Early left hip problem becoming more annoying...should I ask for another xray?

[KB53]

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.

 

[Mojo333]

and welcome to the forum.
First let me say, Josephine has been on a sabbatical dealing with a knee revision recovery so not sure when she would be able to review the xray. Certainly you can ask the OS what he sees ...
Honestly I didn't know exactly what I was looking at when my OS explained it to me.

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.

Boy oh boy. This sounds alot like my situation four years or so before I finally got a diagnosis of OA in both hips.
Most of my symptoms seem to present as lower back and it took many years of misdiagnosis before getting the hips in the picture.
I had hips replaced at age 53.
If I would've known years before, would I have decided to go ahead with surgery? Really can't say honestly! But it did get increasingly worse...less mobility and absolutely impossible to get comfortable to sleep so I was fairly destitute and ready to get Something done by the time they got it figured out.

I managed...work a very physical job with lots of walking and lifting which probably aggravated things, but now I'm back to my active life and feel 20 years younger.

 

[Mojo333]

I DO know that the protocols of PT and pain management were useless for really bad hips...I went through all of it.

Meanwhile, I'll give you the pre-op reading for people having their hips replaced.

If you are at the stage where you have joint pain but don't know for sure if you are ready to have surgery, these links may help:
Score Chart: How bad is my arthritic hip?
Choosing a surgeon and a prosthesis
BMI Calculator - What to do if your surgeon says you're too heavy for joint replacement surgery
Longevity of implants and revisions: How long will my new joint last?

If you are at the stage where you are planning to have surgery but are looking for information so you can be better prepared for what is to come, take a look at these links:
Recovery Aids: A comprehensive list for hospital and home
Recliner Chairs: Things you need to know if buying one for your recovery
Pre-Op Interviews: What's involved?

And if you want to picture what your life might be like with a replaced hip, take a look at the posts and threads from other BoneSmarties provided in this link:
Stories of amazing hip recoveries

 

[Jaycey]

@KB53 If you are having problems with that hip I would suggest you get an up to date x-ray. Any surgeon can take a look and quickly confirm the changes between your 2017 x-ray and a current one.

Or do I just wait until it's worse, and it's more painful, debilitating, etc.

In my experience this is not a good approach. If your hip needs replacing (sounds like it does) get the op done as soon as you can. Waiting impacts other areas of your body. The longer you wait - the longer and more complicated the recovery.

 

[Eman85]

And then there's me..I'm more of a wait it out and weigh the options kind of guy. My x rays looked nothing like yours, my femur balls were no where in the pelvis as nicely or even as round as yours. I had never heard of a hip collapse so I just went on with my original equipment until I decided it was time.

 

[leejaa]

I would definitely get new x-rays and consult with orthopedic hip surgeon and gather information. My x-rays according to radiologist showed only mild to moderate arthritis and yet I could not sit or walk without evil pain or bend over. Could not put socks on without aid from a tool used for after hip replacement and life became extremely limited. The last hip started with some groin pain as I was using my recumbent bike and progressed quickly to increased pain and limitations. For me the pain extended down the leg to the ankle and I had knee pain which I knew was not arthritis since it had been replaced in 2013. I knew what to expect as this was my second hip and last time it took about a year to get the right diagnosis. I went to my OS. Saying all of the above, I am not saying go have surgery - that is a very personal decision but I do agree the longer you wait the more limitations on your life you might experience. I would go see the OS, read more here and gather information and figure out what is important to you. Do remember that you really do not have to wait to be in excruciating pain to have surgery. Once you decide on a surgeon, find out what his waiting time is for surgery scheduling - mine is rather busy and schedules about 5m out so there is a wait involved.

 

[VSlowLife]

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 is an awful lot of cumulative pain situations, IMHO. When it got to the point of pain putting on my sock or shoe, I knew I had better do something soon and take a fresh look at surgeons/techniques.

I had waited and I do not want to wait too long, because life is limiting enough. I agree with Leeja.

 

[CricketHip]

Hi @KB53 and welcome to BoneSmart.. I am sorry you are dealing with a couple different issues.. it gets frustrating and confusing, doesn't it?
I was treated for several years for low back pain.. the Dr's were positive that my hip pain was referred pain from my spine.. then one day, a Dr decided I should get my hips x-rayed. Boy did things change quickly after that! I went from thinking it was a bad back issue to being told that I needed a THR.

Then I worried and fretted that I would get my hip replaced and the pain would still continue and then where would I be? I can honestly say that my back hasn't ever felt better.. the hip was causing a good bit of my symptoms.

So, based on that, I would ask for another picture of the hip and see what it looks like now. If you read around on the forum you will find that sometimes the x-rays don't show the full extent of arthritis and damage to the joint. Especially since you are experiencing more limitations with your range of motion, etc.

Good luck and I hope you hang around here on the forum and read other recovery threads, plus would love it if you could update us as you make your decision on whether to get another x-ray.

 

[Going4fun]

I don't think you want to take that "ten years" comment literally. The surgeon clearly noticed something that caught their attention.

Yes, go get the hip X-rayed ... That throbbing night pain that you describe--oh yes, I remember that ... that was a turning point for me. I knew the surgery was coming when the night throbbing came.

Some people have the surgery earlier than others. I didn't want til I was immobile to have the surgery. I got it right when the pain really was interfering with my ability to exercise.

 

[MsJunebug]

My hip X-ray went from showing minimal arthritis this last July to severe within 3 agonizing months. It was then another 30 day wait to see my OS (who ordered the first xray) and then the next available surgery date was 3 months out (typical with good surgeons). I’m finally having my THR 4 days from today and at this point I can barely walk, have to use my hands to lift that leg to get into the car and our bed, husband has to assist with putting on my shoe, major pain all the way to my knee at night, every night. I haven’t been able to walk pain-free since early last spring.

My other hip looks as bad but is not currently bothering me. I will never let it get to this point again. Physical therapy made my hip much worse and I’m a big believer in PT. This was the first time, after ten years of basically annual PT for other issues, that it didn’t help and made things worse. The problem is your hip can deteriorate quickly but the process of getting appointments, surgical date, etc. can be very long.

 

[BruceH]

I'm with the "sooner rather than later" camp.

Like you I can still walk and do some exercise but it hurts. Mostly it hurts after and I have become more limited on what I can do as time goes on. For instance I haven't been able to play golf since July which is when I started PT. PT only made the hip pain worse. I understand the feeling like your leg is falling out of socket, pain when sitting, trying to sleep, etc. It's all familiar and it doesn't get better as time goes on.