I have just been diagnosed with early mild hip osteoarthritis on my left side after experiencing a gradual increase of pain following cycling and long walks over the past 2-3 years. I have been given exercises to do and told to keep fit and lose some weight. The GP says I can take some Nurofen or Paracetamol when the pain is troublesome.
The problem I have is that I have taken a Christmas Customer Assistant job in a large departmental store just for 3 months. The floor is very hard (concrete with no carpet) and I find short walks back and forth over the 4 hours I am there Monday to Friday to be causing me more pain. I am wondering if an increase in medication would help or should I not be doing anything that increases the pain? Will it make my condition worse if I push on and cover the pain with pain killers? I would appreciate your comments.