1. < Bones, Joints & Muscles

hip pain only with certain movements

Posted by hikerguy62 @hikerguy62, Jan 14 2:56pm

61 y.r. male, always been physically active and maintained my weight (always around 150-155 at 5'7").

Hello,

Starting around June of last year I started having pain in my left hip (on the side). It only occurs with certain movements and is around a 4-5 on a 1-10 scale when it occurs (otherwise I'm pain free).

It is not a result of an injury

The pain occurs when:

I swing my leg into the car, bring my knee up to put on my pants and lift my knee up when seated in a chair. I also feel pain (around a 3) when I'm stretching by lying on my right side, bringing my bent legs up a little, then twisting my upper body in the other direction.

I'm able to do just about anything else without ANY pain - walk up stairs, squats, sandbag training walk sideways with an exercise band.

I did PT for about 4 months with no improvement. Because I felt like I wasn't making any progress, I saw an orthopedic surgeon who took X-rays that indicated I have acetabular dysplasia and secondary osteoarthritis. They also noted a positive Stinchfield test (and there's no doubt my left leg is MUCH weaker than my right).

After the ortho visit, I began working with a PT who had special training in orthopedics (OCS, FAAOMPT) and have worked with him the past 5 weeks focusing on strengthening the hip muscles and glutes with little improvement.

Just last week I went to another ortho doc for a second opinion. He saw the xrays and confirmed the diagnosis but said I wasn't in need of surgery at this time. Neither ortho doc could explain to me why I'm only having medium-level pain during certain movements.

It just doesn't make sense to me that it's due to the hip dysplasia or OA (osteoarthritis) when it's only occurring with very specific movements.

Anyone have any thoughts about this?

As you look at my xray, my left hip is to your right.

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mabfp3 | @mabfp3 | Jan 23 4:49pm
In reply to @sueinmn "@hikerguy62 @gently Has given you a great description about what is probably happening as you move...." + (show)
@sueinmn

@hikerguy62 @gently Has given you a great description about what is probably happening as you move. His suggestion of a positional x-ray was also a good one.
If I was being a smart aleck, I would give you the response we used to get from my Dad when we would say "It hurts when I do this" - his reply was always "Well don't do it anymore." But of course, that doesn't always make sense in our lives.
I had 2 total hip replacements before my 55th birthday due to osteoarthritis, bone spurs and shallow acetabular cups. Some years later they had to be revised due to faulty parts. Now, in my 70's, I am finding certain motions cause pain (and weakness) on the left side, so I am back to my full post-surgery and post-revision strengthening regimen. I was demonstrating at a dance class this afternoon to a friend.
Here is something to remember - 5 weeks is a VERY short time when it comes to strengthening glutes and other large muscles - they respond much more slowly than smaller muscles, and it takes even longer as our bodies age (as my PT always reminds me, you are not 20, or 30, or 40, or even 50 anymore!) I would say 3-5 months would be a reasonable time to gauge whether continued exercise and stretching helps. And then , after that it is lifelong maintenance - maybe not every day, but several times a week.

And be sure to work on staying flexible as well as strong. My PT has me on a weekly regimen of 5 days of stretching and walking or biking, only 2 days of strength training. And for every muscle stretched, its counter-muscle is always done (eg both abductor and adductor) and both sides of the body as well to try to create balance.

Have you been doing balanced stretching and exercising?
Sue

Jump to this post

Hi Sue, Your comment is so helpful! I have had x-rays of both hips (along with a knee replacement, which was awful!) and my orthopedic surgeon told me that both of my hips “are shot”…..(his words). I don’t have any cartilage left. Lately, my left hip has been “aching” and every now and then, I get a stabbing pain in my left groin. I am 74 but I am active, going to the gym, and doing the stationary bike, along with exercises for my quads. I am *hoping* that this groin pain is not related to my hip!! After the painful knee surgery, I really do not want to ever face hip surgery. I give you lots of credit for all that you have been through! Thank you for your input!

REPLY
2 replies
Mentor
Sue, Volunteer Mentor | @sueinmn | Jan 23 6:46pm
In reply to @mabfp3 "Hi Sue, Your comment is so helpful! I have had x-rays of both hips (along with..." + (show)
@mabfp3

Hi Sue, Your comment is so helpful! I have had x-rays of both hips (along with a knee replacement, which was awful!) and my orthopedic surgeon told me that both of my hips “are shot”…..(his words). I don’t have any cartilage left. Lately, my left hip has been “aching” and every now and then, I get a stabbing pain in my left groin. I am 74 but I am active, going to the gym, and doing the stationary bike, along with exercises for my quads. I am *hoping* that this groin pain is not related to my hip!! After the painful knee surgery, I really do not want to ever face hip surgery. I give you lots of credit for all that you have been through! Thank you for your input!

Jump to this post

Groin pain, surprisingly, is a classic symptom of hips that need replacement. You need a thorough evaluation by a doctor of PT, but I suspect you need at least one new hip. If it's any consolation, my friends who had had both find the hip recovery easier. The fact that you have stayed in shape will make recovery easier.
What does the ortho recommend?
Sue

REPLY
1 reply
mabfp3 | @mabfp3 | Jan 24 1:39pm
In reply to @sueinmn "Groin pain, surprisingly, is a classic symptom of hips that need replacement. You need a thorough..." + (show)
@sueinmn

Groin pain, surprisingly, is a classic symptom of hips that need replacement. You need a thorough evaluation by a doctor of PT, but I suspect you need at least one new hip. If it's any consolation, my friends who had had both find the hip recovery easier. The fact that you have stayed in shape will make recovery easier.
What does the ortho recommend?
Sue

Jump to this post

My orthopedic surgeon only told me that the hips were in bad shape. He didn’t suggest surgery to me as of yet. If the groin pain becomes chronic, I will have to make an app’t with him.

REPLY
walk4life | @walk4life | Jan 24 2:46pm
In reply to @mabfp3 "Hi Sue, Your comment is so helpful! I have had x-rays of both hips (along with..." + (show)
@mabfp3

Hi Sue, Your comment is so helpful! I have had x-rays of both hips (along with a knee replacement, which was awful!) and my orthopedic surgeon told me that both of my hips “are shot”…..(his words). I don’t have any cartilage left. Lately, my left hip has been “aching” and every now and then, I get a stabbing pain in my left groin. I am 74 but I am active, going to the gym, and doing the stationary bike, along with exercises for my quads. I am *hoping* that this groin pain is not related to my hip!! After the painful knee surgery, I really do not want to ever face hip surgery. I give you lots of credit for all that you have been through! Thank you for your input!

Jump to this post

@mabfp3 Sorry to say , but groin pain is usually indicative of hip problems. I was a jogger, but had not been running for a few months due to a dislocated shoulder. When i went back to running, after a few weeks, i noticed after the run i had groin pain. At first i thought it was because I was increasing my mileage too quickly. When it continued to get worse, i finally saw my PCP who diagnosed osteoarthritis. I then saw an orthopedist who took his own Xrays and told me my right hip was bone on bone. I was an immediate candidate for surgery. I was not ready for surgery then. I went to PT, had to go to walking instead of running. Almost a year later when the osteoarthritis was starting to more severely affect other aspects of my life, i decided to have the surgery. The surgery was definitely worth doing.

REPLY
1 reply
mabfp3 | @mabfp3 | Jan 24 3:23pm
In reply to @walk4life "@mabfp3 Sorry to say , but groin pain is usually indicative of hip problems. I was..." + (show)
@walk4life

@mabfp3 Sorry to say , but groin pain is usually indicative of hip problems. I was a jogger, but had not been running for a few months due to a dislocated shoulder. When i went back to running, after a few weeks, i noticed after the run i had groin pain. At first i thought it was because I was increasing my mileage too quickly. When it continued to get worse, i finally saw my PCP who diagnosed osteoarthritis. I then saw an orthopedist who took his own Xrays and told me my right hip was bone on bone. I was an immediate candidate for surgery. I was not ready for surgery then. I went to PT, had to go to walking instead of running. Almost a year later when the osteoarthritis was starting to more severely affect other aspects of my life, i decided to have the surgery. The surgery was definitely worth doing.

Jump to this post

Thank you so much for your reply! Like you, I am continuing to do exercises that my PT recommended for increasing muscle strength around the hip area. I do think that this sharp groin pain (that comes and goes) is probably related to my left hip. Because I had such a terrible experience with knee replacement surgery, I want to put off hip surgery for as long as I can. To hear you say that the surgery was definitely worth doing does give me hope!

REPLY
1 reply
walk4life | @walk4life | Jan 25 3:50pm
In reply to @mabfp3 "Thank you so much for your reply! Like you, I am continuing to do exercises that..." + (show)
@mabfp3

Thank you so much for your reply! Like you, I am continuing to do exercises that my PT recommended for increasing muscle strength around the hip area. I do think that this sharp groin pain (that comes and goes) is probably related to my left hip. Because I had such a terrible experience with knee replacement surgery, I want to put off hip surgery for as long as I can. To hear you say that the surgery was definitely worth doing does give me hope!

Jump to this post

@mabfp3 I have heard many people say that knee replacement is more painful and a harder recovery than hip replacement. I did not find the hip replacement extremely painful. I was off the prescription pain relievers within 2 weeks post op. I developed anemia with my surgery so it took me longer to fully recover. You will know you are ready for surgery when the pain gets bad enough or it severely limits your activities. Good luck.

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