To those with painful hips...

Hello Irene75359,

I’m glad you have finally been seen and assessed after such a long wait and can absolutely understand that you went prepared for battle. Being in constant pain must be so draining.

I haven’t heard of this treatment but I very much hope that following your MRI you are able, and most importantly that it will help. I hope you don’t have to wait too long for the scan and to move forward with this. Everything crossed for you.

xx

Ooh, that sounds interesting, Irene. I have osteoarthritis (not from radiotherapy) and have had one hip replaced after a load of faffing around with painkillers and physio. I anticipate the other one will need doing eventually, so look forward to hearing about your extracorporeal shock wave therapy. Did they give you any idea of how long the wait will be?

I do have to add having my hip done was amazing after years of pain and limping, and here I am fours years on and it's perfect. xx

Hello Mrs Vanilla 

She said if I don't hear about the MRI within four weeks to let them know.  So not long at all really.  I understand about your hip; my mother had her hip replaced in her 80s and very soon she was up and about and going for walks again with my father.  She had literally become housebound because of pain.  I think I am looking at both hips eventually too.

I am delighted that your replacement hip has been so successful.

Irene xx

Oh wow Irene75359 , I’d never heard of this either! My Dr told me it’s unlikely that they’ll review my hips with an MRI & that it’ll be most likely X-rays even though I’ve been referred for the MRI on my lower spine. I had a steroid injection in my right hip in December & my left done at the beginning of January, neither have given any pain relief at all. 

I hope you don’t have to wait too long for your MRI, I fear mine may be on the bottom of a very long waiting list! 

Nicola 

Bloody hell Irene that treatment sounds cutting edge and a preferable alternative to painkillers and injections.

Hope your MRI comes through soon and keep us updated.

Ally xx

Eight days - just heard today!  That is really disappointing you won't be reviewed with an MRI.  Even I am surprised by my referral but the specialist physiotherapist says this interim investigation saves waiting around if my pain is also muscular.

Irene xx

That’s great that you’re getting your MRI so quickly Irene75359I’ve had a little read up on the exrtracorporeal shock wave therapy, it states it’s available on the NHS but availability is dependant on your particular NHS trust. If I don’t hear anything about my MRI referral soon I’ll chase it up & ask if it’s available at any of the hospitals local to me. It also says it’s used to treat greater trochanteric pain syndrome which is what they’re treating me for at present. 

I was referred into generic physio & it was him that said he thought I had GTPS, I see you say you’ve seen a specialist physio, I hope you don’t mind me asking but what does your physio specialise in? I need to get this pain under control. I’m trying an anti-inflammatory diet but if it’s muscle damage (which I suspect it is) this isn’t going to have much of an impact I don’t think. 

Nicola

Hello Nikki65 

She is an musculoskeletal (MSK) physiotherapist which is exactly what I (and you too, by the sounds of it) need, specialising in muscular injury resulting from a variety of reasons.  And even better, this clinic has the equipment to do this, and it is just over a mile away from me, a bus ride.  I really feel for you re the pain aspect; I never take more than two codeine a day and that is so I can walk my dog, but I am never comfortable, sitting, lying, in bed at night, it affects everything I do.  Big pity party going on here, sorry!

I will see how I get on and post about it; I am feeling quite hopeful.

Irene xx  

I feel your pain & the pity partyIrene75359 , pain is so exhausting! myself & my youngest daughter have just been away for the weekend, we’ve had a reasonably busy few days & I’ve been in pain the whole time, I’ve taken maximum paracetamol along with slathering on high strength ibuprofen gel, we stayed in a lovely hotel with a majorly comfortable bed but boy I was like a pig on a spit during the night, over & over & over all night long, I was in pain however I lay, back & both sides!

I’m doing lower body strengthening exercises as my legs no longer feel as strong as they once did & I really do feel that my mobility is being quite severely affected but nothing seems to help. My dog is getting older now, she’s 10, so she’s happy with just a tootle for 30-45 minutes on a morning but I literally don’t think I could go any further even if she wanted to! 

You’ve given me the push that I need, I was going to refer back into physio after I’d had my MRI but I don’t foresee that appointment coming through anytime soon so I’m going to give physio a call. 

There’s a big musculoskeletal department at the hospital where I received my treatment so I wonder if they’ll have the equipment there! I should imagine that I would need a GP referral there wouldn’t I? 

Looking forward to an update. 

Nicola 

 Nikki65 

It sounds as if you really need treatment.  Our symptoms unfortunately sound very similar; my legs feel like lead sometimes and definitely have no strength; pre-stoma I had to stop in a big clump of bushes for an urgent loo break and I was horrified to find I didn't have the strength to crouch.  Goodness know what I would do if I had to use one of those French-style loos, I just wouldn't manage.

Please do call.

Irene xx