I have back pain so bad when I first wake up that I can’t move until I’ve had a long hot bath. So I don’t know what I should do, choose which pain is worse? I know I need hip replacement surgery because it’s extremely painful but it’s kind of like choosing sides, any alternatives here?
Hi Karen I really feel for you. I have had extreme back pain now for about 2 years, so bad unable to walk for more than 2-3 minutes. I have had MRI and also X-rays on my hips. I was told both my hips needed replacing which hopefully would alleviate my back pain. My back showed wear in my lower back but was told they could not do anything for my back until my hips were replaced as this may help! I have now had both hips replaced, last one 2 wks ago.... my back is still as bad if not worse...
have you been diagnosed with back problems or is your pain 100% generated from your hips? It's such a hard call isn't it because you just want to get rid Of the pain.... I like you have hot baths and I then use cold gel pads at night which helps abit. Pain s awful, sent it Karen, unfortunately I can't help with offering you alternatives or help what to do, but I send you my sympathy and best wishes x
Hi karen
Poor you hun that sounds horrible. I had my right hip done 5 months ago and since then I've had back issues., mainly due to leg length difference. Its something you need to really think about... Talk to your consultant and get proper advise. Xx
Hi Karen
It could well be that your hip issues are actually causing your back pain.
Also worth considering - how strong is your core? A weak core can also lead to back pain, especially on waking.
I had some back pain on waking before I had my first THR, but my hip was the main problem. My hip had deteriorated so badly that when I moved in my sleep, the pain was so great that it woke me up (usually with a groan).
Once I had had the op and was able to strengthen my core, the back pain went.
Good luck with whatever you choose.
Hi Karen are you saying your hips aren't to painful or that they are but back is worse, have you been given a difinative diagnoses with your back as Chloe said, hips can give horrendous referred pain that actually eases when you have hip replacement.
Also if they can't do anything about the back then going for the hip replacement makes sense because at least you will be able to be more active and that in itself can help back pain, I have degenerative back problems and RA but exercise really helps especially first thing in the morning to get me moving, I need left hip replacement so know about referred pain but that's another story, but find out what test results show for your back first then you can make an informed decision
Depends on what is causing your pains. Osteoarthritis won't go away on it's own, and can cause other pains.
I had a terrible pain in my lower back, and all the way down both thighs, which disappeared suddenly a day before my replacement hip disintegrated ....
Could it be the problem with your hip is causing both pains? All the muscles are so interconnected that it's very difficult even for a doctor to diagnose correctly.
Best wishes
Graham
Hi karen,
At my 6 week check up the doctor said I had damage to the back from the hip. As I had limped around for a good 5 years with hip pain, I expect a damaged back is the price paid. At 15 weeks post op I have noticed the back is getting slightly worse especially on standing from sitting, I will restart pilates and hope to strengthen the back as it may be more painful from not exercising fully.
I was told if I needed surgery on my hip and also my back to always go for hip surgery first. As the others say if you have osteoarthritis in your hips they will not get better and probably will get worse. I got to the point where I was in a wheelchair and could not leave the house. They reckon hip surgery is one if the most successful operations in the world today. Once you get your hips sorted out it is then easier to sort out what the other problems are as at least you have discounted one problem.
Can I ask where do you live? It is just that if you want hip replacement on the NHS it can take quite a while waiting nowadays.
Karen,
I don't know if this will apply to you but it's worth discussing with your orthopedist. I've had degenerative OA in both hips- left was far worse- and residual lower back pain on the left side. I had my friend ask her spinal surgeon for a recommendation for a hip surgeon and his 1st response was who I had researched and more or less settled on. When I first consulted with the hip surgeon about hip surgery and mentioned the back pain he told me without hesitation the spinal surgeon would insist the hip be done first prior to any spinal surgery. Kind of makes sense because as invasive as hip surgery is spinal is more so. I'm sure there are multiple other medical/anatomical reasons why this would be so. This is a conversation you need to have with the orthopedic surgeon you have researched well, understand his success rate and experience and who you feel you cant trust to do the best possible surgery you can receive. As a side note, one of the necessary steps I need to take several times a day while I am recovering from surgery is while doing my PT, prior to doing the bridges, I do a set of abdominal crunches first. Contracting those muscles stretch the back muscles and doing the bridges then stretch the abdominal muscles. Most doctors will tell you the abdominal are the "frontal spine". If they are weak you will be prone to back problems. I would recommend to a friend in your situation that they do a set of crunches 3 times a day for a week followed by bridges. Nothing extreme- do them very gently and only as far and as strong as you are comfortable but most importantly do them every day and do not give yourself an excuse to skip them. Try to do them a little better every day. Evaluate how you feel at the end of the week. If you feel improvement, even minor improvement, you will only be doing yourself a favor by continuing because if you do go in for surgery you will want to be in the best physical condition that you can be and abdominal strength is essential to back strength and good recovery. Best of luck.
Hi Angel, yes I have horrible back problems and was told I probably need five maybe six more surgeries, I’ve already had two. But my doctor told me they wouldn’t do any because it could do more damage than good. I have three ruptured discs, two bulging discs, severe narrowing of the spinal column and osteopedia which thank goodness is not quite osteoporosis. My doctor summed it up saying your back is a mess.
So you’ve just had the surgery, how are you? Doing good I hope!
Thank you.
My goodness what a mess I’m sorry! Thank you.
Thank you so much! I’ve had back problems for years and the hip pain is new, my goodness I wish they could just fix it all at once!
Actually my hip pain is much worse, and as if both of those aren’t enough I now am having pain on my right rear that I thought was from hip pain but found out it’s sciatica. I feel like I’m being attacked! Like what I’m sure everyone goes through- I AM ABSOLUTELY TERRIFIED AT THE THOUGHT OF HAVING THIS SURGERY!! I live alone and that’s scary, but more than anything I just horribly dread the thought of recovery and making mistakes that will cost me.
Thank you.
I wish my pain would disappear!! If you read above I’ve had many problems with my back for years, I get pain shots regularly that don’t always work. I am terrified at the thought of recovery, my gosh all the stuff I’ve read about it! It seriously makes me want to bear the pain but if you all can convince me maybe??? How long did it take for you to accept having the surgery done?
Thank you.
See what you’re going through is discouraging- do you regret having it done?
Thank you.
“One of the most successful surgeries,” now see that’s encouraging. I’m so confused lol!
Tell me how bad the pain is after surgery, and how long it lasts please, I’m ALMOST accepting the fact that I need the surgery- but I’m not there yet lol.
Thank you.
I live in Arkansas, surgery will be in Little Rock. The surgeon supposed to do it spent years at the Mayo Clinic.
Just last night I saw online how good exercise is before surgery! But so far as far as I’ve gotten on it is thinking about it, goodness I hurt but I will do it- thank you very much! A few years ago I was in extremely unbearable pain, OMG it was sickening I hurt so bad. Then one day I made myself get up and start walking, it wasn’t easy I had to walk up a hill to go anywhere. To shorten a long story I got to where I walked from one to three miles a day- WITH NO PAIN! And my doctor explained it to me. When you build muscles in your back- I left that out that’s where I was hurting- when you build the muscles then the strain goes on the muscles- not on your spine that was causing all the pain and misery! But... now with my hip pain sadly I can’t walk like that anymore and now the back pain is coming back. Not like it was thank God, I can never let that happen again. Thank you!
For me there was no real option, pain, or have a new hip.
When you have pain, it seems almost no-one can understand just how bad it can be, and how life limiting it is.
My first surgeon put my hip components in incorrectly, and I had revision to correct it, and that failed.We brought a case against them for the pain and suffering we had endured, which was settled a couple of months ago. Then I suddenly had the back pain, and 2 weeks ago the back pain went just before the hip went BANG as it disintegrated.
I'm off to RNOH today (not where the original was done) to get it sorted once-and-for-all, hopefully having my operation Wednesday.
Best wishes
Graham