Hip pain

[Lacessit]

I’ve had some kind of hip condition for several months now, don’t want to go to a hospital here as it could end up being an expensive exercise. Would get treated free in Australia, but I have no intention of returning to a prison colony. Even if I wanted to, there are no direct flights from Bangkok to Melbourne.

It’s sporadic, sometimes it feels like muscle stiffness and pain in my quads, other times it’s a dull ache in my hip. Seated, no problem at all. Very stiff when I first start playing golf walking the course, eases off after I’ve walked a couple of hundred yards. Standing around for any length of time makes it worse. Massage gives me relief, especially the quads. Doesn’t impede my afternoon exercise routine. Anti-inflammatories don't seem to have any beneficial effect (Ibuprofen)

I have  a history of chronic osteoarthritis of the lower spine for about 40 years, keep it mobilised with 20 minutes of stretching every morning. Used to take anti-inflammatories every day, stopped about three years ago.

Suggestions welcome. Perhaps it is just old age.

[covidiot]

https://www.arthritis.org/health-wellness/treatment/complementary-therapies/supplements-and-vitamins/glucosamine-chondroitin-osteoarthritis-pain

 

Quote

Glucosamine and chondroitin are popular supplements used to treat osteoarthritis (OA).

 

You can try contacting someone who runs a supplement store in your home country. Call them up. They are often happy to give free advice over the phone. 

 

 

[faraday]

An x-ray to have an idea of why you're getting these symptoms, is - in my opinion, the first thing you should do.

 

Arcoxia & Ultracet are decent pain relievers.

 

Gentle exercise, & as massage helps, continue with that.

[Olmate]

18 minutes ago, faraday said:

An x-ray to have an idea of why you're getting these symptoms, is - in my opinion, the first thing you should do.

 

Arcoxia & Ultracet are decent pain relievers.

 

Gentle exercise, & as massage helps, continue with that.

Your right about the colony.Two pals returned 2 months ago.Both on the way back.

[rumak]

DR. Chanagan clinic ,  across the river from Rajawet hospital ...... for evaluation .

053204545       eves 5 -8      Sat  morning      (call during that time)

 

best IMO  for evaluation      will take xray at clinic     under 1000 baht 

yes,  good chance he will also "offer"  anti inflamatories  

 

don't work for me either,   but a cortisone shot  did  for me once      and the mrs as well for shoulder pain         one shot and  gone !      

btw:  his english is excellent

Edited May 18, 2021 by rumak

[Lacessit]

4 hours ago, covidiot said:

https://www.arthritis.org/health-wellness/treatment/complementary-therapies/supplements-and-vitamins/glucosamine-chondroitin-osteoarthritis-pain

 

 

You can try contacting someone who runs a supplement store in your home country. Call them up. They are often happy to give free advice over the phone. 

 

 

I took glucosamine and chondoitrin for quite a few years in Australia, as far as I could tell it didn't make any difference. I guess those supplements work for some, not for others.

I don't think this is solely arthritis, because the quad muscles are affected. Correct me if I'm wrong, but I thought osteoarthritis was inflammation of bone and joints, hence the term osteo.

AS I said in the OP, I've managed the chronic osteoarthritis for 40 years with stretching discipline.

[madmen]

Exactly my symptoms. I went to pattaya Bangkok hospital for xray and the doctor MISDIAGNOSED me and somehow missed the large dark shadow on my hip. Long story short it ended up being a total hip replacement which I just had done in Oz, amazing 1st class surgery. 

 

Some pointers 

1. You need a strong anti inflammatory eg diclofenic

2. Get an xray they are cheap. Without that you are just guessing 

3. You can leave oz at any time without permission if you were away longer than 6 months in a year but getting there is an issue. 

[covidiot]

2 hours ago, Lacessit said:

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I thought osteoarthritis was inflammation of bone and joints, hence the term osteo.

yes, osteo is bone and joints.

i'm out of this conversation because i don't want to give bad advice. 

[BigStar]

I'd avoid the usual pills-and-injections solutions commonly offered here but rather do some work that might solve or sufficiently mitigate the problem naturally.

 

The fact that massaging quads helps is encouraging.

 

Hit youtube and find stretches and foam rolling routines targeting legs, hips, and glutes. Pay attn to hamstrings and IT band. A tennis ball can get more specific than a foam roller. Some hip pain solutions may involve exercises to get muscles better in balance. Yoga bands can be help with some of those.

 

https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=hip+pain+relief

 

You might also consider getting a massage gun and explore targets where it seems helpful. Not miraculous, but I'm a fan and wish I'd bought one years ago.   

Edited May 19, 2021 by BigStar

[Sheryl]

 

You do nto know the cause of the pain. Finding that out would not cost much. A simple physical exam and Xray would likely suffice.

 

From what you describe I doubt the pain is due to arthritis - you may have some amount of it, as many do as they age, but this is probably not what is causing your pain. I base this on the description (sporadic, eased once walking for a while, pain when standing for a long time, massage helps, deep ache, tightness in the quads etc). it may be  muscle tightening, often related to too much sitting in chairs and not enough exercise, that is the problem. The older we get, the quicker our muscles seize up and shorten.

 

For this, stretches and the right exercises, along with regular massage, can work wonders. Google exercises and stretches for: piriformis muscle, quadriceps, hamstrings  and  hip flexors.

 

I have a very similar problem and have been able to resolve it with stretches and  massage. With these I am pain free but if I skip these for long it recurs.

 

Another thing I find helps a great deal is to sit on the floor cross legged for at least  30 minutes, preferrably an hour, each day (can be broken into 15 minute segments if necessary). Do it at a time you'd be sitting anyhow e.g. watching TV. If you find that you can't get your knees down flat in a cross legged position, even with a cushion under your bottom, that already confirms that muscles in the hip/glut region are a problem.  You can put a small cushion - no higher than absolutely necessary - under the knees in that case and work towards gradually not needing it. This is probably the single most helpful thing I know of. Sitting in a chair causes the muscle fibers  in the buttocks and around the hips to shorten. There is no pain when so seated but as soon as you get up and need those muscles to lengthen a bit, it starts. Cross legged sitting by contrast gently stretches these muscles.

 

Also try to reduce amount f time sitting in chair and get more exercise in general, brisk walking is very good. I suggest you do 15 - 30 minutes brisk walking daily or at east on days you don't golf. This plus the stretched mentioned will probably work wonders.

 

 

[eezergood]

Google lower crossed syndrome - it may (or not) be this, but super common 

[Old Croc]

As someone who has had 2 hip replacements, I would suggest an xray should be the first check to see if your hip joints are working correctly.

[Saltire]

1 hour ago, Sheryl said:

 

You do nto know the cause of the pain. Finding that out would not cost much. A simple physical exam and Xray would likely suffice.

 

From what you describe I doubt the pain is due to arthritis - you may have some amount of it, as many do as they age, but this is probably not what is causing your pain. I base this on the description (sporadic, eased once walking for a while, pain when standing for a long time, massage helps, deep ache, tightness in the quads etc). it may be  muscle tightening, often related to too much sitting in chairs and not enough exercise, that is the problem. The older we get, the quicker our muscles seize up and shorten.

 

For this, stretches and the right exercises, along with regular massage, can work wonders. Google exercises and stretches for: piriformis muscle, quadriceps, hamstrings  and  hip flexors.

 

I have a very similar problem and have been able to resolve it with stretches and  massage. With these I am pain free but if I skip these for long it recurs.

 

Another thing I find helps a great deal is to sit on the floor cross legged for at least  30 minutes, preferrably an hour, each day (can be broken into 15 minute segments if necessary). Do it at a time you'd be sitting anyhow e.g. watching TV. If you find that you can't get your knees down flat in a cross legged position, even with a cushion under your bottom, that already confirms that muscles in the hip/glut region are a problem.  You can put a small cushion - no higher than absolutely necessary - under the knees in that case and work towards gradually not needing it. This is probably the single most helpful thing I know of. Sitting in a chair causes the muscle fibers  in the buttocks and around the hips to shorten. There is no pain when so seated but as soon as you get up and need those muscles to lengthen a bit, it starts. Cross legged sitting by contrast gently stretches these muscles.

 

Also try to reduce amount f time sitting in chair and get more exercise in general, brisk walking is very good. I suggest you do 15 - 30 minutes brisk walking daily or at east on days you don't golf. This plus the stretched mentioned will probably work wonders.

 

 

Thanks for this, I believe having read this I have a similar condition.

 

Despite walking every morning and evening for about 30 minutes each time I feel now my leg and hips are seizing up. Between walks I pretty much sit on a kitchen chair or outside concrete bench most of the day. When I stand up, there is more and more of an effort required. I just tried sitting cross legged, something I have not done since primary school. I found it very difficult (and painful) and my knees are nowhere near the floor.

 

Harder still is getting up unaided. Almost impossible without something to pull up on or help from my wife. I am 66 and have an identical twin who has none of this nonsense, while we do share other ailments.

 

I will be googling the exercises you mention today!

 

Should I see a doctor? I have been afraid to see one during covid and I am about 6 hours travel to Bangkok and a decent doctor so have been putting it off (I have some other things to discuss if I were to go).

 

 

 

[Sheryl]

16 minutes ago, Saltire said:

Thanks for this, I believe having read this I have a similar condition.

 

Despite walking every morning and evening for about 30 minutes each time I feel now my leg and hips are seizing up. Between walks I pretty much sit on a kitchen chair or outside concrete bench most of the day. When I stand up, there is more and more of an effort required. I just tried sitting cross legged, something I have not done since primary school. I found it very difficult (and painful) and my knees are nowhere near the floor.

 

Harder still is getting up unaided. Almost impossible without something to pull up on or help from my wife. I am 66 and have an identical twin who has none of this nonsense, while we do share other ailments.

 

I will be googling the exercises you mention today!

 

Should I see a doctor? I have been afraid to see one during covid and I am about 6 hours travel to Bangkok and a decent doctor so have been putting it off (I have some other things to discuss if I were to go).

 

 

 

I can't say if you have need of a doctor for any other reason, but you don't for this. More than anything you need stretches and exercises. A doctor isn't going to be able to get you your felixibility back, you have to do that yourself. Your hip flexors in particular are badly contracted which is common in people who sit in chairs most of the time.

 

See here

https://morelifehealth.com/articles/regaining-flexibility-guide

 

lots if good exercises and stretches on that site

 

Especially seehttps://morelifehealth.com/articles/regaining-flexibility-guide#14

 

 

regarding sitting cross legged, make sure your bottom is elevated on a pillow and use pillows under your kneecaps to close the space between them and the floor You want to place them such that there is a still a slight strain (enough to get a stretch) but not too much. If you can't tolerate 15 minutes then do what you can and repeat this several times a day. It will take time but, together with the stretched above,  gradually you'll be able to sit longer and also need less high pillow under the knees. Actually getting the knees to the ground will take many months, don't worry about that now, just focus on being able to sit that way for gradually longer periods and gradually getting your knees a little lower. The stretches above will help with this. Once you are able to sit cross legged, even with cushions, make it a rule to do so every day, preferrably twice a day, perhaps while watching TV or going other activity that you would usually sit in a chair for.

 

Traditional massage, if you can find a good masseuse, will also be help and I suggest weekly until you start to loosen up then at least monthly. Local government hospital and Health centers usually offer it and those masseuses are trained

 

With this things should gradually but steadily  improve and you will also start to find it easier to get up from a sitting position. In getting up, be sure to edge forward first so that your nose is over your toes, then rise. It may also help to elevate the seat of your chairs a bit with cushions, the lower the seat the harder to get up from it.

 

 

[Lacessit]

2 hours ago, Sheryl said:

 

You do nto know the cause of the pain. Finding that out would not cost much. A simple physical exam and Xray would likely suffice.

 

From what you describe I doubt the pain is due to arthritis - you may have some amount of it, as many do as they age, but this is probably not what is causing your pain. I base this on the description (sporadic, eased once walking for a while, pain when standing for a long time, massage helps, deep ache, tightness in the quads etc). it may be  muscle tightening, often related to too much sitting in chairs and not enough exercise, that is the problem. The older we get, the quicker our muscles seize up and shorten.

 

For this, stretches and the right exercises, along with regular massage, can work wonders. Google exercises and stretches for: piriformis muscle, quadriceps, hamstrings  and  hip flexors.

 

I have a very similar problem and have been able to resolve it with stretches and  massage. With these I am pain free but if I skip these for long it recurs.

 

Another thing I find helps a great deal is to sit on the floor cross legged for at least  30 minutes, preferrably an hour, each day (can be broken into 15 minute segments if necessary). Do it at a time you'd be sitting anyhow e.g. watching TV. If you find that you can't get your knees down flat in a cross legged position, even with a cushion under your bottom, that already confirms that muscles in the hip/glut region are a problem.  You can put a small cushion - no higher than absolutely necessary - under the knees in that case and work towards gradually not needing it. This is probably the single most helpful thing I know of. Sitting in a chair causes the muscle fibers  in the buttocks and around the hips to shorten. There is no pain when so seated but as soon as you get up and need those muscles to lengthen a bit, it starts. Cross legged sitting by contrast gently stretches these muscles.

 

Also try to reduce amount f time sitting in chair and get more exercise in general, brisk walking is very good. I suggest you do 15 - 30 minutes brisk walking daily or at east on days you don't golf. This plus the stretched mentioned will probably work wonders.

 

 

Thanks very much for the advice, Sheryl. I do have a daily exercise regime of 30 minutes in addition to my morning stretches; however, it is more cardio than what you are describing.

I can definitely increase the amount of walking I do. I swim daily when I am at the condo.

Unfortunately, I am very non-flexible and am envious of the suppleness of Thais. I've never been able to sit cross-legged or touch my toes, even as a child. Having said that, your advice is well and truly printed off, for future use.

Thanks again.

 

[Sheryl]

15 minutes ago, Lacessit said:

Unfortunately, I am very non-flexible and am envious of the suppleness of Thais. I've never been able to sit cross-legged or touch my toes, even as a child. Having said that, your advice is well and truly printed off, for future use.

Thanks again.

 

 

This is your problem in a nutshell, and probably the cause of your pain. It will continue to worsen if not addressed.

 

It is not too late to start getting more supple, but it will take time and improvement will come gradually.

 

Please see my advice to Saltire. in addition to what I told him to do, start working on toe touches since you currently can't reach them. Just go down as far as you can easily get, then push yourself say 1/8 of an inch further,and  repeat 10 times. Doing this every day, you will gradually get closer and closer to your toes. Even in a single session, you will find that by the 10th rep you are getting lower than you did at first.

[Saltire]

1 hour ago, Sheryl said:

I can't say if you have need of a doctor for any other reason, but you don't for this. More than anything you need stretches and exercises. A doctor isn't going to be able to get you your felixibility back, you have to do that yourself. Your hip flexors in particular are badly contracted which is common in people who sit in chairs most of the time.

 

See here

https://morelifehealth.com/articles/regaining-flexibility-guide

 

lots if good exercises and stretches on that site

 

Especially seehttps://morelifehealth.com/articles/regaining-flexibility-guide#14

 

 

regarding sitting cross legged, make sure your bottom is elevated on a pillow and use pillows under your kneecaps to close the space between them and the floor You want to place them such that there is a still a slight strain (enough to get a stretch) but not too much. If you can't tolerate 15 minutes then do what you can and repeat this several times a day. It will take time but, together with the stretched above,  gradually you'll be able to sit longer and also need less high pillow under the knees. Actually getting the knees to the ground will take many months, don't worry about that now, just focus on being able to sit that way for gradually longer periods and gradually getting your knees a little lower. The stretches above will help with this. Once you are able to sit cross legged, even with cushions, make it a rule to do so every day, preferrably twice a day, perhaps while watching TV or going other activity that you would usually sit in a chair for.

 

Traditional massage, if you can find a good masseuse, will also be help and I suggest weekly until you start to loosen up then at least monthly. Local government hospital and Health centers usually offer it and those masseuses are trained

 

With this things should gradually but steadily  improve and you will also start to find it easier to get up from a sitting position. In getting up, be sure to edge forward first so that your nose is over your toes, then rise. It may also help to elevate the seat of your chairs a bit with cushions, the lower the seat the harder to get up from it.

 

 

Thank you very much for the advice, will check out the sites and start ASAP