confused and worried - Knee & Hip Problems Message Board

jimmyhonda · 11-02-2005, 07:12 PM

Please help here, because I am feeling all by myself - confused and worried.

do people have thr because they have osteoarthritis in their hips - where cartilages is loss? isn't there another alternatives to having thr like taking glucosamine, transplanting cartilages in the affected area?

I've read articles in the net about a study taken where some group has taken a placebo drug, and the other group with glucomainme, and the results showed that people who took glucoamine were more mobile and blah blah blah than the placebo. Is this REALLY true?????

then there is a case where people undergo some sort of theraphy can't remember the name where they don't take NSAIDS because you need the PAIN so that your body can "cure" itself.

are those articles just "FALSE" information?

then there's this guy who has cartilages transplanted in his right hip.

I really wanted surgery to be my last restort. i am 28 and too have osteoarthritis in my hip.

I always have dreams that I can walk again... right now I rely on crutches to avoid any deteriortion and pain in my right leg.

Ripanco · 11-03-2005, 06:52 AM

Hey Jimmy,
You are not alone, nearly everyone here has been in the same boat you are now. But if you need crutches to just walk, it sounds to me like you are already at 'your last resort'.

I took glucosamine/chondroiton for years and yes it helped for a while. but it can not fix what is wrong with your hip. I would quess you are far past getting any relief at this point. Most of the other 'treatments' you have mentioned have very little/scattered success, only in some cases. I spent nearly 2 years checking into all the different 'cures' for OA, just like you. I tried many of them. In the long run, it was the surgery that gave me my life back. I only wish I had done it sooner.

I do think that you need to look into hip resurfacing which should be aproved in this country soon. It is already being done in a few places here, and it is supose to be good for younger paitients.

Try not to think of hip relacement/resurfacing as a horrible last resort. For me it has been a miracle. Your dream of walking again can be a reality. And if you are careful with your new hip, it can last a long, long time now a days!

Point of interest here for all ya guys-my dad had a hip replaced when he was 51 yrs old. He is now 83, has the same hip which has done well for him. He wasn't a couch potatoe either, he was a professional ski instructor and hiked/climbed some pretty big mountains with his new hip. Hope I can have some of that good luck!!

Tobias · 11-03-2005, 04:14 PM

Glucosamine has been demonstrated to help some people with the pain of OA. It's action isn't well understood but it is worth a try for the possibility that it will help some with arthritis pain. It is not a cure, however.

Regrowth of cartilage is not a current choice for OA treatment. Maybe some day in the future, it will become a practical reality, but not now.

Using crutches to relieve pain is a very good idea.

I'm not familiar with any strategy for OA pain relief that fits the description you give in your sentence about curing yourself.

Please look at these and other alternative treatments in the clear light of day. If any one of them worked even half as well as patients hope, the surgical solution might no longer be necessary. The reality is still that surgery remains the last best treatment for the arthritic hip joint. Fortunately, longer-lasting bearing materials (specifically ceramic and metal/metal) are now available which is good news for young OA sufferers such as yourself.