Question
I have a total hip replacement and was doing well until two months ago when I began to get bad pain in the hip area (probably after doing too much with too much energy) Xrays show the hip to be perfect but I am now hobbling badly again because of the pain. Surgeon thought it might be my back which is pretty bad but not troubling me. He has injected cortisone. I feel that it is muscle tone or bone still growing around the shaft. I am a very active eighty and swim daily but do not want to be crippled like this. Any ideas?

Answer
Hello Elizabeth

First of all, much of this depends on how long you have had your hip in place.  If it's been more than 10 years, you might want to ask your doctor to take an arthrogram to see if there is any loosening of the prosthesis.  Sometimes loosening cannot be seen in an x-ray.

If loosening is not a problem, it may be that you just overdid things and pulled a muscle or tendon.  We hip patients feel pain, our reaction is sometimes one of fright that something is wrong with the replacement, when in actuality it is the tendons or muscles surrounding the prothesis.

If there is no loosening, and your doctor feels it may be muscle tone, ask to be referred to a physical therapist for exercises to address that problem.

Best of luck to you

Sharon Davis