I am a healthy 65 year old with arthritis in my left hip. It is manageable but very painful and I have pains down my leg plus it disturbs my sleep. I have been told it has to be very severe to get any form of treatment. That is ridiculous- that I have to wait another 5 years or so - I can’t even get an MRI.
I intend to take the NHS to task on this - why must I wait until I can’t walk? Surely those with early onset of arthritis should be treated as a priority to ease things in the future. Has anyone else taken the NHS to task on this - it seems madness
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Wessy
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I don’t understand what you are saying. What is your diagnosis? I have had two new hips and never had an MRI scan. Just an x-ray. It took a long time as my GP had to get funding for the op and then I was able to see an orthopaedic surgeon, who agreed to put me in the waiting list. I was on long term steroids and they would not operate unless I had reduced to a particular dose. I also believe they refuse to operate if your BMI is too high and other reasons too.
have been told it has to be very severe to get any form of treatment.
Not sure that’s strictly true, do they mean a replacement - there are many other treatments that can help prior to that. .. have you been referred to local musculoskeletal clinic - if you have one?
Have you looked on versus arthritis for exercises or tried Flexiseq?
Hello Dorset Lady Just wondered seeing you recommend the versus arthritis exercises do you go to one of their support groups ? I found one last November it's every 2 months and is fantastic We have speakers from versus arthritis with so much advice and information it's been brilliant and helped me so much x
I hope that you do find one I have found them great I wasn't sure at first what they would be like but they are so lovely I have got so much information and met such nice people and despite discussing all our aches and pains we have a good laugh too When we went in March a lady from Versus Arthritis came to give a talk and show us some "Chi Me " exercise It made me contact my Tai Chi instructor that I used to go to to see if he still did classes he told me he did a Thursday class for Chinese Exercise well I have been going since the end of March and honestly I feel 20 years younger I used to feel old and disabled with my osteo arthritis I have cut down dramatically on pain killers too it's wonderful
Found it wasn't much good for knee before replacement in 2018 - but it had got to bone-on-bone... but it works for my right shoulder just fine at the moment... [left replaced 3 years ago].
It does need some cartilage/synovial fluid to work on... and many have said it also helps fingers when you are applying to other areas... it can take a few applications to be really effective, but one tube's worth will tell you.
Even if it gives similar relieve to other gels, it is drug free - which some people obviously need to consider.
If it does work, look out for offers both in store [Boots very often have 3 for 2] and the inevitable Am....n has it on subscribe and save which does save a bit of money.
I have just got one off EB for 12.99 to see how it goes. I had a really bad shoulder for a few weeks Dr sent me for an xray and gave me Voltarol. My hands were bad too especially my left thumb tip to wrist. Then my other shoulder joined in so I went back told the Dr it was a flare of PMR. Up from 4mg to 15 and things got much better. Everything except the shoulder. On reduction of the pred now the shoulder is still annoying so I know it’s Arthritis as painkillers ease it. I’ll give this a go if not it might help Parker with his twisty fingers.
Have you completed the Oxford hip score sheet. If the answers come out as less than 20, your G.P. should refer you to an orthopaedic surgeon. I know they are reluctant to replace hip and knees before the age of 75. I was lucky I had my hip.replaced at the age of 53, 22 years ago and still going strong. Mind you I need two new knees now and Have been on the waiting list for six months to get the first one done. I would push to get referred, I know I had to all those years ago.
Here is a link to the Oxford hip score which Anna Pavitt mentioned. If you score below 20 on this, or even between 20 and 29, it would give you more evidence to present to your GP (the lower the score, the worse the effects your arthritis is having on you). orthopaedicscore.com/scorep...
I've recently had a knee replacement. I didn't get a referral for surgery until I had visited a chiropractor about my back, and he wrote to the GP about the damage in my knees, which triggered them to offer me the Oxford knee score (which I hadn't heard of) and then a referral. Before that I had been had physio, painkillers and a knee injection.
The other thing which helped with pain in the meantime was following an anti-inflammatory diet - pretty much a Mediterranean diet - and particularly cutting out all sugars reduced the inflammation and pain levels enormously.
Hi I have hip arthritis but I’ve been told I also have tendinitis in the main tendon which goes through the hip into the top of my leg with pain down leg also, sometimes it’s not necessary the bone causing pain it can be muscles or tendons? I would get a referral to the musculoskeletal department of your local hospital and they will devise a plan to help you move forward
Hi Wessy , unfortunately the NHS has many rules, guess there has to be some way of working who is in most need. In the West Midlands Arthritis Action have challenged the orthopedic side of Arthritis where there are other options for management and treatment while waiting for surgery etc.. As stated some surgeons, want you to loose weight, and I have to admit even a little loss of weight helps, you could end up like many with more work needed to put things right if left too long. There are many treatments now besides replacement take a look on the Arthritis Action site or Versus Arthritis they can offer lots of support. I know people who have been waiting for years already to get ops and now the DRs strikes although valid are delaying treatment further. MRI scans have become old diagnostics as they are costly compared to old fashioned Xray, but they do give a better picture of the condition of your joint. Many people can afford private treatment but even for the patient this cost can be quite prohibitive. Have you tried pain concern for possible pain relief? I have found it needs a package of things to help the pain not just a wonder pill which does not exist anyway. You could of course ask about other management options from your GP. I had a replacement op on my knee but still have to take pills, the op was for pain control and I can still walk even if limited You can question the NHS treatment but whether that would change things is another matter. hope this helps you to consider possible options to face the future.
I could not agree more. The whole system is operation oriented. We should be treated with physio therapy early on when there is a chance of healing. I had problems with my left knee in 2008 and was successfully treated by a physiotherapist. In 2016 I hurt the right one. The treatments had gone hands off and was ineffective. The last physiotherapist I saw said his role was not to treat but to assess and I was not bad enough to get any help on NHS.
I spent a lot of time online finding out what is done in other countries, specially Sweden as I am Swedish. They have something called Arthritis school concentrating on exercise. There is now an online program called Joint Academy which I believe is available in Britain.
I was lucky enough to find a chiropractor who helped me heal my knee and I am OK now. I resort to Bob and Brad on YouTube at the first twinge. You can go to their web site and choose a program for hip pain. A while ago I incorporated three of their exercises in the little program I do a few times a week and got rid of my hip pain.
I could not get a hip MRI on the NHS through my GP or the NHS physios. A private physio (who knows and works with the local NHS physios - naturally they know each other) immediately told me I needed an MRI and recommended Vista Health. They work with my local hospital’s MRI unit.
They offered a scan within 7 days, decreasing in cost after 7 days and so on. I did so and gave the results to my GP who immediately (I’m not exaggerating) referred me to the NHS orthopaedic surgeon. He told me the first thing he would have asked for was an MRI (on the NHS). I had torn my hip cartilage which did not show up on any X-rays and was made worse by some of the physio exercises. The scan gave me the necessary evidence.
If you can I recommend getting an MRI privately, it’s expensive but in my case was well worth the money. If I had not done it I would be still effectively be outside the NHS care (signed off by the physios) whilst now I have had a steroid injection and am listed for another.
At my last appointment with the surgeon he said my arthritis was not bad enough for a full hip replacement at present so I am still struggling with it but at least I am in the NHS system.
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