Posted by Adam

Tuesday December 7, 2010

BILLY Joel has been in “constant pain for most of his life” due to a congenital condition, and he used alcohol to cope with it, according to a new report.

American tabloid the National Enquirer says the rock legend — who recently underwent double hip replacement surgery at a Long Island hospital — relied on booze to ease his pain.

But Joel’s heavy drinking contributed to long-term bone destruction.

Experts say excessive alcohol use can increase risk of osteoporosis (bone loss) and can cause osteonecrosis (death of bone cells due to decreased blood flow), which often affects the hips.

“Alcoholism obviously creates a variety of health problems and can cause a hip issue known as osteonecrosis, said Dr. Calin Moucha, of the Mount Sinai School of Medicine’s Department of Orthopedics in New York, who did not treat Billy.

Billy — who has struggled with depression and drinking for years and did rehab stints in 2002 — fell off the wagon again over troubles with his third marriage to now ex-wife Katie Lee.

“He was caught in a vicious cycle where he’d drink to try and forget his physical and emotional pain,” explained the insider.

“But relying on the bottle just made everything worse.

“But with the hip replacement and the support of second wife Christie Brinkley and their daughter Alexa Ray, Billy believes he’s finally found the relief he’s been seeking for years.”

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