Hi there.
Male, 44, fit, well, normal BMI.
In mid 2017, I hurt my back playing badminton. Until mid 2017 I played lots of badminton and tennis, 5 times a week or so. Saw a consultant within a 12 weeks for an MRI, who didn't want to operate, as it wasn't severe enough. Turned out I had moved the L5-S1 disc a bit. The disc was touching the sciatic nerve and was causing pain down my left hip, numb toes, etc. Sciatica. Not nice!
He recommended physio, which I did, which didn't help at all. However, the physio at the last session, while referring me back to the consultant, said I should give a cross trainer a go at the gym. This I did, and within 4-6 weeks, I was 90% better, and have improved to the point where I don't notice the back at all.
I've stopped playing racquet sports, as I don't want to hurt my back again, and have substituted this with the cross trainer at the gym, and a little bit of running on a treadmill for variety. I do about 40 mins in total every day, sometimes more if I've been cake munching. Not usually conscious of hip pain during actual exercise.
When I had the MRI in 2017, the consultant, while primarily interested in the back problem, took an xray of my pelvis. He said I'd be looking for a new left hip in around 10 years. I thought any left hip pain at that point was back / disc related, but he could see on the xray early arthritis. After doing some range of motion tests, he said I had lost some movement and strength compared to the right hip.
So, fast forward to now. Left hip hurts (in a minor way) most of the time. Sitting down, lying down, trying to find a position to sleep, I can feel it throbbing. Not agony, but annoying. It hurts putting my left sock on. I can stand up at my desk at work, having been sitting for hours, and it feels like the left hip is 'giving way' a little bit. That sounds a bit over the top, but I don't know how to describe it.
Having read many of the threads on here, I can see I am in no way crippled by this, but is it worth, 2.5 years later, getting another xray done to see if / how much worse the hip is? Or do I just wait until it's worse, and it's more painful, debilitating, etc.
@Josephine : I understand you look at xrays. I have attached the mid 2017 xray for info. I can't really see what caused the consultant to be interested in the left hip, but then I don't know what I'm looking for!
Regards,
KB.
Male, 44, fit, well, normal BMI.
In mid 2017, I hurt my back playing badminton. Until mid 2017 I played lots of badminton and tennis, 5 times a week or so. Saw a consultant within a 12 weeks for an MRI, who didn't want to operate, as it wasn't severe enough. Turned out I had moved the L5-S1 disc a bit. The disc was touching the sciatic nerve and was causing pain down my left hip, numb toes, etc. Sciatica. Not nice!
He recommended physio, which I did, which didn't help at all. However, the physio at the last session, while referring me back to the consultant, said I should give a cross trainer a go at the gym. This I did, and within 4-6 weeks, I was 90% better, and have improved to the point where I don't notice the back at all.
I've stopped playing racquet sports, as I don't want to hurt my back again, and have substituted this with the cross trainer at the gym, and a little bit of running on a treadmill for variety. I do about 40 mins in total every day, sometimes more if I've been cake munching. Not usually conscious of hip pain during actual exercise.
When I had the MRI in 2017, the consultant, while primarily interested in the back problem, took an xray of my pelvis. He said I'd be looking for a new left hip in around 10 years. I thought any left hip pain at that point was back / disc related, but he could see on the xray early arthritis. After doing some range of motion tests, he said I had lost some movement and strength compared to the right hip.
So, fast forward to now. Left hip hurts (in a minor way) most of the time. Sitting down, lying down, trying to find a position to sleep, I can feel it throbbing. Not agony, but annoying. It hurts putting my left sock on. I can stand up at my desk at work, having been sitting for hours, and it feels like the left hip is 'giving way' a little bit. That sounds a bit over the top, but I don't know how to describe it.
Having read many of the threads on here, I can see I am in no way crippled by this, but is it worth, 2.5 years later, getting another xray done to see if / how much worse the hip is? Or do I just wait until it's worse, and it's more painful, debilitating, etc.
@Josephine : I understand you look at xrays. I have attached the mid 2017 xray for info. I can't really see what caused the consultant to be interested in the left hip, but then I don't know what I'm looking for!
Regards,
KB.