs and ice packs to reduce inflammation.

It's also worth going back to GP and asking to see a pain consultant. Usually a long wait but mine was sympathetic and gave me some good pain relief options.

Good luck. Hope you aren't in too much pain over Christmas. Have a good one .

Have you heard of a labral tear? It could explain your symptoms. It sounds like an appointment with a specialist hip surgeon could be useful.

Here's a link with some info on labral tears...
www.mayoclinic.com/health/hip-labral-tear/DS00920
You'll fund more sites if you're interested.

They can coexist with hip dysplasia. If you have one, you'll need a medic with specialist hip knowledge to pick up on it. Unfortunately they're not well known and don't show up on x-rays. If you have one, certain movements should be avoided. Sit with your bum higher than your knees, never below. Build up your glutes as advised for hip dysplasia above.

If you're desperate, even if you see a consultant privately, you can then go on their nhs must once diagnosed. (assuming you're in the UK.)

Good luck.

Hmmmm not sure if that's it.

It continues to get worse. I can't bend to pick something up, climb the stairs or lift a heavy weight without pain. And if I move wrong in bed then I can't straighten my leg at all.

Randomly walking around Tesco the other night, it suddenly kicked in. The fix is to sit down and re-stand. Usually, that sorts it as whatever is catching/being aggravated/whatever is no longer bothered once I'm in a new position.

Except there is nowhere to just sit down and re-stand up when in the middle of the freezer aisle. Arse! I lifted my knee to bring my leg up and simulate a sitting position for just that leg as that has helped before. Agony! Not only did I look like an idiot, but I yelped in pain. And then spent 3 aisles hobbling around until I could find a position to help it out.
Fedup.com

I've made an appt with my lovely GP for next Thurs. Hopefully that's enough time for the physio to have sent my bouncing-you-back-to-the-GP-as-we-have-no-idea letter. Mind you, they sent me to the physio in the first place as they had no idea.

I shall be pushing for a referral to the muscular/skeletal as the physio mentioned to me, whether it is in the letter or not.

Had horrendous bursitis about 13 years ago (about the time that my thyroid packed up, but didn't know it) the physios tried everything and were going to suggest the last resort of steroid injections. There final treatment was radio waves - so I spent several half-hours lying down with a cone-shaped thing pointed at the outside of my thigh (and trying not to fall asleep). It worked brilliantly, and I was bursitis-free until about 2 years ago.

Worth a try asking if this treatment is available from your physio - mine was done at the local nhs physio. Unfortunately for me, I've moved country, and don't know what the treatment's called in French (but it's on my mental list for 2013).

What does bursitis feel like, tb? They've suggested it (and steroid injections), but I don't know if it matched my symptoms.

I have an appt Thurs, so will see what they say!