“I did the Camino earlier this summer and was walking 33km in a day. My hips didn’t give me any trouble. I can tell you first-hand that reclaiming my stride changed everything, literally.”
For broadcaster and former GP Ciara Kelly, that daily 33km walk across northern Spain was once unimaginable. Before undergoing double hip replacement surgery in her 40s, her mobility had deteriorated to the point where simple daily routines such as getting into the car and standing to brush her teeth had become both painful and exhausting physical challenges.
“In the end, I couldn’t walk a hundred yards,” Kelly recalls. “As a former GP and someone who got her own life back after a double hip replacement, I know how much your life can shrink when you’re living with chronic pain.”
Kelly admits she harboured doubts before seeking treatment in her 40s: “I genuinely thought I was a too young, which is kind of silly, but I thought, ‘Who gets their hips replaced in their 40s?’ As it turns out, lots of people do.”
Kelly’s experience reflects a common problem for adults across Ireland. According to research carried out by Blackrock Health, up to 60 per cent of people living with chronic joint pain put off seeking help for up to three years. Many quietly adapt, slowly narrowing their worlds to avoid discomfort: taking the lift instead of the stairs, passing on weekend walks or stepping back from sports they have loved for decades.
To help address this issue, Kelly sat down with Niall McGoldrick, a consultant orthopaedic surgeon at Blackrock Health Hermitage Clinic, as part of Blackrock Health’s campaign, Reclaim your stride, to explore why so many people suffer in silence.
“One of the main reasons people delay seeking help is uncertainty about the future,” says McGoldrick. “Patients often normalise their pain, telling themselves it is just a sign of ageing. There can also be an understandable fear of what treatment might entail, particularly the idea of surgery.”
Beyond physical discomfort, living with prolonged joint stiffness takes a heavy emotional toll. In later years adults may find themselves declining social invitations, stepping back from family holidays or quietly worrying about losing their independence. The constant mental calculation of evaluating staircases, parking distances or seating comfort can become exhausting. Specialist orthopaedic care is designed not just to repair a joint, but to lift that mental and physical burden, and, most importantly, give people their independence back.
A common misconception is that joint replacement surgery is reserved exclusively for later life. However, clinical trends show a clear shift towards some younger, active individuals taking action sooner.
“In years gone by joint replacement was driven purely by end-stage pain relief,” says McGoldrick. “Today the focus is equally on functional restoration. Modern hip and knee implants are exceptionally durable, with more than 90 per cent lasting 20 years. Younger, active patients have fantastic rehabilitation potential, and undergoing treatment earlier allows them to return to dynamic physical activity rather than living through their best years in pain.”
For Kelly, the reality of treatment and recovery was far less daunting than her expectations. “I didn’t realise how quickly I was going to be able to walk,” she says. “I was walking the day of the surgery and it was much easier than I had expected. The pain was minor to moderate and always manageable. I can honestly say I have had worse trips to the dentist.”
Post-operative care has advanced dramatically over the past two decades, reassuring patients who fear long hospital stays. “Thanks to enhanced recovery protocols, modern technology and early physiotherapy intervention, recovery today is swift and predictable in most cases,” McGoldrick says. “At Blackrock Health, we focus on immediate mobilisation, getting patients up and walking shortly after surgery to normalise movement.”
Both Kelly and McGoldrick emphasise that rehabilitation is a collaborative effort. “Recovery is a true partnership,” McGoldrick says. “While the surgical team manages the procedure, long-term success relies heavily on the work done between the patient and their physiotherapist.”
Kelly agrees that taking ownership of recovery made all the difference. “I was told at the time that there were two aspects: one was the operation and the other was what I would put into my own recovery. The more you put into physiotherapy, rehabilitation and mobilising, the better your outcome.”
The journey back to mobility begins with a conversation with a GP, and McGoldrick stresses that preparation makes all the difference. “Reclaiming your mobility starts with a single step and an open conversation focusing on function, not just pain,” he says. “Your GP is the ideal partner to start this discussion. Detail exactly how joint issues impact your day-to-day routine.”
Specific limitations, such as whether pain disrupts sleep, restricts walking distances, prevents comfortable driving or makes tasks such as putting on shoes difficult, are relevant matters to discuss with your GP. When basic daily tasks become a struggle, it might prove beneficial to request a referral for an orthopaedic consultation.
For more expert insights on how you can reclaim your stride, watch the full conversation with Ciara Kelly and Niall McGoldrick at @blackrock_health on Instagram.
Blackrock Health combines the expertise of its Hermitage, Blackrock, Galway and Limerick clinics alongside the newly opened Women’s Health Centre in Dublin 2, providing seamless access to more than 600 consultants across 50 medical specialities. To learn more about orthopaedic services and consultant-led joint replacement care, visit blackrockhealth.com or speak with your GP