Mystery: Chronic Hip Pain... Dr's are clueless?

My father has had chronic hip pain in his left hip for the past 2 years. The only remedy for the crippling pain has been taking ibuprofen every 6 hours. So we thought it was arthritis. X-rays showed that he has only mild arthritis and it's much worse in his right hip - his good hip - which is strange. He has been tested for rheumatoid arthritis, osteonecrosis (dying hip bone), and cancerous tumors with all negative results. He has had MRI's, Cat Scans and has visited Rheumatologists, Neurologists, and Oncologists. He has had two separate steroid injections in his hip - once in the bursa sac and once in the joint itself - to no avail. Strong, prescription pain meds do not even touch the pain which he suffers. All of these things are very odd considering that only the anti-inflammatory generic drug, ibuprofen, helps, even though all the others are anti-inflammatory drugs.

Please. Anyone offer a solution. It is heartbreaking to see him like this. It is a medical mystery.

He has been to a good orthopedic surgeon and has had his back x-rayed and MRIed. They found that his lower back - his root canal - is loose. But they don't see any pinched nerves or relation to the hip pain. (Side note - about 8 months ago he had 2 herniated discs fixed in his upper spine/neck. He assumes this was a consequence from his many years playing basketball through college.)

I also have hip pain and it comes from my lower back. It is a nerve pinch in the L5/L6. I actually have 1 extra disc.
I also have cortison injection and they last for about 6mths. Next will have to be an operation.
Has your father visited a good orthopedic Surgeon?

Have they looked at his back, pelvis or SI joint? He could be having referred pain from something else.

don't think im mental, because i think its weird and a lot of bull sometimes but my in laws practice body talk, which lets the body tell them whats wrong and the way to heal it. it has worked i really don't know why! but works on unborn children to animals, they have helped a dog with severe arthritis, helped my pcos and helped a man who was on pethidine for his broken back, their is practitioners {trained and qualified} in the uk and america
if you want to know anything i'll ask my inlaws or pass their details onto you they won't charge for advice over the phone

If the anti-inflammatories are the only thing that give him any relief it is most likely related to inflammation of the joint or surrounding tissues. If arthritis has been ruled out I would tend to think it was bursitis. Even though he had an injection that didn't help for this doesn't mean that it is not this condition. Steroid injections help some people but not everyone and it also depends on whether the injection even reached the inflamed tissue or not. I would suggest he see a pain specialist that can perform ultrasound guided injections. These physicians can better place the medicine where it needs to go because they are using ultrasound to locate the inflamed areas. It is very frustrating having chronic pain that prevents you from enjoying your life. Tell him not to give up and continue taking the ibuprofen if it helps. Be sure to let him know that regular use of ibuprofen can cause stomach ulcers and he may want to ask his MD about getting a prescription for an acid reducer such as Pepcid or Protonix while he is taking the ibuprofen. Some of these can be purchased over the counter as well. Also have him watch for any signs of blood in his stool.

Has your Dad had a bone density test.?.Have you taken your Dads X-rays to orthopedic??? I would.. I had been see one for years and my right shoulder and right hip kept hurting REALLY bad. After X-rays he said I had a bad case of bursitis which have after 3 years..I have taken bextra,celebrax, and now on voltran the best.... Its a prescription anti- inflammatory. Doesn't hurt to try.......
Best of Luck