Tags
Analgesic, Chronic Pain, Health, hip, Medicine, Pain management, Pharmaceutical drug, UNited States
Hi,
I have been reading through your site and felt the need to tell my story.
I have always suffered with my hip as hip dysplacia was not picked up until I was 14 (despite being taken to the doctors numerous times).
Anyway I had to have a operation then to try and reline the hip joint I think the procedure was a kiari osteotomy where I had to have my pelvis broken and moved around to make some kind of hip. This was not particularly successful and I started to take painkillers from around that time.
In 2005 at the age of 34 I had my left hip partially resurfaced with a birmingham hip and the bit in my pelvis replaced, since then I have lived with constant chronic pain, a limp,swelling around the scar that is noticable through clothes. I am always tired and cannot remember things from 1 day to the next, sometimes I take 2 lots of painkillers as I cant remember if I’ve had them.
Its awful I’m now on antidepressants to see if I will be able to cope better with the pain.
Since the operation I have repeatedly told the surgeon about the pain etc but I am told each time it’s damage from the first operation that is causing this.
I don’t believe this to be the case and all my family and friends have commented on the fact that I’m in worse health since having this done.
I have had 1 blood test 2 years ago from which I never got to know the results, but I’m back at the hospital on Monday where I will be looking for answers.
I’m not going to be fobbed off any more. I can not remember what it is like not to be in pain, but what is the most upsetting is I have 3 children who I have never been able to run around with or play football with and that I can never get back.
I really hope S&N get taken to court and have to pay for all the hardship us test experiments have had to live with.
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Earl's View 
All of us, on this site, are in sympathy with you. This-so called’ helpful proceedure
maims, so many of us, in different ways, and leaves one, unable to ‘lead the life’ we were BEFORE the orthopaedic world, grabbed us.When everyone is in denial mode,
its going to take a global REGISTRY, and free, available follow ups, with whatever is the best treatment, for the individual concerned. Only then can there be any ‘justice’
This is proving to be The biggest GLOBA/MEDICAL DISASTER of the past decade
These big comanies, need to face up,put up, and recognize the global suffering their devices have caused. Please know, that you are not alone, and at all times, will be listened to, on this Blog.so well researched, with no holds barred.
In sympathy
Jill.NZ,
Toni, I can relate to you a lot. Im not sure if you read my story but I had my right hip resurfaced with the BHR in 2009 when I was 25. It never felt right since day one and I would go and see the surgeon and complain about the noise it made and the pain. I was pretty much told I was crazy or the media was influcancing me and that there was nothing wrong with it. I started to stress my left hip more to help stop the pain and I had that hip replaced in March 2011. From walking funny for so long and stressing the left hip for awhile then the right it messed up my back and in March 2012 I had my lower back fused, L5 was taken out and part of L4 and they did a bone graft from L4 to S1, 6 screws and 2 rods. Finally in April 2012, 3 years of me complaining about the right hip they finally saw that the cup in my pelvis has broken loose. The hip surgeon is pushing to do the revision in July but the spine surgeon wont sign off saying its ok to do it until Sept. For the longest time I thought I was crazy because no doctor would believe me and I was put on anti-depressants. I have been on pain killers since I was 23 (now 28). After awhile you become use to the pain and its not the pain that makes you depressed, its that you can no longer live the life you once had and being young your mind is saying yes I can do this and your body is saying no you cant.
The best advice I can give you is stay as physically fit as possible. Listen to your body and find your limits on what you can and can not do. You know your body best. It starts to turn into a mind game after awhile, you dont want to do something that will make your body hurt but it makes you upset that you cant do what you want. So you have to weigh your odds, can you deal with the pain and do something that you didnt think you could do or deal with laying awake all night wishing you could. Me personally, I can deal with the pain…I cant deal with having my life taken away from me. Your not alone, being young and having to deal with joint replacements is not easy. I hope things start to turn around for you soon.
Bryan
Toni, The BHR and BHR Tha are both metal on metal, and yet it appears S&N is recalling only the metal liner of the R3 Acetabular cup liner — even those where the metal composition may be the same as is found in our metal cups (I have a BHR THA). The fact that S&N have opened their’ fortress door’ with the R3 recall is a very good sign,and there has to be a problem of equal concern for them in the BHR Acetabular cup. I feel it only a matter of time before they recall the BHR, because every new one that is installed today will end up costing them in the long run (My surgeon won’t use them anymore after the revisions they have necessitated.
You’re very welcome here, and you can say everything and anything you want because we are all in similar situations, in varying degrees of S&N hell.
It will get better for all of us. The truth will out. Keep the faith.
Hello, I’m a family doctor in Dallas, TX and patients need to be informed of vital key issues related to ALL pain syndromes … All Pain Syndromes … Facial Pain as in Trigeminal Neuralgia or Hip/Back pain.
This information will help folks make better informed future decisions and counsel others in the beginning of their pain journey to get the appropriate help.
1. All non-infectious/cancer pain IS caused by muscle and/or connective tissue (Myofascial) until proven otherwise. The way to prove this is by relentlessly treating it with myofascial therapies. All myofascial pain is treatable!
2. Janet G. Travell, M.D., George Stuart Hackett, M.D., C. Chan Gunn, M.D., David G. Simons and many other respected pioneers in myofascial pain therapy, noted that the joint proper will not cause stubborn short-term miserable pain. (< 3-12 months).
3. Not treating myofascial tissue pain syndromes will lead to the compromise and ultimate demise of joints, vascular and nervous tissues, thus leading to arthropathy, vascular and neuropathy; Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy and Joint Ankylosis.
4. Joint stiffness/ankylosis, scaring, degeneration and ultimate demise will be accelerated by delays in therapy, long-term ignorance and steroids into the joint space.
5. Treating chronic myofascial pain with opiates will making therapy more difficult and will make patients dependent on narcotics.
Here is a list of the most powerful myofascial therapy in order of complexity.
Massage, Wellness, Stretching, Spray and Stretch, Chiropractic manipulations, acupuncture, IMS, trigger points injections.
Stephen S. Rodrigues, MD, Dallas, TX
Dr. Rodrigues,
I agree with what you’re saying here, as my son is an LMT and is always working on the ‘fuzz’, (as he refers fascia that will not move freely). This has helped tremendously in areas of my body that have no prosthetic implants. Once they have made a ‘cyborg’ of you, that metallic/plastic/ceramic ‘part’ is not easily accessed through such alternative therapies as you mention here (He has been able to provide relief for scar tissue on my patella in my TKA, which builds up on a regular basis and my surgeons answer is to simply ‘scrape’ it out every few years at a cost of at least $2k).
It appears nothing he tries helps my THA, as it’s pretty much inaccessible. Perhaps you can direct me as to what might alleviate that hip pain and promote healing, as while I do gain some relief from pain for a spell from acupuncture, it has no lasting effect (And only slows the degenerative process, per my acupuncturist. And while I get Chiropractic adjustments for my lower lumbar region (a secondary symptom of compensating for a failing hip), he won’t go near my hip (and I wouldn’t let him — they are easily dislocated. There is nothing he can do for my fake knee that is not me, but seemingly has to before me to heal (or so I’m told). It’s just so hard to make friends with metal, so I focus on the junction between metal and bone. Thoughts?
Lastly, may I ask you, what therapy is best recommended for degenerative arthritis in joints that are yet to be replaced (which local doctors are ready to replace after a few visits and pictures — (hey, it’s a big sale)! I have heard of Prolotherapy, for instance, but know no one who has employed it so can’t verify its efficacy. My son’s deep tissue massage isn’t slowing the deterioration of arthritis in The Last Hip Working, and now my right shoulder looks like the surface of the moon (yes, they have titanium shoulders — and elbows, and ankles — every major joint has an artificial implantable solution. Step right up! The greatest invention since the bread slicer! Yous for the very low price of &20k! Buy now and we’ll throw in a second joint for free.
OK, sorry about those digressions but I’m trying to humor myself in the face of what has been and continues to be a horrible experience. I’ve been extremely angry about this chicanery with this wonderful metalosis/necrosis issue, and I fear it may be standing in the way of my healing.
Thanks for your help, and I hope we hear back from you!
Here is your …. HELP=Help Eliminate Long-term Pain.
Now that you will be empowered with the truth … no one can take advantage of your destiny.
Revisit all the myofascial therapy.
Find all your tender points along the muscle, ligament and tendon bands. The massage or tissue specialist or yourself will be able to locate them. They all have to be deactivated either with manual labor or with needles.
Have your acupuncturist needle ALL of your “ouchy” points or ah-shi points or tender points. They maybe a little reluctant to use so many needles and points, but they’ll have to get over this misunderstanding. Traditional Acupuncturist have protocols they follow, but they will have to take off the gloves and start punching away. I will do dozens per visit, as many as the pts can tolerate or need. Some points will feel a warm relief in the tissues and others will feel like a knife is being twisted in the tissue. I know because I do acupuncture on my self. As long as you communicate you discomfort to the therapist … going slow or super-slow will hold the discomfort to less than 3-4/10 level. Some important or potent points will have no pain at all … that is healthy/healthier tissues and the practitioner can just do what is needed to release the tissues.
This is a big issue that some patients can not get over that he ouchy points are areas of sick tissue and need to be addressed. Note … activating these tissue could uncover more dormant sick tissues and you might see an upswing in the pain. This has to be done. Weekly visits … for the next few months.
Add magnesium to your system with oral magnesium, I like the proteinated forms.
Soaking in Epsom Salts will get the mag in the system thru the skin.
Heat/Ice-Stretch-Massage.
Take out any poisons from the body that slow or reverse the healing process. The most common offender are opiates, cholesterol and osteoporosis meds.
One other issue is FM and Polymyalgia Rheumatica. They are ruthlessly corrupting and must be addressed in non-responders … keep your eyes peeled for these.
See my wellness suggestions below and get started today.
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1l_hZZcgst-q7iCcGVk1vTbu1egwKzJPTrepZMDCDia8/edit?authkey=CNK7i-AM
Check the American Academy of Med Acupuncture
http://www.medicalacupuncture.org/findadoc/index.html
And
Istop
http://www.istop.org/practitioners.html
These folks will get you started … if you don’t see gradual improvements at about 5-10% per visit … something is bogging down the
healing process.
Regards
Dr Rod
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