A former college athlete at Oklahoma Baptist University, Eric Williams played basketball since he was five years old. And like many athletes, he had gotten used to pushing his body to the limits, playing through injury and experiencing chronic pain for years – even after substituting his sneakers for work shoes.
Living with pain
A former college athlete at Oklahoma Baptist University, Eric Williams played basketball since he was five years old. And like many athletes, he had gotten used to pushing his body to the limits, playing through injury and experiencing chronic pain for years – even after substituting his sneakers for work shoes.
Until one day, it caught up to him.
He first started feeling a burning, sharp pain in his hip that he thought might be a strain, in part from his playing days and also from lifting heavy weights in the gym. Then the pain spread to his glutes and grew to his groin – to the point that he could barely walk. His family and friends began to notice how Eric was gritting in pain to get through daily life.
At 42 years old and as a father of two girls, he was too young with too many people depending on him to be so burdened with debilitating pain.
A simple, surprising solution
A visit to his primary care doctor, followed by an MRI, showed arthritis and bone-on-bone contact wearing his hip thin. After a referral to INTEGRIS Health Orthopedics, Eric learned that he was eligible for a hip replacement.
“It was surprising,” Eric says. “It wasn’t on my radar that would be the solution. A hip replacement is something I thought only people in their 70s get… but I was hurting. It was just consistent and hurt all the time.”
“Just because one is younger doesn’t mean you have to suffer,” adds Thomas Hsing, M.D., an orthopedic surgeon with INTEGRIS Health Medical Group.
While Hsing wasn’t Eric’s doctor, Hsing says he sees more and more younger patients living through pain who could benefit from a hip replacement in their 40s and 50s rather than waiting until later.
“Advancements in medical technology like longer-lasting implants and minimally invasive surgical techniques make joint replacement a viable option earlier in life when recovery is easier.”
Instant relief
For Eric, the impact was immediate. He no longer felt the daily pain he lived through for years. And after four weeks of physical therapy, he made a full recovery from surgery and returned to work at INTEGRIS Health Mental Health Spencer, where he works as a behavioral health supervisor.
It’s now been over ten years since Eric received his hip replacement, and he says he’s still going strong. In fact, the hip replacement has also improved other aspects of his life, including severe back pain that went away because he was no longer favoring his hip while walking. He’s also seen a difference in his own mental health.
“That kind of pain takes a toll. Mentally, it was a huge burden,” Eric says. “It affected my mood that I couldn’t do the things I liked to do anymore. I definitely recommend getting a hip replacement done, especially if you’re someone who’s younger, who’s trying to put it off and in pain, because you can get back to doing the things you were doing before.”
Should you consider a hip replacement?
Check out this article for more information on the benefits to consider – from ease of recovery and the opportunity to regain mobility during demanding years of life. A hip replacement in your 40s and 50s might just be the ticket to a new normal and a life without pain.
INTEGRIS Health Medical Group Orthopedics treat the following: Foot, Ankle, Lower leg, Knee, Upper leg, Hip, Back, Neck, Spine Hand, Wrist, Forearm, Elbow, Upper arm, Shoulder and Collarbone.
