Delaying Hip replacement Surgery

I have had pain in my hip for about a year, not constantly but sometimes it was severe. I tried hot and cold compresses, wraps, and anti-inflammatories. Sometimes the pain would be in the hip, sometimes in the knee or the groin. It was progressing so on the urging of my better half, i went to see an orthopedic surgeon. He took a few x rays and informed me that I had a bad case of arthritis and should have my hip replaced. Not what i wanted to hear. It is my left hip and I suffered various injuries to my left leg over the years. I had broken my left ankle twice as a teenager, tore the cartilage in my left knee and shot a nail through my left knee cap. This all contributed to me favoring my right side, causing my hips to rotate un-naturally and develop arthritis.

My Options.

Not many according to the surgeon. Full hip replacement or possibly a resurfacing. I'll try to explain the difference. A full replacement is where they go in and cut the thigh bone and install a metal rod down the inside of the bone. Then they add a ball to the rod and a cup in the socket and you're good to go. A resurfacing is about the same except they just reshape the bone ball and cap it with a new ball and place a cup in the socket. A little less evasive. Anyway, since I'm 59 years old and still in decent shape and not overweight, I'm a candidate for a resurface. Still not what I wanted to hear. Because i still work on construction sites, I would be out for 3-6 months. Not going to happen.

My Research.

I started searching the net and found that there is no cure, miracle or otherwise, for arthritis. So not wanting to have the surgery at this time, I needed to find a way to make the hip function without all the pain. Since my hips were rotated and twisted, my first thought was a chiropractor. I've used them in the past with decent results. If I could get my hips back in line, i was sure it would help. another system of a bad hip is that certain muscles in your leg, particularly, the inner thigh, begin to atrophy, cause weakness, which contributes to the instability of the joint. So my next step should be to strengthen the muscles. This was my plan.

My Progress.

I found a good chiropractor on the recommendation of a friend. I explained what my objective was and after an x ray he understood. He admitted that this wouldn't be a cure for the arthritis, but having my hips in line would help. I started seeing him once a week and the first few adjustments were not easy. it seemed as if my hips were locked into this bad position. But in time they got easier and now I only see him once a month to keep things in the right place.

The second part of my program was to strengthen the muscles. I couldn't do any regular exercises, like squats or even riding a bike so I needed something that would strengthen and stretch at the same time. The answer to this was yoga. I took it slow at first, but now i do it almost daily. There are a few shows on TV and I have a few CDs. It has made a big difference. The muscle tone is returning and I have more flexibility. I've been at this for about 2 months and have made decent progress. I still have some bad days, but I'm able to work and walk around without being in severe pain. So for me, this is good

My Disclaimer.

I'm not a doctor, nor did any doctor recommend this program. It's something I thought was worth a shot. If you are overweight or out of shape, your first step would be to drop the weight. Less weight should equate to less pain. I'll probably have to have the surgery sometime down the road, but I don't feel it's pressing at this point. And that's what I wanted. Will it work for anyone in this situation? I can't say. Everyone is different, in different shape with a different pain tolerance. I just wasn't ready to go under the knife and though I'd share my experience. If you are facing this, talk to your doctor and do some research. You never know what's out there.