Why did we ever start to walk upright? Various reasons are suggested. Strong possibilities are the changes to the climate in East Africa at that time causing the forests to contract and the savannas to open up. Our grunting, hairy forebears had to forage further for food and had to carry it back to the rest of the gang. Those who got the hang of the new two-legged thing did rather better with the opposite sex and thus passed on this propensity with their genes. This led eventually to us, with our evolutionary bodge-job-from-a-quadruped structure. Plus slipped discs and hip replacements. Still, it’s not all bad as we did achieve global domination along the way.
Hip problems often fall into the ‘why didn’t you come to see me before’ category. With an experienced eye it is possible to spot and treat pelvic asymmetry that twenty years hence will lead to arthritis of the hip. Despite this, if a patient presents soon after symptoms occur (clicking, limping, pain in the back/buttock/groin) it is still usually possible to avoid deterioration. This goes for any other joint, knees in particular. Hip pain, knee pain and joint stiffness are all usually treatable. Joint surgery has progressed hugely in recent years but still early intervention and prevention is a far better option. This is particularly the case for the elderly who often suffer from dangerous complications after major surgery.
