A quick dip in the pool can help ease pain in your troublesome hip

YOU might recently have read about Gladys Hermiston-Hooper, who died after living to the incredible age of 113.

I was amazed to read, though, that Gladys had received a hip replacement after a fracture only last year.

That would have been an emergency operation, but deciding the best time for a hip replacement in a patient with arthritis can be more difficult to judge.

A patient of mine has osteo-arthritis in her hip. Some days are better than others, but it has been flaring up over the past few months.

The cartilage around her hip has worn down over time. Loss of the shock-absorbing cartilage means the bones rub against each other. Painful.

An X-ray revealed wee bony spurs – osteophytes – developing in the ball and socket in the hip joint, as well as loss of the joint space which should contain cartilage.

Some people don’t want to exercise once told about osteo-arthritis thinking it’ll make things worse.

In fact, having fit and healthy muscles can help ease the strain on the affected joint. Walking is good, while swimming is ideal. It’s best to try and keep to a healthy weight too. Painkillers like paracetamol can help, as can anti-inflammatories like ibuprofen, though these can cause troublesome side effects, particularly in older folk.

Then there is hip replacement, which is very good when it comes to easing the associated pain.

But there are always risks with surgery and artificial joints won’t last forever – eventually, after several years, they may need replaced.

So, typically, your doctor will want to hold on until your life is significantly affected – otherwise you could need to go through another op.