Hip pain - osteoarthritis

[Notsomethingarenad]

Have appointment at msk clinic in a few days. Pretty sure I have osteoarthritis in one hip.
Symptoms - fine when resting but an ache in mid to outer hip when walking ( only when foot performing walking motion, has weight going through it)) . I’m 56.
can walk fine, no limp.
Am I likely to get diagnosed on the spot at the clinic? The appointment is with a physiotherapist.

Diagnosis for both myself and my mum only came after x-ray

I would think it unlikely I’m afraid, at least if your experience is like mine. It took years, and multiple cycles of physiotherapy referrals (which started to feel like a delaying tactic by the end) before I had to insist (and I’m not normally the insisting kind) on an X-ray. That showed stage four OA - no cartilage left at all. The only option at that point was a THR.
I hope very much it’s different for you.

I had similar symptoms. It was gluteal tendonopathy, it's quite common around menopause, I saw a physio and did a lot of glute strengthening exercises and it is now pretty much resolved.

@SkipAd @NotnowMavis maybe things have changed recently then as nhs & other sites indicate that an X-ray isn’t normally needed to diagnose..

II was told I had bursitis when I had hip pain a couple of years ago - it took ages to go but did and I’m fine now.

You will need imaging to diagnose, but it won’t change the treatment at this point so they may not do any. They will treat your symptoms and try and do things to increase your mobility, strength and flexibility maybe. Cycling, swimming and walking in the water may all help. They will do an assessment and then determine what they think might be going on, they might do imaging, they might signpost you to someone else, but these days they’ll probably give you some exercises to do, see you in six weeks and discharge you to carry on on your own until you can’t manage at all and then they will do something. It’s all a bit limited these days.

I had my hip replaced last year. My mum this year.
Until I was x-rayed I was treated with physio for suspected bursitis.

Thanks for all the comments. Just seen this on thre nhs website

If your hip is massively stiff, you have pain in your groin and buttock, difficulty in mobilising and doing things like putting on socks and getting out of the car, and it’s making grinding or clicking noises then most medics would say you had OA. But no one is putting you on the list for a replacement without imaging.

@FurForksSake it’s nowhere near that bad as I put in my OP

I was just responding to the diagnosing without imaging.

To answer your question, in my experience, with those symptoms, I would be surprised if you were diagnosed on the spot with OA by a physiotherapist.

Thanks everyone- just interested to hear what the process is.

My GP sent me for am X-ray and it just appeared on my notes.