Ow, my hip!

In My Humble Opinion
1

Last Saturday, I awoke with a strange pain, about midway between my left groin and hip. At first I thought I was getting a hernia, but then the pain moved toward the hip and intensified. Finally, it became an excruciating pain in my left hip, radiating down my leg, to the groin, and over to my back (even my left testicle is sore). It’s a sharp, burning pain that becomes worse, the more I put my weight on it. I can walk for only a few minutes, before being totally overwhelmed by the pain. I’m almost pain-free when sitting down, so I’m sitting a lot. I can’t sleep lying down, since there’s no position that’s pain-free. I’ve slept a little sitting up. My partner applied ice to my hip and massaged the area surrounding it. It helped only temporarily.

I have never had any hip pain before; this came totally out of the blue. I have an appointment tomorrow morning at the Cleveland Clinic. I’m hoping to get a cortisone shot for the pain . . . but that doesn’t addess the actual problem. Hope I don’t need a hip replacement. My partner will have to push me in a wheel chair, from the parking garage to the building my appointment’s in. I really feel my age (69).

2

That sounds awful :frowning: I hope that the doc can figure things out for you quickly!

3

Ugh, that sucks. There was just discussion in another thread about hip surgery. As I mentioned my brother and friend have both had a torn labrum repaired and recovery was crazy.

Although maybe a replacement isn’t as bad. Less delicate than the labrum.

I do know that hip pain sucks. Very hard to get comfortable as you’ve found! Glad you’re going in for, hopefully, some relief now.

4

Crossing my fingers for you. Here’s hoping the shot will do the trick.

5

I’m sorry to hear this. I’m having a weird flare-up of pain in the tailbone area, and it sucks.

I hope this is just a weird inflammatory thing and a cortisone shot sorts you out!

6

I’m sorry for the pain. Please let us know the outcome of your doctor appt.

7

Maybe gout? Less common in the hip, but it happens.

8

I feel for you. :frowning: Recently, I had pain like the pain you describe, if you replace “testicle” by “ovary”. Groin pain, horrid shooting pain down the leg etc. I’d been feeling achy in that area for a while. Diagnosis after tests: arthritis in both my hips and knees. Well, the knees don’t hurt yet, so there! Growing old would be wonderful, except for the aches and pains.

My car has a manual transmission, I love driving, but now handling the clutch pedal is hell. I often have to lift my thigh with my hand(s) through the pain in order to get it on the pedal. It’s not recommended to leave one’s foot on the clutch, so this has to be repeated when I drive anywhere, several times. My days of fun driving may be coming to an end.

9

IANAD

I vote for arthritis, injury or other swelling. It would be very odd for hip degineration to spring up out of the blue like that. Things that precipitate hip replacement, outside of traumatic injury, tend to start small and get worse over time.

10

Does it hurt worse in the hip when you’re walking upstairs. In that case I vote for trochanter bursitis.

It’s an election you don’t want to win, but Physical Therapy fixed me up fine.

11

panache45, I hope your appointment went well, keep us posted.

12

UPDATE:

To add to the hip problem, Tuesday night I acquired the worst lower back spasm of my life, just inches away from my sore hip. I became totally incapacitated. Every little movement - even breathing - set off a new spasm. I had to take a shower Wednesday morning, before going to the doctor, and it was torture.

Wednesday was hell. My partner was unavailable, so I was on my own. Fortunately there were wheel chairs at the Clinic’s parking garage, and I used one all day. I had multiple x-rays of the hip and lower spine, and they showed that the hip itself is relativelay healthy, with a normal amount of cartilage for my age. But the connective tissue surrounding it isn’t so great. This includes a bone spur on the inner surface of the hip bone, digging into the tissue. there are also spinal issues. On top of that, the night before the pain started, I was sleeping in an awkward position (on my side, with feet raised) to deal with a damaged Achilles tendon, and that’s what set everything in motion.

The doctor said a cortisone shot wouldn’t be appropriate, so he prescribed some pain pills (Norco 5-325), which have no effect whatsoever, even with 2 pills. I even tried 3, causing horrible side effects. And I can’t tolerate most pain killers because they’d damage my kidneys. So I’m relying on Aleve, which is inadequate. He said the pain should subside on its own, in time, as long as I avoid sleeping in awkward positions.

I’m scheduled for 2x/week physical therapy, starting in June, for my hip and lumbar region of my spine. I also had to purchase a walker (I guess 69 is the new 85). I was going to get just a simple cheap one, but I need it for sitting as much as walking, so I got a snazzy purple one. I’m also getting a handicap placard for the car. It expires in 5 years, assuming I don’t expire first.

It’s hard getting used to being a handicapped senior, even if the handicap is temporary. I have to learn to do so many things differently. But my two cats are being wonderful; I think they really understand what’s happening.

The silver lining: Since Saturday, I’ve lost about 6 pounds. YAAAY!

I’m so grateful to you guys for all your kind words; it really helps.

13

Oh man, that is a lot to take in at once. And on top of the achilles heel issue!

I hope your partner is around for you this weekend and can help you get through the mundane stuff. And the kitties for everything else.

Good luck, hope therapy helps ASAP.

14

I had spurs in my hip, among other issues. Excercise did help with those, especially riding a stationary bike. Might be worth a try!

15

I’m so sorry, and I bet it will get better with time and physical therapy.

But I think your cats now have you right where they want you.

16

NEW UPDATE:

I didn’t think the pain could get worse, but it has. Last Thursday, May 28th, I was able to see a Pain Management Specialist. After examining me, she showed me a model of the lumbar region of the spine, with all the nerves exiting from between the vertebrae. Apparently two of the vertebrae are crushing the major nerve that leads to my left hip, leg and groin. Whenever I’m not sitting, further pressure is put on that nerve, creating mind-numbing pain. Sitting creates only moderate pressure. She explained to me that nerve pain is entirely different from muscular or joint pain, since the nerve itself is transmitting pain from its own damage.

She can do some cortisone injections, but first has to get approval from my insurance company to get an MRI. This was last Thursday. As of yesterday, the insurance company had not approved it. And the injections may not even work. I thought this would be a matter of seeing the right doctor and getting immediate treatment. I’m now understanding that this is a long-term journey without immediate relief from the pain.

I’m scheduled to begin “Sports Therapy” next Monday, and I have an appointment the following day at the Spine Institute. I just hope I can park close to the building.

It’s amazing how much a life can change, literally overnight. It’s like having been in an accident.

Good news: I continue to lose weight; so far, about 15 lbs. And that’s with virtually zero exercise.

17

If the spine people don’t do this automatically:
Find an orthopedic SURGEON - they know their drugs and are into a “quick-fix” mindset.

My (Internist) PCP wants me to do the PT crap - just the PT doc’s “push here”, “now pull”, “hold your leg down” exam caused more pain than the new, reduced, drug dosage could handle.

And the PT group’s hand-out had most of a full sheet (what we do and do not do) stating that they do not prescribe drugs, will not re-fill an existing drugs, yada yada.

I guess I wait until the spine qualifies for surgery.
Unless the kidneys get me first.

18

I have the same condition, panache45. Unfortunately, I got no relief from cortisone shots. But Gabapentin/Neurontin has made a huge difference in my pain level. It “calms” the nerves, as my neurologist described it. (It’s also used to prevent epileptic seizures.) Ask your doc about it. I’ve had virtually no side effects. Some people feel woozy on it at first, so they’ll start you out at low dosages and increase the level gradually. I went from not being able to walk across the room to being virtually normal for a couple years now.

19

My experience was quite different. The shot did the trick for me, though it wasn’t my hip, but in my neck.

The Neurontin did nothing for me. I was helped some by Vicodin and legal marijuana, but it was still a bad time in my life.

I’m so sorry you’re hurting and sincerely hope you get some relief soon.

20

The first doctor I saw was an orthopedic surgeon. The med he prescribed did absolutely nothing for me. He referred me to my primary doc for something stronger.

My primary doctor prescribed Gabapentin, in 100mg capsules. She said to gradually increase the dosage. I was up to 40 capsules/day (beyond the recommended maximum), with no effect on the pain. It was like taking empty capsules.

I’m scheduled for an MRI for next Thursday (Nobody told me I had to order it myself; I’ve wasted another week of pain).

I’ve actually lost 22 lbs. as of today (in 19 days). This would normally be a very good thing, but it’s for all the wrong reasons.