At 51, I took my body’s capabilities for granted. I ran for much of my 30s and 40s, then, when depleted hormones sapped my energy, I moved to hiking, Hiit sessions, weights and yoga.
I felt occasional twinges, but nothing concerning, until one twinge became an ache that turned, in spring 2023, into a searing, stop-you-in-your tracks pain through my lower back, groin and knee. No specific onset event, just a body that said: no. My GP thought sciatica and referred me to a physiotherapist, who issued exercise routines to do for eight weeks. A month later I couldn’t walk or even sit in some positions. Sleep was impossible. My dog, used to hours of cross-country japes together, regarded my shuffling, groaning doppelganger with concern. An osteopath advised an MRI scan and X-ray. These revealed severe, widespread cartilage tears and cysts in my right hip: a diagnosis of osteoarthritis.
