Kickas.org Forums Ankylosing Spondylitis General Discussion #1 AS Web Support Group Hip involvement in AS

Hello,

I've read an article saying that hip involvement predicts more severe disease. But I'm not sure, though, what hip involvement means exactly - is it radiographic damage, persistent pain, need for hip replacement?

I have occasional bursitis-like pain in the hip area, so I'm wondering...

Thanks

Im not diagnosed yet but l get hip pain at times l cant even touch the affected hip!!! Good luck x sorry l cant help you more x

I hope that's not correct....

My AS started with severe hip involvement. I had to undergo hip resurfacing in the left hip 10 years ago at the age 20. Now the second hip is acting up and its really difficult to walk for long or lay on the sides.

Ankush

I REALLY hope this is not correct!

Pretty much my only AS symptoms have ranged from mild to severe hip involvement the 4 years or so I've been dealing with this. The pain starts with achiness in my SI, and eventually inflames all of my muscles surrounding my lower back, buttocks, piriformis, thigh, and feels like I cannot put any weight on my hip socket, and felt like my ball and socket would crash through eachother. My muscles would also constantly flinch and would be so sore that any slight movement just so would cause all of those muscles to seize and feel like knives were stabbing me. I constantly had to stretch out those muscles to get minor, very temporary relief. Lying on my back on a hard surface felt like I had bones in my lower back locked the h*ll up and was very painful. It was straight up misery.

I have not shown any remarkable x-ray damage, so I was diagnosed as having just a spondylarthropy or pre-AS.

I have had a few short (a few months at most) of remission throughout those 4 years, with MAJOR flares which caused me to limp and not be able to roll over in bed without agony maybe about 3 times a year, lasting about a week or longer.

I realize this is not the NSD part of the forum, but I have to say that going No Starch has allowed me to have my second longest remission thus far. I am about 99% pain free, most of the time. Last night I did SIT-UPS!!!

Anyway, I wish the best with your journey.

P.S. I have read others such as DeniD say that they can not even touch their hip when in a flare. I never found that the be the case. Touching or even applying pressure with my fingers never hurt me more, just any weight-bearing or basically walking, standing, sitting, laying down, etc deep inside my hip bothered it. Everyone is different I guess.

Is it actually your hip? or the edge of the pelvic bones? For me the pain when lying on my side that can get really quite severe is definitely coming from the edge of the pelvic (iliac?) bone, and not the actual hip joint. I also do get some pain near the top of the femur, but I think that is where the muscle joins onto bone so could be more enthesitis than actually "hip joint" pain.

Hi its not the whole hip area l cant touch its just parts... l also get lower stomach pain off it and if lm walking the heels of my feet hurt and l end up walking like lm crippled!! Im a bit confused about what actially is the hip area the nurse told me its the pelvic area cos l thought it was the top of the leg well it looks like the top of the leg on diagrams lol ( sited at top of side of legs that is) hope your all doing ok??? x

Hello, Euphilos:



Well, I would state it a different way: Hip involvement in AS not only predicts but it is a part of the more severe disease presentation, since it is non-axial. The majority of people who require medical help for AS will usually experience some level of hip involvement.

Typically, this is an erosive bursitis that can result in necrosis and even joint fusion.

At times, my hips were so bad I was unable to walk, and when I forced it, I got a bleeding that resulted in a very odd rectangular bruise on my inner thigh. It was odd. Most of the time the bursitis was just a nuisance and I would have to lift my leg with my hands to put it in the car, as the nerve reaction to the pain would not allow ease of movement in that direction.

Good to get out of inflammation and not experience this anymore! I once fasted for 11 days and then took antibiotics on top of the last 2 days extended for a while. Since then the bursitis has never returned (it probably thinks I am too crazy...I am!).

Don't let this inflammation go too long!

HEALTH,
John

Sometimes when our SI is inflamed, the pain can radiate outward toward the buttock and hip area. It can be hard to tell where the pain is coming from. I get pain from my SI, and a bursitis like pain that bothers me when I lie on my side. The worst hip pain I get is when I have been on my feet a lot or going down stairs. It will feel like the hip is dislocating and it is being stabbed with an ice pick deep inside the joint. I have to take the weight off that leg and wait a few minutes for the pain to calm down. I think it is some sort of muscle spasm. Putting an ice pack on the SI helps as does using Flector patches all the time.

DOn't know what that means. Seems to be a generalized statement that has little relevance. If you judge by me and early hip pain and early radiologoical changes you would say it is accurate.

Other with serious AS progression may have had no hip fusion or as in my mother's case very limited in the way of radiological changes but AS manifesting in other ways.

I wouldn't use the presence of absence of hip pain or radiological changes in that area as the determining factor in assessing my or anyone's AS.

I have hip involvement but mild AS overall. It wouldn't be true in my case. There could be a tendency in that direction though. This disease seems to be so individualized.

Craig