Andie MacDowell is battling a painful muscle condition called Piriformis syndrome

During an appearance on 'The Drew Barrymore Show', Andie explained: "I have Piriformis syndrome. It's a muscle that's, kind of clamps down on my sciatic nerve and it was shooting down my leg.

"I thought I was gonna have to have hip replacement. Thank God my hips are fine."

Andie started working out with a personal trainer and the exercises she's been doing have helped ease her pain.

She added: "I have to work my tiny little bottom and my hips. I have to work the bottom and work my hip. I just do it every day .. It doesn't hurt anymore - it's a miracle, it really is."

During the interview Andie also admitted she has also been worried about her knees but she has realised her aches and pains are usually down to her energetic work-outs on an exercise bike.

She said: "When I was working last season as I did the Peloton like a crazy person and it's not appropriate for my body, and I ended up with bad knees and a bad hip, and I didn't realize what was, I thought I was literally falling apart like I was gonna have to get new pieces.

"But the good news is my pieces are fine. My knees are good except for like aging. They've aged. I'm working out really hard now doing PT I'm not falling apart. Well, thank God."

Andie also opened up about her family life revealing she still misses her grown-up kids - Justin Qualley, 38, Rainey Qualley, 35, and Margaret Qualley, 30 - since they left home.

She said: "Everything changes [when kids leave home]. It's a hard shift, I'm telling you. You hear about how a lot of mothers react when they, a lot of times people like they are happy, you know, they're free or whatever.

"I didn't have that feeling. I still don't have that feeling. I've had to work really hard on my independence, Margaret basically told me I needed to get a life. She was right. "