Hip Pain ReliefOne way to, at least, delay the need for hip surgery is through hip pain relief. Managing the amount of pain you’re experiencing, in itself, won’t stop the progression of the disease, let alone cure it, but it might mean you can postpone that operation. If you are taking any over the counter medication or any supplements on a regular basis it is important to let your doctor and pharmacist know. Medicines and supplements have side effects. As examples both aspirin and ginko biloba have anticoagulant properties (they thin the blood). Your doctor needs to be aware what you are regularly taking so that she can prescribe pain relief that is both effective and safe. If a single medication doesn't prove to be effective your doctor can, and probably, will prescribe two different medications in order to get the most effective hip pain relief.
Pain killers Called analgesics by medics(from the latin an = without and algos = pain). They come in three main forms
For pain without inflammation Paracetamol (known in the US as acetaminophen) is the most widely used analgesic for non-inflammatory pain. These work simply by masking the pain and you must take care not to push yourself to hard as you will not be receiving the usual pain signals telling you to stop. However you need to work out a good compromise between too much and too little as regular exercise is important – just don’t over do it. For pain with inflammation Other side effects of NSAID include stomach ulcers and damage to the kidneys NSAID work on two enzymes called COX-1 and COX-2 (COX is short for cyclooxygenase). COX-2 is responsible for the feeling of pain caused by arthritis. Whilst COX-1 protects the stomach lining. So taking traditional NSAIDs can lead to stomach problems. The newer versions, called selective COX-2 inhibitors, work only on the COX-2 enzyme leaving the COX-1 enzyme in place to do its work. COX-2 inhibitors don’t give a better level of pain relief than COX-1s but they do lessen the chances of incurring a stomach ulcer. It is because of the feelings of well-being they create that they are regularly sold on the black market. The other downsides are that they are addictive and they become less effective with time but taken over a short period of time they are very effective. Examples are tramadol and codeine. Different doctors have strong opinions about which to use. My GP immediately took me off the codeine I’d been prescribed in hospital replacing it with tramadol.
Corticosteroids have a strong anti-inflammatory effect. They work by suppressing the formation of prostaglandins – which are pain producing compounds. They are frequently used in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis if NSAIDs aren’t effective. However they must be used with caution as the can cause further damage to the bones (osteoporosis) in the joint and are associated with weight gain and lower resistance to infections. Serious side effects may occur with long-term or heavy use. These include stomach ulcers, avascular necrosis and osteoporosis. Although it is common to inject these directly into the knee (intra articular) for people with knee problems it is much more difficult to give an injection into the hip joint. This is because the joint is much deeper and results can be unpredictable. Using fluoroscopy (a continuous X-ray) to guide the injection is recommended. Capsaicin works by depleting or interfering with a chemical called substance P. This chemical is involved in the transmission of pain impulses to the brain. For effective hip pain relief it needs to be taken for about two weeks before becoming effective and is not suitable for everyone especially pregnant/breast feeding mothers, people prone to skin irritation or who have a rash or broken skin. In the UK it is only available on prescription. Most studies have shown that, especially in combination, these two products can be as effective as ibuprofen in relieving pain but without the side effects. Neither is available through the NHS. Advocates of the products emphasise the need for long-term use.
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