Hello, I was recently told by an Orthopedic Surgeon I would require a total hip replacement. I am 58 and quite surprised and shocked. A gradual increase in pain since last fall led me to my doctor and then a referral to a specialist. He said I was "bone on bone". I have always been active with no particular injury per say that would have led to this. Probably just wear and tear over the years. Just wondering if anyone has tried physiotherapy or other things to put off the need for surgery.
You can try therapy, pain pills, steroid shots and shouting at the moon
If you are bone on bone it Does Not get any better. Get the replacement sooner than later. Good luck
....or homeopathy.
No physio is going to change or improve "bone on bone"...........
Hi akti I'm presuming you had xrays to diagnose this
I was also 58 and bone on bone. Hated going shopping or anything at that point. Had right hip replaced that December, then right hip about 17 months later. This last one was 2 years ago now. While I cannot say I am totally pain free, I am largely without pain. Occasional pain or stiffness I attribute to general aging. Makes a world of difference, get it done as soon as you can!
Sorry, meant left hip was done 17 months later.
My physio therapist wrote a really angry letter to GP for even referring me for physio, after looking at my x-ray, bone on bone and in a lot of pain, only advice he gave me which kept me sane and mobile, was get in a heated pool and gently move about, wonderful, still go swimming?treading water at the local heated pool, also used it post surgery as soon as the GP (different GP) gave me clearance, he was shocked that I was in soooo much pain and instead of referring me to a ortheopedic surgeon had sent me to physio.
Get the surgery done ASAP, from one who knows, I am a double hippie at 60.
I was the same and it was a shock. The surgeon advised me to swim to get stronger in readiness for the operation. I joined a health club and started doing aqua fit then Pilates and yoga as well as some gym workouts. All activities were a bit limited due to the movement restriction in my hip but they did really help me prepare for the op and recover afterwards. My other hip which also has arthritic changes but not yet bone on bone is vastly improved. The exercises help to get the synovial fluid circulating around the joint which eases the pain a lot. So I would recommend you exercise as much as you are able prior to surgery. I had to take strong painkillers to allow me to exercise but it was worth it as I had a really fast recovery and am pain free now. I was able to do a physio circuit training at 2 weeks post op and clinical Pilates at 6 weeks post op. Currently 20 weeks post op and back to all my exercises and feel fit as a fiddle. Good luck
Ann
Was bone on bone and kept hoping it would get better...had a good day every once in awhile..Fought it for over a year and finally gave up and had THR on Jan 16,2018....Best decision i ever made....Just being honest with you.. if it is bone on bone it will not get better. Hoping you decide to do it and get some relief..
I'm afraid you're kidding yourself if you think any type of treatment will make bone on bone any better - basically, as my consultant said to me, your hip is knackered and you need a new one. Yes try to keep moving to keep your muscles toned but get the replacement ASAP. 🚶
That’s interesting. My wife was referred to physio by GP, but a friend who is a hip surgeon in Germany (who’s seen the X rays etc), said “maybe it’s their protocol in the UK but it’s a waste of time.” I think they like to go through all the “conservative” treatments before referring to a surgeon.
I was in pain for years as the cartilage decreased until it was bone on bone. Doctor told me it would never get better. Choices were pain pills or surgery. Less than a week after hearing that, I called to begin the process to have the surgery. Had to wait more than month (needed medical clearance and scheduling for surgery). Best choice I made. After surgery no more hip pain. Recovery was good since I had anterior method so less limitations than other method.
Of course, it does take time for recovery with everyone achieving that at their own pace. I'm so happy I made the surgery decision.
Hello Aktivgrl-
There are a lot of therapies/activities that put off the surgery for a time. A lot depends on your specific condition- if it's osteoarthritis it is not going to get better and the strong odds are that it will get worse. I think one of the ruling symptoms for the decision for THR is pain. When it gets bad enough one has little choice. Before then, deep tissue massage, physical therapy, resistance/weights/machine exercise, yoga, a healthy diet, swimming, walking [if you are able], essentially staying active and moving will have two effects: they will strengthen your hip muscles to give you support for the degraded hip joint but they may also accelerate the wear of the joint. Again, for basically everyone I've encountered dealing with this decision, it has been a rising level of pain and a decreasing ability for movement and function that makes the decision for them. I was diagnosed with severe advanced OA in my left hip and severed OA in my right hip 3 years ago. I limped, had constant pain that interrupted every facet of my life from work to sleep to enjoyment to social activities and for a solid year convinced myself it was primerally a soft tissue issue I could exercise/stretch/ or overcome. It was bad then, it is worse now. My consultation for a second opinion last Friday showed me the x rays- the joint looks like a fistful of wet bread- the joint is barely discernible. The surgeon expressed surprise I'd been walking on it for 3 years. I guess he underestimates my stubbornness and denial. It is a particularly difficult decision for me to make but I know it has to be done for any chance of a return to functionality and a quality of life worth living. Reading through some of the many other cases here with all the complications that can occur is often times discouraging and without any question there are risks to the surgery. When the pain gets bad enough there is no other option except suffering- not much of an option. I've learned a lot reading through a years worth of postings here and spent a great deal of time researching the surgery, the different surgical approaches, the back rounds and experience of several orthopedic surgeons in my area to do the work and the most effective pre operative things I can do to prepare for the surgery. Overall THR is considered the most effective orthopedic surgery performed and is generally rated with a 90-95 % chance of success. There are many people even here- where many if not most come to look for answers on complications or less than successful surgeries- who have had successful outcomes and returned to their lives renewed and without pain. Waiting may or may not be the best choice. Age does not make the surgery or the recovery easier. Thinking about it- age doesn't make much of anything easier. A disadvantage to consider is- if you are losing mobility and the ability to walk/exercise/stay strong, then over the course of even a couple of years you muscle strength will degenerate and you want your muscles to be as strong as possible going in to this surgery- they are one of the best allies you have in recovery. Reading back through this I have to wonder if I'm not trying to convince myself as much as offer some insight to you but your question is not that different than the one I've asked myself for the last couple of years. When I look at it objectively and measure the effect the pain has on my life I realize the decision has been made. Best wishes.
Jim
When my last pre-op x-rays showed my hip was bone on bone, the decision as to when to have the surgery was gone. It had to be done and the sooner the better. Once the cartilage is gone the parts start wearing quickly. Besides, the more it wears, the harder it is to clean out afterward.
I have a British friend who swears by running in a shallow indoor pool
I was only 54 when I saw an orthopaedic surgeon and received the (to me) surprise diagnosis of severe osteoarthritis resulting in bone-on-bone. I had been very active previously and was completely gobsmacked to hear the news. My surgeon (not know for a particularly good bedside manner), then went on to say that I had 2 choices, either I had the operation as soon as possible or I would be in a wheelchair within 12 months!
I can’t describe how shocked I was - I was far too young to need a new hip! Well, apparently not and while I was waiting for the op the pain got worse and worse. I was in pain all the time, my hip kept waking me up, so not only was I in pain, but I could no longer sleep longer than a couple of hours at a time.
I had the op a few weeks after seeing the surgeon and despite being terrified, it really was the best thing I had ever done. As I came round from the op, the first thing I noticed was the lack of pain and I promptly burst into tears - not because of pain but because of the lack of it.
Quite bluntly speaking, if you have bone-on-bone, then there is a one solution and that is a replacement hip. So, put on your big girl’s knickers and go for it.
Best set of luck.
You say the surgeon didn’t have great bedside manner. How better could he have told you?
I am in Australia, public health system similar to England, and too many people on the waiting lists, seems from others I have spoken to that the GP refers them to physio first, you have to go through the steps, to even get a referral, a complete waste of Dr's time and physios time when you are bone on bone.
When I eventually got to see the specialist after nearly 22 weeks of waiting, after my first MRI, ever done, they found my femur had drilled a hole in my pelvis, no wonder I was in pain, specialist got worried at that point, and started digging through file for GP letter, it said I had osteoarthritis of hip joint, no mention of severity, and or hip on point of collapsing completely, specialist told me to fire my GP, In fact he said NEVER go back to him. and booked me for surgery 10 days later, usual wait after first specialist visit can be as much as six months for surgery, it was for 2nd hip replacement, in public hospital as 2nd hip was not rated as urgent as first hip.
I have a great GP now, he does not spare the blood tests, x-rays, refers you to physio, explains the plusses and minuses of treatment, and just a little funny and naughty but never offensive.
Has been instrumental in saving my sons life in the last 3 months, kept pushing the hospital, wrote letters to the hospital, each time turned away, also wrote letters to specialists, in the end admitted when his bloods became dangerously low, in the care of a top haemotogy team, they report direct to son by messaging him his blood results, tell him what drugs to take this week, also copy goes to GP, so hee too can keep a watching brief on my son. Would you believe a dose of glandular fever that knocked out his immune system, and then backed it up with his platelets at zero. apparently only about 5% of glandular fever patients get as sick has he did, on the way to being better now.
Not so much the words, but the way he said it.
It is well known that this surgeon doesn’t have a good bedside manner, however, he is an excellent surgeon which is the main thing.