Confused about Bone on Bone Hip and TMS

I've been integrating the TMS process into my life since 2017. I've seen some big improvements in osteoarthritis pain, chronic dizziness, migraines, gut symptoms, and my thinking (i.e., much less catastrophizing and fearful ruminating over symptoms). A miracle in so many ways.

However, the situation with my right hip snuck up on me and it's throwing me for a loop. So I'd like your feedback.

HISTORY

I'm 68 and have osteoarthritis along with other health issues, but that's been the easiest type of symptom for me to address with TMS. In fact, three years ago, I had severe left hip pain for months and when the MRI showed nothing really wrong, I just used my TMS process and eventually it went away (despite the "hip" specialist saying it's from degenerative discs in my low back and I should see a specialist).

CURRENT HIP ISSUE

But now, it's my right hip. Over the past six months, I've been doing gentle online walk at home, and lateral movements with my right hip hurt, but the pain would go away when I stopped the exercise for the day.

Six weeks ago, the pain was in my groin and around the top of my leg. It had become much worse, but still I continued exercising and also walking aerobically outside. Then, I went on a cruise and in a defiant effort, walked up and down the steps instead of taking the elevator.

Despite using my TMS process, the pain had become constant and excruciating. A month ago, I stopped exercising and hoped it would calm down, but just got worse. My TMS process disappeared at that point as I just didn't know if it was structural.

Two weeks ago, I got an x-ray and MRI. The x-ray was fine, but the MRI showed a fracture in the femoral head and hip joint arthrosis with high grade cartilage loss, etc. So my primary sent me to a Orthopedic surgeon who I saw yesterday.

MRI REPORT FINDINGS

1. Hip joint arthrosis with high-grade cartilage loss on both sides of the joint line with subchondral insufficiency fracture/ischemia of the femoral head and associated adjacent edema and stress reaction in the medial acetabulum

2. Moderate joint effusion and synovitis

THE ORTHOPEDIC SURGEON'S DIAGNOSIS

He took his own xray and immediately said I had bone on bone arthritis and need a hip replacement. I asked about the fracture and he didn't see it on the xray, but after looking at the mri said it wasn't significant.

MAYBE IT IS TMS!

I asked if the pain meant I was damaging the hip and he said no. I asked what would happen if I didn't do the surgery and he said I'd just be in a lot of pain and unable to do what I want to do.

He gave me prednisone, but it's a higher dose than I'm comfortable with, so I'm not going to take it (took a medrol pack from primary a few weeks ago and it made no difference).

WHY I'M CONFUSED

I'm confused as to why the original x-ray tech said all was normal and this doc saw such severe issues on his own x-ray. And strange his minimizing the fracture. (I had researched him and he had lots of good reviews and my primary said they had excellent patient experience with all the ortho's in that practice.)

I've searched this wiki and have seen some people who have been successful with TMS in other areas eventually get the surgery for this and it really helped them.

But it's so sudden that I don't know what to think.

FEEDBACK REQUEST

If I walk small steps and slowly, it's just a dull ache, so I'm not going to do anything about it right now. But I'd really appreciate any feedback you may have.

Also, does anyone know if there's a TMS MD who does second opinions and will look at the xray and MRI for a fee?

(@Dorado if you had any thoughts, I would really appreciate your feedback.)

Thanks so much,
Susan B.

 

Hi Susan.
I just read your story and though you are a bit older than me, and have had some different 'stuff' one of Sarno's axioms came to me reading your story and confusion
"Therapeutic eclecticism equals diagnostic incompetence"
Meaning what most of us had experience when we showed up here... a lot of 'professionals' with different solutions to different alleged problems and not even agreeing on the problems.

I've heard of this 'bone on bone' diagnosis...that's what my hips used to feel like when I had TMS... more than once I asked a doc "are you sure it's my back....the hip hurts worse". Remember, a little ischemia can cause all sorts of symptoms anywhere below the waist and I have had them all....burning feel, aching hips, spasms by the groin. Remember he said it was a 'regional' process?

Also...I have never been on a cruise..maybe that's a good thing. Remember Sarno himself got TMS when his wife wanted him to take her on the cruise he promised... he realized that even in his eighties, he didn't want to take a vacation... he wanted to stay home and start his next book! But, it took him a lot of reflection to get there...many of his vignettes about peoples TMS surround vacations. I had a relapse when I took my only vacation in the last 20 years and went and played a baseball tourney in Iowa....field of dream! with my son! Like the movie! and then on the ride home....ouch my hip hurts!!!!

If I knew i had a history of TMS I'd be slow to take any symptoms serous as 'real'. My mom was skiing into her mid eighties and died around 90 and never had any pain... she also was alexathymic and had NO emotions whatsoever. I wish I had inherited THAT gene (just kidding)

just some thoughts

 

do you have bone marrow edema with your fracture? my sister had that when she fractured her hip

 

OMG @Baseball65! I completely forgot that I did NOT want to go on the cruise. I literally started laughing when I read that in your post. Wow. Yeah. Thank you so much. And I agree with you about taking symptoms seriously. That's why, for six months (maybe more), I just ignored them and kept on going.

But finally I wanted to know if it was structural or TMS. I'm leaning toward TMS. And I so appreciate your sharing your thoughts and experience. Very helpful to me. Thank you.

 

Thanks for asking, Jane. (I forgot to put the findings from the MRI so I just added it.) About edema, it states, "associated adjacent edema and stress reaction in the medial acetabulum" but I don't know what that means or if it's the same as what you're asking. But the fracture, which the doctor dismissed, was on the femur head.

 

That means that the bone marrow next to the fracture is swollen -- very painful condition, from what I've heard!! Perhaps the doctor didn't hear your question about the importance of the fracture? I hope you feel better soon!!! I know someone at my community center who had a fracture, not sure what type, but also with the edema to the bone marrow. He rested for a few months and it healed. My relative had a replacement. ok, good wishes

 

I am 78. Aging naturally brings less flexibility and pain with overuse. Our bodies are wearing out. However the psychological factor still needs to be addressed. The stress associated with aging is a tms trigger and will contribute to your symptoms. It may be the cause of the symptom, but it could also be contributing. It is a worry to have to be alert to every ache and pain that arises. It helps to consider a psychological cause.