Well the Prognosis is in.....

Today’s News:

Yup, I now know what is causing the hip pain. Dr. called me yesterday (I had my x-ray’s done on Wednesday) and she said that I have a MILD case of osteoarthritis. So at least I know what it is now and I can move on. Thank goodness it is mild as I cannot imagine the pain folks go through that have a severe case of it. What I’ve felt in the last two weeks is pretty intense (on some days).

So of course I’m in Google first thing this morning trying to find everything I can about this issue and it looks like I’m already on the way to treating it the right way (sorry this could be a long post).

So what is Osteoarthritis of the Hip?

(From Merck Frosst website) Osteoarthritis is the gradual breakdown of the material, called cartilage, that covers the joint. Cartilage is a tough elastic material that acts as a shock absorber. In osteoarthritis, the cartilage becomes thinner and may even disappear in some places. When this happens, bone rubs against bone, causing pain. Under this weakened cartilage, the bone tries to regenerate and forms growths, called spurs or osteophytes. The joint may become deformed, larger, and lose its mobility. Although we still have a lot to learn about the causes of osteoarthritis of the hip, we do know that it is more common in people over the age of 45, after a joint injury caused by an accident, sports injury or physical labour, under certain hereditary conditions, or as a result of certain diseases that change the characteristics of the cartilage or the shape of the joint. The hip is a complex joint where the head of the femur, which is the thighbone, attaches to the pelvic girdle.

The symptoms appear gradually. The pain is felt in the groin and the inner part of the thigh. Sometimes it can be felt in the buttocks and the sciatic area. The pain first occurs with mobilization (movement) of the joint, and then, depending on the duration and seriousness of the osteoarthritis, it may even occur at rest or at night. There may be stiffness in the morning when you get up or after a period of inactivity. Loss of range of motion may make it difficult to walk, stand, sit, stand up, go up and down stairs, and put on your shoes and socks. You may develop a limp, and sexual relations may be painful.

This was a comment from the MayoClinic website that I truly didn’t like: Osteoarthritis is a degenerative disease that worsens over time. As many as a third of people with osteoarthritis will eventually experience significant disability. Joint pain and stiffness may become severe enough to make getting through the day difficult, if not impossible. Some people are no longer able to work. When joint pain is this severe, doctors typically suggest joint replacement surgery. For those who aren't able to undergo surgery, pain medications and assistive devices can make daily tasks more manageable.

I hate the fact that this may get worse. So I’m going to do my best to fix what I can to prevent the above from happening (if it is at all possible). I’m not into prescription drugs of any kind so will try to find natural solutions to help me out. Since I was starting up my personal “challenge” starting August 31st, I’ve been faithfully taking all my supplements which include Flax and Fish Oil, Primrose Oils, Duo’s 369, MSM, Calcium, Vitamins, Enzymes, and a few others (yes I have a full mitt to take before I eat). And in some of my reading these are all good things to help with the lubrication and inflammation. In the last week I’ve started the joint meds from the health store to help get the inflammation down and quite honestly I think it is working. I actually woke up last night in the middle of the night laying on my right side and almost pain free – I was quite happy about that. Today it is sore but not painful. And I used to be stupid enough to start walking again because I feel better (I always called being stubborn). But I think I’ve learned my lesson that I need to have at least 5 days of pain free before I start my impact cardio again if I can (will see what the DR says at my meeting with her next week). So once I get the inflammation under control I am going to start on the Glucosamine and Chondroitin supplements (more stuff to take J ). I suspect it is going to be a trial and error, if it works, I continue with it, if it doesn’t, I try something else.

And Exercise is going to be key. Once the inflammation is down, I’ve got to get into the Pilates and Yoga – I’ve talked about it the last two weeks that it was something I needed to start to gain back my flexibility and there it is in my face in the websites I’ve reviewed this morning– it is highly recommended to add this in. And once I get the flexibility a little better, I can add the strength training back. And it looks like I should start swimming J

OK, this is long enough and I probably could keep typing so if you have made it this far, thanks for sharing in my journey.

Hope you have a fantastic day and make smart choices (and keep moving J)

Ttyl

Sandra