OUR resident specialist and NHS GP, Dr Zoe Williams, shares her expert advice.
Today, Dr Zoe helps a reader who suffers from serious pain in their left hip due to osteoarthritis.
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Q) I am a 46-year-old woman and last November was diagnosed with osteoarthritis in my left hip. I’d had a niggling pain for about a year.
I’ve been referred to physiotherapy, in order to keep as mobile as possible.
I have been doing the exercises as prescribed, I walk a lot, as that is the only time my hip doesn’t seem to hurt. I take paracetamol when needed and some supplements.
But over the past three months, I have been in serious pain while sitting and lying down.
I struggle to bend and find it almost impossible to put on shoes.
Climbing stairs is agony. It is beginning to get me down but my GP said that the only way to cure the pain itself is a hip replacement, but that won’t be considered for several more years.
Can you please tell me how to improve things?
A) Someone as young as you can have a hip replacement if severe pain is affecting daily life and treatments (such as medications, injections, or physiotherapy) aren’t helping.
Traditionally, doctors tried to delay hip replacements in younger patients because artificial joints used to wear out faster.
It sounds as though when you last saw the GP the pain was somewhat milder, but since things have escalated, it’s important to be reassessed.
You could ask to be referred to either the orthopaedic team or musculoskeletal team in your area.
They can assess whether you need further imaging, such as MRI to rule out any other causes of your hip pain and they can talk you through your available options for treatment.
