That Lingering Hip Pain Might Be More Than Just Ageing or From Activity

Madam Ang Hui San had been feeling pain in her right hip since her late 20s, but for years, she told herself it was nothing more than a minor inconvenience.

- Amrita Kaur

It flared up when she walked long distances, carried heavy bags or lifted her leg to step onto a platform.

After the birth of her second child in 2021, the pain worsened. "It became more intense and frequent. The pain also got worse with increased activity levels. There were times when I had to limp," says the 41-year-old senior executive in a government agency.

Madam Ang tried acupuncture and visited a chiropractor, but neither provided relief. She then sought a referral to a specialist at Alexandra Hospital.

There, a battery of X-rays uncovered the problem: hip dysplasia, a condition where the hip socket does not fully cover the ball of the upper thighbone, which can cause instability and pain.

The doctor gave her two options: lose weight or undergo surgery to realign her hip joint. Madam Ang, who is married and has two children aged four and six, opted for surgery.

Hip dysplasia is not always caught early.