HIP PAIN

December 4, 2002

Hi Dana,

I just went back and read some of your past posts. Ha, I put socks

on the same way as you. Right hip is almost getting too bad to do it

at all though. I'm thinking of buying a sock aid.

Have you had an x-ray of your hips to confirm the arthritis? Do you

have any cartilege left? Are you taking any pain medicine or anti-

inflammatories?

My situation is a little different from most people. My hip problems

came first (I was born with deformed hips). Scoliosis came next (age

5?), then fusion with Harrington Rods at age 17. Right hip started

to hurt at around age 30 when I got pregnant. Hip arthritis

progressed til it was bone on bone (no cartilege left) about a year

ago. I've been going to hip doctors for that for the past four years

and now am trying to choose one to do a hip replacement. For years I

thought my leaning forward and inability to stand for long periods of

time was all caused by my hip arthritis. A saavy person from a hip

replacement internet support group suspected flatback earlier this

year, and I went to a spine doctor who confirmed it. We've pretty

much come to the conclusion I should have the hip replacement before

the flatback revision surgery. Anti-inflammatories have made it

possible for me to function on a very basic level for like 11 years,

but I'm ready for surgery now, as my hip range of motion, mobility

and ability to stand and walk much really suck now.

There is a decent hip replacement support group on the web called

Totally Hip. Be forewarned that people on it are quite opinionated

on the various types of materials available for hip prostheses.

There are some very lively discussions, plus a lot of caring and

knowledgable people. There's at least one or two people from Utah

that belong to that site. If you post your location and ask for hip

ortho doctors names, you might get some responses. The support group

members' email addresses are also listed on the site, which is nice,

if you are inclined to email people directly instead or also.

Fortunately most cities have a bunch of doctors who can do hip

replacement. Sounds like you are familiar with the process of

picking one you can trust. If you get any good information about how

spinal surgeries affects the hips or vice versa, I'd appreciate your

sharing it.

I can't remember if you've said which doctor did your flatback

revision surgery. You were fortunate to find one without the benefit

of the internet. I'm glad to hear that you are generally pleased

with the outcome of your flatback revision surgery. I feel desperate

a good deal of the time, as I think many people with medical problems

do.

Take care, and good luck with the hip problems.

loriann

September 2, 2003

Hi -

Hip pain many times is caused by a disorder called acetabular dysplasia in

which your femur does not " fit " exactly into your hip sockets or either your hip

sockets are too shallow. Many times hip problems often cause knee problems

due to the femur not fitting into the socket then the IT band gets stretched

too tight which then pulls on various parts of your knee.

An x-ray can show this or your orthopedic surgeon can do a simple test to

determine this. Hip strengthening exercises can help the pain too. I do some

at PT in which I lay on my side and lift my top leg up and down which helps

the IT band. Also, IT band stretches are helpful - sitting indian style,etc.

Also, lay on your stomach and extend your leg straight up- this works your

gluteus muscles and your hip. There's a special nautilus machine that is just

for

hips also- adduction, abduction,etc.

hope this helps! Margaret

September 2, 2003

My Doctor warned me that if I contiued walking with a limp it would affect my

other hip. And now it has, and I was just wondering if there is really

anything she could do about it if I went to see her.

September 2, 2003

I'm waiting on workers comp to approve my surgery, torn meniscus, subluxed

patella and chondromalacia. I'm only 30, I don't think they would replace my

knee.

September 2, 2003

Well, I'd say ice it whenever you get through walking, and try those hip

strengthening exercises (on both legs) I posted last week (if you can't find

them, I can send them to you). Can you see a PT? You're probably using

muscles that you weren't using before and s/he could identify them & give

you more exercises specific to those muscles.

Are you " old enough " for a knee replacement? Or would your insurance pay

for a kneecap " replacement " (they replace the backside of the kneecap and

the trochlea) by the guy in NY? (I can give you the link to his site. I

think I posted this today here but am not sure.)

Ann

Hip Pain

> I'm begining to get pain in the hip of my good leg from limping on my

> bad leg. Does anyone know if theres anything that can be done for the

> hip pain?

> Thanks,

>

September 3, 2003

Just thought I would respond to this a little....I have had my left knee

scoped, I know at some point in my life both of my knees will need to be

replaced. About a year ago my right hip started to hurt, I am seeing one of

the top hip specialist in the world at this present time....just a visit or

standard x-ray will not determine a bone or joint problem with your hip. I

have had both a CT scan, arthrogram/MRI to see what is wrong with my hip. I

have a hip impingement, two small labral tears, and a bone cyst which is

pretty normal however mine is lower than he thinks it should be.

Fortunately for me he has a colleage that he confers with to find out what

they think is the best approach. Because of my age, he calls me a tweener,

I am in my early forties - to old to be aggressive and fix it, and way to

young for a replacement. My sister just underwent surgery to correct her

hip impingement, by dislocating her femur, rotating the femur, cleaning off

the bone spurs that formed around the femoral head. Hopefully it will be her

fix for life, but she has a strong possibility at some point of a

replacement, but this should come in her later years, she is in her late

30's.

Just a few thoughts.

Mona

Re: Hip Pain

Hi -

Hip pain many times is caused by a disorder called acetabular dysplasia in

which your femur does not " fit " exactly into your hip sockets or either your

hip

sockets are too shallow. Many times hip problems often cause knee problems

due to the femur not fitting into the socket then the IT band gets stretched

too tight which then pulls on various parts of your knee.

An x-ray can show this or your orthopedic surgeon can do a simple test to

determine this. Hip strengthening exercises can help the pain too. I do

some

at PT in which I lay on my side and lift my top leg up and down which helps

the IT band. Also, IT band stretches are helpful - sitting indian

style,etc.

Also, lay on your stomach and extend your leg straight up- this works your

gluteus muscles and your hip. There's a special nautilus machine that is

just for

hips also- adduction, abduction,etc.

hope this helps! Margaret

September 3, 2003

Yeah, knee replacement is in the stone age. There's a new material they've

begun using (zirconium) but not all doc use it yet. Of course, they've been

using it in Europe for 20 years.

Ann

Re: Hip Pain

> I'm waiting on workers comp to approve my surgery, torn meniscus, subluxed

> patella and chondromalacia. I'm only 30, I don't think they would replace

my

> knee.

>

May 27, 2004

On May 27, 2004, at 11:59 AM, Larry Steneck wrote:

> Actually it is

> probably not the hip but the large bone at the top of the leg below

> the hip.

> Now that bone is very sore and the pain goes down my leg.

This sounds like sciatica which can be caused by many different things,

from a tight piriformis muscle to nerve compression from too much

sitting to inflammation of the nerve from a degenerating lumbar disk to

any number of other things.

The key is that you mention the pain as radiating down the leg from a

source in the buttock. I have problems with this myself. It goes all

the way into my foot.

Depending on the cause, massage, physical therapy, appropriate

stretching, epidural injections, surgery etc are all different ways to

approach what is causing the symptom. You might want to ask your

internist to refer you to a neurologist or a sports medicine doctor or

a pain specialist.

good luck

mike

-----------

Mike Rock

http://www.mike-rock.com

Feyrie Artwork - http://www.cafeshops.com/mojomike

May 27, 2004

Hi Larry, I've had bursitis in my hip. If someone bumped my foot the pain

seemed to shoot up to my hip. I had a cortisone injection and it took care of

the problem. Also we got a memory foam pad for the bed. Hope you feel better

soon. You should get it checked out especially if you have been taking

cortisone often. Cortisone can cause death of the bone of the hip joint.

Kay

June 20, 2004

Hi Larry,

Rena here. I have had the same for a few years now... they add to the diag

almost daily....I won't bore you with the list. I had an injection of

cortisone and I want to say something like lidocaine. It was absolute heaven for

about

a day or so. Not worth it. Vioxx has been the only thing to stop the sciatic

pain...I tried EVERY drug possible. Am now on too many meds to name here, but

the main helpers are vioxx, neurontin and methadone. NONE of which work,

however, without something for deep sleep...currently on restoril.

Hope any of that helps. Only God and the others on this list know of this

pain...God bless. r

May 2, 2005

Deb,

As you note...this is not medical advice or a substitute for it!

Are you sure it is your sacro-illiac joint that is the source of

your pain? I ask because when my L-5 disc started to let " go " the

first symptoms were vaguely " deep hip/buttock " ...and over a fairly

short period of time became intense neuropathic pain which was the

compression of L-5 nerve root causing problems downstream where that

nerve travels trough the piriformis muscle....causing it to spasm

constantly. A big " ouchie " . The interior attachment of the

piriformis is near the sacro-illiac joint...the exterior attachment

is in the area I think of as my " hip " . The sciatic pain/tingling

traveled down to the foot eventually.

Exercise never decreased this pain, walking made it worse...pool

work seemed okay.

I believe there are methods of attempting to pin point the pain,

which may lead to a better method of treatment for you.

I know for us " revisees " the sacro-illiac joint is the last shock

absorbing joint and we should use care in not over-taxing those

joints, when/if possible. Dr. Rand indicated that rarely he has had

to fuse those as well.

You probably should pose your question to a qualified doctor, if

possible. Cam

> Hello, Feisty Friends!

>

> I know none of you is my doctor and most of us are not health

> professionals, so I am asking this question just for anecdotal

> information to help me decide what I could do . . .

>

> Several years ago I started with a lot of pain in my sacro-iliac

> joint, which got somewhat better with PT and a great deal of

> revision of my daily activities. It comes and goes and I can make

> the joint " slip-out " by stretching it too far (such as by leaning

> forward while sitting or bending over to pick up something).

>

> OK, so here's my question. I have this pain again - VERY lowgrade

> compared to bad days with it - but it has lasted for many weeks. I

> wake up with it and feel it sometimes throughout the day. I have

> continued to exercise - water aerobics, swimming, recumbant bike,

> elliptical trainer - hoping that if I strengthen other muscles it

> will help this go away and/or lessen, etc. BUT, am I hurting

myself

> by continuing to exercise?

>

> Thanks!

>

> Deb M.

August 2, 2005

>I've had hip pain since 2003. First it was near the greater

>trochanter, and they were saying bursitus. Later that did disappear

>but i have pain near the front of the hip. Kind of in the hip flexor

>area.

Try this exercise for that: stand with the leg of the painful side in back,

feet a few ft apart like you're going to do a lunge. Then, standing erect,

rotate your pelvis " backward " (top of pelvis moves back, bottom moves

frontward). Hold for 20 sec. Repeat, etc. I had a tight -- well, whatever the

tendon is that connects one of the thigh muscles to the pelvic floor -- and

thought I was going to have that pain forever, but a PT told me to do this

exercise and it worked. And I haven't done it for a year at least.

Ann

August 2, 2005

This is very timely for me. Because my treatment was put off for so long, I got

a secondary problem (the first being back problem and CP in my knees). The

secondary problem was diagnosed as hip bursitis from walking with a strange gait

for years while they put off helping me. The pain that goes with that is

*terrible.* I got two corisone shots a couple weeks ago but that does not seem

to accomplish anything accept helping my stride to be a little better. I will

check with my doctor and see if this exercise is okay for me to do. I can't

believe how much bursitis can hurt.

Thanks,

Sophie

Ann <ruby2zdy@...> wrote:

>I've had hip pain since 2003. First it was near the greater

>trochanter, and they were saying bursitus. Later that did disappear

>but i have pain near the front of the hip. Kind of in the hip flexor

>area.

Try this exercise for that: stand with the leg of the painful side in back,

feet a few ft apart like you're going to do a lunge. Then, standing erect,

rotate your pelvis " backward " (top of pelvis moves back, bottom moves

frontward). Hold for 20 sec. Repeat, etc. I had a tight -- well, whatever the

tendon is that connects one of the thigh muscles to the pelvic floor -- and

thought I was going to have that pain forever, but a PT told me to do this

exercise and it worked. And I haven't done it for a year at least.

Ann

This is very timely for me. Because my treatment was put off for so long, I got

a secondary problem (the first being back problem and CP in my knees). The

secondary problem was diagnosed as hip bursitis from walking with a strange gait

for years while they put off helping me. The pain that goes with that is

*terrible.* I got two corisone shots a couple weeks ago but that does not seem

to accomplish anything accept maybe helping my stride to be a little better. I

will check with my doctor and see if this exercise is okay for me to do. I can't

believe how much bursitis can hurt. It comes on very suddenly and is reminiscent

of when my shoulder used to dislocate. " Compensatory " pain, someone called it.

The doctor said they might do some procedure next where they go in with an

invasive x-ray while they give me another series of shots. It sounds lovely.

Thanks,

Sophie

---------------------------------

Start your day with - make it your home page

August 6, 2005

Thanks for the exercise tip. Its close to one i do now, but yours is

easier to do!

Thanks.

Connie

> Try this exercise for that: stand with the leg of the painful

side in back, feet a few ft apart like you're going to do a lunge.

Then, standing erect, rotate your pelvis " backward " (top of pelvis

moves back, bottom moves frontward). Hold for 20 sec. Repeat, etc.

I had a tight -- well, whatever the tendon is that connects one of the

thigh muscles to the pelvic floor -- and thought I was going to have

that pain forever, but a PT told me to do this exercise and it

worked. And I haven't done it for a year at least.

>

> Ann

>

August 6, 2005

I was surprised it worked. I was really hurting in that tendon. But it did.

Ann

Re: Hip pain

Thanks for the exercise tip. Its close to one i do now, but yours is

easier to do!

Thanks.

Connie

> Try this exercise for that: stand with the leg of the painful

side in back, feet a few ft apart like you're going to do a lunge.

Then, standing erect, rotate your pelvis " backward " (top of pelvis

moves back, bottom moves frontward). Hold for 20 sec. Repeat, etc.

I had a tight -- well, whatever the tendon is that connects one of the

thigh muscles to the pelvic floor -- and thought I was going to have

that pain forever, but a PT told me to do this exercise and it

worked. And I haven't done it for a year at least.

>

> Ann

>

August 7, 2005

Do you have a photo/illo of this anywhere? I have a problem with *just* verbal

or just illo explanations of exercises and they're saying the next thing for me

with my hip is some kind of x-ray while they give me a second round of cortisone

shots.

I went through weeks of the infamous 'pelvic tilt' and then learned from my

doctor and second PT that apparently I'd been doing them incorrectly and

apparently all the work I'd done was not only of no use but could have been

doing more harm to my back than good since the movements they were after was so

subtle.

Thanks

Sophie

zumbergc <zumbergc@...> wrote:

Thanks for the exercise tip. Its close to one i do now, but yours is

easier to do!

Thanks.

Connie

> Try this exercise for that: stand with the leg of the painful

side in back, feet a few ft apart like you're going to do a lunge.

Then, standing erect, rotate your pelvis " backward " (top of pelvis

moves back, bottom moves frontward). Hold for 20 sec. Repeat, etc.

I had a tight -- well, whatever the tendon is that connects one of the

thigh muscles to the pelvic floor -- and thought I was going to have

that pain forever, but a PT told me to do this exercise and it

worked. And I haven't done it for a year at least.

>

> Ann

>

December 7, 2005

Hi Yaakov,

I am very bony and have sore joints. I use two folded comforters on top of

my mattress. This helps me a lot.

Ellen

Hip Pain

> Hi,

>

> For as long as I can remember, whenever I try to sleep on my

> side, after a few minutes, I get hip pain.

>

> I was thinking that maybe the Cuddle Ewe sold by Immunesupport.com

> might help. FYI they have a sale on them now.

>

> Something else I am considering and that someone with Fibromyalgia

> recommended to me, is a Latex mattress pad sold by www.ccmattress.com.

> To see it, click on " Linens " , then click on " Toppers " , then click on

> " Regence Latex Topper. " I don't know if they have a 90 day money back

> guarantee like Cuddle Ewe ( I have no connection to either company).

>

> Has anything helped anybody with hip pain when they sleep?

>

> Thanks,

>

> Yaakov

> mintlilacs@...

>

> This list is intended for patients to share personal experiences with each

> other, not to give medical advice. If you are interested in any treatment

> discussed here, please consult your doctor.

>

December 7, 2005

Dear Yaakov,

Something I learned while shopping for bedding and toppers is that comfort is

not the only aspect to look at. If you are at all sensitive to fibres or

chemicals, you need to be careful of some of the materials these toppers are

made from or treated with. Latex can be a red flag for some and may make the

quality of sleep worse if you are sensitive to it.

I have a son who is very ill and extremely sensitive to everything. I bought him

a new organic cotton mattress and box spring with a thick organic wool and

cotton topper that has absolutely no chemicals or treatments. Because they

packaged it in a dense plastic wrapper, he was not able to sleep on it for 4

months while it aired out. After it aired out, he has slept better than he did

in the previous regular bed. Polyester blend bedding was a problem as well. We

replaced that with organic cotton sheets and an organic wool comforter but had

it all tested first to make sure he was not going to react to it.

Looking at return policies, as you are, should it not work out for you, is a

wise move.

Good Luck With It,

bf

Hip Pain

Hi,

For as long as I can remember, whenever I try to sleep on my

side, after a few minutes, I get hip pain.

I was thinking that maybe the Cuddle Ewe sold by Immunesupport.com

might help. FYI they have a sale on them now.

Something else I am considering and that someone with Fibromyalgia

recommended to me, is a Latex mattress pad sold by www.ccmattress.com.

To see it, click on " Linens " , then click on " Toppers " , then click on

" Regence Latex Topper. " I don't know if they have a 90 day money back

guarantee like Cuddle Ewe ( I have no connection to either company).

Has anything helped anybody with hip pain when they sleep?

Thanks,

Yaakov

mintlilacs@...

This list is intended for patients to share personal experiences with each

other, not to give medical advice. If you are interested in any treatment

discussed here, please consult your doctor.

December 8, 2005

Yakkov, About the sleep/pain issue, my first suggestion is a foam mattress

that's made of space age matierial that responds to weight and

temperature...conforms to the body like a glove. The first time I laid down on

one in the Pennys showroom, I was ASLEEP in about a minute. They are

expensive...a full mattress about $800 and a queen about one K. They are worth

it if you can manage the cost. One alternative is a 2 inch mattress cover made

of this material which I have seen advertised. I have never slept on anything

that was so supportive, comfortable...even comforting... like a gentle hug. Mel

PS: I'm still pondering some of the other issues.

December 8, 2005

On Dec 7, 2005, at 2:44 PM, mintlilacs wrote:

> Hi,

>

> For as long as I can remember, whenever I try to sleep on my

> side, after a few minutes, I get hip pain.

>

> I was thinking that maybe the Cuddle Ewe sold by Immunesupport.com

> might help. FYI they have a sale on them now.

>

> Something else I am considering and that someone with Fibromyalgia

> recommended to me, is a Latex mattress pad sold by www.ccmattress.com.

> To see it, click on " Linens " , then click on " Toppers " , then click on

> " Regence Latex Topper. " I don't know if they have a 90 day money back

> guarantee like Cuddle Ewe ( I have no connection to either company).

>

> Has anything helped anybody with hip pain when they sleep?

The right bed makes all the difference in the world, in my experience.

For most of my sickest years, I had a flotation bed -- basically,

waterbed units wrapped inside a regular mattress. There were about 3 "

of foam between me and the water tubes, which made it unnecessary to

heat; it was about 1/3 the overall weight as a regular waterbed; it

didn't need a wood frame; and it didn't slosh. Sort of the best of

all worlds, and it didn't make me hurt anywhere. I can recommend

them, except to folks who like to sit up in bed. (This hurt my back.)

When it came time to change, we traded it in on a Tempur-Pedic. It's

firmer, but also quite nice, though I do get some hip pain on it.

Recently, we've been traveling a lot, and staying in hotels with nice

pillow-top conventional mattresses. My hip pain (which has gotten

worse since I had a bad knee injury about a year ago) went away on

these beds -- which suggests that it's time for us to look for

something firmer at home.

The moral of the story is that mattress firmness can mean a lot; and

there are a lot of options out there that may do quite a bit to help.

Most mattress stores offer a one- to three-month trial period on

mattresses these days, so you can try various options and switch if

you end up with something that really bites back.

Sara

December 8, 2005

On Dec 7, 2005, at 7:45 PM, Mel Baldwin wrote:

> Yakkov, About the sleep/pain issue, my first suggestion is a foam

> mattress that's made of space age matierial that responds to weight

> and temperature...conforms to the body like a glove. The first time

> I laid down on one in the Pennys showroom, I was ASLEEP in about a

> minute. They are expensive...a full mattress about $800 and a

> queen about one K. They are worth it if you can manage the cost.

> One alternative is a 2 inch mattress cover made of this material

> which I have seen advertised. I have never slept on anything that

> was so supportive, comfortable...even comforting... like a gentle

> hug. Mel PS: I'm still pondering some of the other issues.

There are often inexpensive viscoelastic " memory foam " mattress

toppers available through Overstock.com. You can get them at about

60% less than comparable ones in stores. Right now, they've got a

sale going on, and $1 shipping -- a great thing, since these suckers

can be heavy and a bear to ship.

Overstocks offers these toppers in several thicknesses and grades.

It's worth it to get the " deluxe " or higher quality ones, even if it

means settling for a thinner model. Cheaper, low-density foam gives

flimsy support and breaks down MUCH more quickly than the high-

quality, high-density stuff does. You'll get literally twice the

support, and twice the wear, out of your investment if you go for the

best quality you can find.

As for thickness: 2 " can make an amazing difference. Anything over 3 "

is probably overkill.

Sara

December 8, 2005

On Dec 7, 2005, at 9:18 PM, Judith Gilbert wrote:

> hi all -

>

>> There are often inexpensive viscoelastic " memory foam " mattress

>> toppers available through Overstock.com. You can get them at about

>> 60% less than comparable ones in stores. Right now, they've got a

>> sale going on, and $1 shipping -- a great thing, since these suckers

>> can be heavy and a bear to ship.

>>

>

> FWIW, I've had several alternative health practitioners tell me

> that foam

> mattresses are very toxic, so if you're at all chemically sensitve,

> see how

> you respond to the smell first.

One of the upsides of viscoelastic foam is that it's totally closed-

cell. That means that it's impervious to mold and dust mites, unlike

other kinds of foam. There's no way for stuff to get into it to grow.

If you have those kinds of allergies, it's one of the best options

going.

Sara

December 8, 2005

I bought one of the mattress foam tops at Price-Club/Costco (about $150 for a CA

king size) and it is wonderful! A friend had the whole mattress made of the

material and it was so firm it was hard to sleep on at first. My husband (who

doesn't have CFS/FMS) did not like it at first. When I lay down on it, I sigh

and sink in, every time. It is a 2 " version and is available in queen, full and

twin also. We bought one for our son's bed and everyone loves to lie on his

bed.

We have slept on new mattresses at friends and hotels, and it certainly makes a

difference on how one sleeps. Everyone check your mattress~most are only made

to last 10 years, and not that long for some. Do NOT sleep on a mattress

forever without changing it every 10 years or earlier.

For the hip pain~most of us use a pillow of some sort between our knees when we

lay on our side. There are special curved pillows for this; I love the squishy

pillows as they conform to me. Try various types of pillows for this and see

what works for you. If you let your hips fall over they will cause a lot of

muscle and joint pain and need to be supported at the knee area. I also use the

posturepedic type pillow to sleep on and love the support as I am mostly

back/side when I sleep.

Of course I take melatonin at night (Natrol brand has melatonin 3 mg, and B-6

and calcium added, which is great) and Ultra-Cal Night by Source Natural. I

sleep so much better with this.

I have CFS that is now FMS with lots of muscle pain. Recuperation (since Jan

2005) has helped tremendously with the Chronic Fatigue but not necessarily with

the muscle pain (some report great relief; wish it were me).

in La Selva Beach CA