Socially isolated people have more pain after hip replacement ops

People who lack good social ties are much more likely to experience serious, ongoing pain following total hip replacement surgery two or more years after the procedure, says a study from the Hospital for Special Surgery.

The team assessed data from 687 people who had hip replacement operations due to arthritis; 8% were socially isolated (not married, fewer than six friends or relatives and no membership in community groups or religious organisations).

Being socially isolated was associated with an almost three times increased risk of having “poor,” or severe, pain after hip replacement operations. “Poor” pain is pain that is as severe as some people had when they opted for hip replacement surgery.

“There was a strong link between a lack of social interaction and increased pain,” explains Dr Lisa Mandl who was involved in the work. “We believe further prospective studies should be done to determine whether interventions to evaluate and improve patients’ social ties before surgery could lead to a better pain outcome after hip replacement. It could be a way to improve outcomes without medication or other costly interventions. I see no downside to helping patients get the social support they may need to improve their quality of life.”