My husband's right hip pain, what to do?

Cementless

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I have just started to read the threads on the hip replacement website. I probably should start my on thread concerning my husband who is 72 yrs. old. Our PCP has diagnosed him with R. Trochanteric bursitis and he does have psoriatic arthritis. He is not good about taking NSAIDS. A regular hip X-ray did not show bone on bone. I guess I should make him an appointment with my OS that did my L TK revision but he is not ready. It hurts for him to get up out of a chair. This has been going on for a couple of years but worse lately. I have also noticed during the last couple of years he shuffles his feet but does not have Parkinson. He has some balance issues and this may be how he walks to compensate for the pain. Scared to think about how to go about handling this situation.

The PCP gave him some PT exercises to do but he is not compliant. When he has done them, it seems to make his hip worse.

Cementless
 
I’m sorry to hear about your husband. I guess there’s not much you can do until he’s ready to look further into his hip.

A thread here is a good way to get some info.
 
Here is a copy of the hip pre op information for you.
Make the appointment for a consultation after the first of the year if your husband is agreeable.

Here is a copy of the Hip Pre Op information.
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
 
@pumpkin, how do you measure hip flexion, abduction, ext rotation, adduction?
 
I would have him meet with a surgeon. Until you have a diagnosis you really can't formulate a plan. If his hip is not bone on bone then he might need other treatment. Bottom line - waiting is only going to have an impact on other areas as he is already experiencing.
 
I agree with all of the above. I’d make him an appointment with an orthopedic surgeon to get his view and recommendation. It sounds like his activity is severely limited and that is not good so you should encourage him to look for answers. When he senses your concern and worry he may be more open to looking into the situation further to give you some peace of mind. Some men can be stubborn at times though so hopefully he isn’t one of those. :hairpulling: This forum is a wonderful place for tips and advice so please feel free to ask questions and share any frustrations you may have. There is always someone around to offer help and support. Wishing you a positive outcome :flwrysmile::yes!::flwrysmile:
 
@GrannyC, I am afraid he is one of those stubborn men! He gets angry when it comes to his health. He had radiation for prostate surgery in April of 2014 and his PSA is slowly rising again. Still within the acceptable range but needs to be checked every 6 months. All the hormone therapy before and after his radiation has caused osteopenia. Having another issue like the hip just causes more issues/anger. I think he needs to have a whole body bone scan but they don't do it until his PSA gets to be 1.0. I may ask his PCP to at least order a MRI of his R hip so we can have better information to take to the OS (when he decides to go to the OS). I was not impressed with the regular X-Ray. His PCP put him on Meloxicam 15 mg. which did help while he took it. He was gaining weight on it so he quit. She wants to try Celebrex next but he doesn't want to try it. He was taking Aleve for awhile which helped with the pain but he is concerned about side effects and liver damage. He does like to have a glass of wine one to three times a week. He is not overweight: 5' 10 " and active. We live on 20 acres and he is off and on a tractor often which aggravates his hip.
 
@Cementless Your husband is a few years younger than mine with similar traits so I completely understand. Any nagging probably won’t work but you know better than we do as you are there. As far as getting an x-ray ahead, I have found that almost all orthopedic offices have x-rays right there and they do them as part of your visit so I’ve never had to get one ahead of time. They would also know the views the OS wants. Perhaps his PCP could refer him to an OS?? Would that work.? It may be good he keeps active as sitting around all the time might not be the best thing for him. I know my husband gets a bit down when he can’t do all the things he used to do. Mine has osteoporosis and a compression fracture in his back that often bothers him as I don’t think it has ever completely healed. I’m definitely not a medical person so please realize these are just my thoughts based on what I’ve seen with my husband. Also, when I asked about my own osteoarthritis, dr told me to stay active. You said your husband has bursitis so I don’t know about that and activity.

I understand your frustration though because when he compensates for the pain, he is just upsetting another joint and possible creating new problems for himself. Maybe if you could have a private talk with his PCP, you could express your concerns and ask the PCP for help in leading your husband in the right direction. Just another thought. Sending positive thoughts your way for a successful resolution to all this for you and your husband...
 
@GrannyC, I think I have my husband convinced to see an OS. He has briefly tried Meloxicam 15 mg which helped but the side effects of being spaced out and gaining weight (bloated feeling) made him stop. He is now trying Celebrex 200 mg once a day but it only last for 12 hrs. and his PCP does not want him to take it twice a day because of long term side effects. I am going to make him an appointment with a good local OS that is close by for a diagnosis and he can get x-rays, an MRI, and PT all in the same building. If he would require a hip replacement then he would go to the OS that did my LTK revision which is further away. At least we would have a diagnoses and x-ray/MRI reports to take to my OS who is an expert OS in hips and knees!

I am concerned about the does and don'ts during the recovery phase. He sits is his recliner at least 8-10hrs. a day!!! He sat on the floor yesterday taking the Christmas tree apart and could hardly get up. The pain in his hip was terrible. He was OK once he got up and moved about. He has trouble crossing his leg to tie his shoes. Also, it hurts for him to do leg exercises (straight leg raises, side raises), so he doesn't do them. Thoughts?
 
He sits is his recliner at least 8-10hrs. a day!
Nothing wrong with using a recliner. Many new hippies find a recliner much more comfortable than a bed in the first few weeks. Have him ice and elevate there throughout the day.
He sat on the floor yesterday taking the Christmas tree apart and could hardly get up.
He won't be able to do this early in his recovery. If he has any PT they can show him how to safely get down and up again.
He has trouble crossing his leg to tie his shoes.
Once he is fully recovered he will be able to do this.
Also, it hurts for him to do leg exercises (straight leg raises, side raises), so he doesn't do them.
Good! Why would he be doing these exercises now with a bad hip. They will do nothing except aggravate that bone on bone pain. Plenty of time to exercise once the hip is replaced and fully healed.
 
If he's not ready, he's not ready! I went for the 1 because the timing was right and it got so bad I had lost ROM and it was keeping me up at night. Now granted this was after 50 years. I looked into it back in 85 and waited until last year when I was ready. I still have 1 bad one, it hurts and it's stiff but I'm not ready yet.
Asking someone with a bad hip to do leg raises is cruel. All of the weight of the leg has leverage on the hip which causes great pain. Just lifting your leg off of the floor when sitting in a chair is painful because of the leverage on the joint.
 
@Eman85, my husband is 72 and I think he is ready. Most likely the diagnoses the PCP said, Trochanteric bursitis,
is not the whole picture. I have made him an appointment with the wonderful OS that did my LTK Revision, on Jan, 22. We both have complete faith in the OS!!! His hip does keep him up at night. At 72, need to get one's quality of life back. Why wait?
 
@Cementless I think Jaycee answered all your concerns. I’m sure it probably hurts him to walk which could be why he sits so much. Then when you sit for a while, you get so stiff if you have OA, that it can be difficult to get up. As far as do and don’t after surgery, I believe it mostly depends on the type of hip replacement surgery you have. I had anterior and I had nonrestrictions after surgery except for no bungee jumping! I believe there are a few restrictions with posterior but I don’t know exactly what they are.

I agree with you that it is time for him to get on with his life. My personal opinion is that the longer you wait, the longer your recovery may be. Plus since you are compensating for the painful hip, you may adversely affect another joint and create a new problem for yourself. Yikes! No one needs that. Hips are said to be easier than knees so it may help to remind him of that. It sounds like things are moving in the right direction. Please keep us posted on the results of his OS visit.
 
Thanks all for your replies! Just a little back ground info., when my husband was 6 yrs old, he fell out of a tree and broke his R. arm and his pelvis on the R. side. Could that promote early OA? Just wondering.
 
I have no family history (that I'm aware of) and was diagnosed with endstage OA in both hips at age 53 after suffering for years with back and hip pain.
:shrug:
Just bad luck I guess.
Good news...back to life now.
I slept (um...didn't sleep) in recliner as laying in bed was miserable.
Pretty much any position gets miserable.
Heating pad did soothe a bit!
Hope he is getting this done soon!
Hell be glad he did!
 
Good news. My husband saw my OS and he agreed it is Trochanteric Bursitis (R side). My husband started PT today 2-3 x week for 4-6 weeks. He is using a heating pad regularly now. He has very little OA. The Celebrex 200 mg. once a day is helping too. Since his pain level is around a 4, the OS did not think he needed a cortisone injection at this time. My husband kinda wished he had the injection. Time will tell. We are both feeling relieved. :happydance:
 
:) Hope all eases soon!!
 
Great news. Best wishes all continues to improve.
A great weekend to you both!
@Cementless
 

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