Question
I have been diagnosed with arthritis in the hip and also sciolosis.  Normally these do not give me too much trouble, but on occasion, (i.e. when I have been sleeping or sitting in a certain position) the joint at the top of my leg (groin area) locks.  
The pain is excrutiating, and the only way I can get back to normal is to push myself through the pain barrier and force myself to hobble down the corridor.  Sometimes the pain is so severe that I become dizzy. On one occasion this did not work so I had to call the doctor, who gave me an injection.  By evening I was back to normal.
My question is, am I doing the right thing in forcing myself to walk when this happens, and is this the best way to make the joint go back into position, or are there any exercises which would help?
Many thanks.

Answer
Dear Christine,

I am sorry about your hip pain. The key to your problem actually lies in the diagnosis.
You indicated that you have arthritis in the hip, as well as scoliosis.  Pain that is generated by the hip is typically felt in the groin and, at times, in the lower back.

There is a good possibility that your pain is caused by your hip degenerative arthritis, and not the scoliosis.

Degenerative joint disease of the hip can result in fragmentation of cartilage and other joint materials.  As a result, when you have pain and locking up of the hip, it is probably due to the movement of damaged tissues within the joint space of the hip, causing impingement.  When the tissue shifts out of the way of the joint space, the pain goes away.

Of course, this is just a thought.

What you have to remember, however, is that the hip doesn't "go in or out of position."  Instead, as stated above, the degenerated bone and cartilage tissue causes the joint to lock up.

If walking helps you to shift the damaged tissues in such a way to ease your pain, you are fine to do so, but you need to remember that it does nothing to cure your condition.  The injections of steroids, although they help you to feel better, over time actually add to the degenerative arthritis.  You can only have so many of them.

You need to consult with an orthopedic doctor to get a true diagnosis and to evaluate as to whether or not you need a hip replacement.

I hope that this helps you to better understand your condition/arthritic degeneration.

Keith Biggs, DC
http://www.eastmesachiropractor.com