I have just been diagnosed with osteoarthritis in the hip, its very painful, what to do?

A few options: Strengthening the muscles around the hip will help a lot. You may want to consider some supplements like glucosamine, however recent research hasn't shown a lot of benefit. Other options include steroid injections, but these don't heal much. You can consider Synvisc (hylan g-f 20) or other joint fluid replacement injections and possible even platelet therapy injections or stem cell procedures.