Hip and Knee Problems
Most arthritics will tell you that hip and knee arthritis is the worst of all pain. I used to tell my chiropractor that the pain was in the middle of my buttocks and he would shake his head and say there were no joints in that area. Then it spread into my pelvic region and everything seized right up, the same for the groin for men. It can go down the front bundle of nerves on the thigh to the knee and I had no idea what was happening. I know I had lower lumbar pain, osteoarthritis. Then my knees went berserk on me and my left knee had to have arthroscopy. My right knee is now showing the same business, as it cannot bend or rotate or do much without me wincing. Both knees have recently had cortisone shots to help relieve the pain.
If the pain was in my lower back and referred down the back bundle of nerves in my legs then it would most likely be a pinched nerve. Accompanied by numbness or tingling it would be very disconcerting, but guess what? I have had both sets of symptoms. So now I am undergoing more tests to determine if it is my hips or my lower back or what? I feel like a pin cushion.
If you have hip disease you might have a limp because one leg might be shorter than the other. Your gait is slightly off because you walk with a limp and you might need the assistance of a cane to help you get around. Because of the pelvic or groin pain you will not be able to walk very far and it will get worse. You will have to cut back on golfing or other activities with walking or bending because of the hip pain.
Your doctor will start you off on NSAIDS and you might also get anti-inflammatory medication. That is fine because this pain does not go away willingly. Bed rest, heat treatments and heating pads are your best friends. Take the time to rest and do stay home from work for a while. Go on sick leave with the doctor's note because you have no idea how long this is going to take.
Regarding the awkward gait, I am a retired teacher. On staff we had a lovely ESL teacher from Egypt who had a very noticeable gait problem and for years she was in pain. She finally had the hip replacement surgery and is walking like a teenager now. But her daughter, in her late 40's has the exact same problem, the up and down gait, and she is in dire pain. She can't have the hip replacement surgery until she is in her 60's because it is offered only once.