Hip Arthritis...

[Catrin]

Thanks for your thoughts on this, and I do hope that you are feeling better. My osteopath doesn't think I have a back problem and neither does my physical therapist - though of course things can certainly get missed. I am going to request an x-ray just in case, but an MRI or CT scan just isn't an option. We have to pay such a large amount of the cost for all hospital-based services as co-pays/co-insurance these days (x-rays are the only thing fully covered) that I simply can't afford it at all. I am thankful to have insurance at all but it is so bad compared to the kind of coverage we used to have at one time...

[Catrin]

I am having problems sleeping all night. I sleep on my side, and most nights I wake up with pain in whichever hip I am lying on. Not every night, and generally only in the first few hours after I've fallen asleep. I assume this is from the mild arthritis - but wanted to know if others experience this. I cannot tell if this is muscular or joint pain.

I did get the back x-ray Tuesday, they did a series of lumbar x-rays lying down and standing. I won't hear anything before Monday or Tuesday.

[indysteel]

I experienced that nightly before starting PT, but I'm not sure that it was caused directly by my hip arthritis. I tend to think that finding was largely coincidental.

[Catrin]

Thanks Indy, the confusing part about all of this is, of course, the finding may have nothing at all to do with anything

I have been paying attention to the pain in my legs though, and I have noticed that if I walk at least 15 minutes before other activities that things go much better. Someone here recommended working fitness walks in my schedule at least once a week and I have already started on that. The interesting thing is just how many different parts of my legs twinge and complain in those first 10 minutes or so - guess that it just part of being an active 15 year old who was sedentary for much of her life. After that 15 minutes though, there isn't a complaint anywhere

I do wonder if I am putting too much weight on the hip abductor machine at the gym. It doesn't hurt when I do it, but will back off a little on that weight and see if I still wake up with that pain.

[indysteel]

During our sessions, my PT manipulates my right leg a lot to get some movement back in the joint. I typically lay prone on my back on his examination table while he works the leg into a variety of positions. It hurts at times--quite a bit, in fact. But I almost always feel great afterwards. It's kind of like intensive massage. From there, we have worked on glutes. I typcially do a series of "fire hydrants," bridges and leg lifts while laying on my stomach. I don't know if my weak glutes had anything to do with my hip pain , but I do think my lower body is working more normally. Now I just need to keep working on all of it on my own.

[Catrin]

During our sessions, my PT manipulates my right leg a lot to get some movement back in the joint. I typically lay prone on my back on his examination table while he works the leg into a variety of positions...

It sounds like he was able to do some good work. My pulled hamstring and quads meant that my own PT was afraid of doing too much to my leg...

[Catrin]

Someone has advised me to sleep with a little pillow between my knees to prevent the hip pain at night - does this make sense? Something about how it opens the joint up. I do not pretend to understand but am certainly willing to try it!

[KnottedYet]

It sounds like he was able to do some good work. My pulled hamstring and quads meant that my own PT was afraid of doing too much to my leg...

BTW: it is impossible to "pull" both agonist and antagonist muscles of the same limb without massive trauma.