Treating Hip Osteoarthritis Without Surgery
The most commonly recommended nonsurgical treatments for hip arthritis are described below.1–3
EducationA physician, physical therapist, or allied health care provider can provide information regarding the diagnosis, prognosis, and the risks and benefits of treatment options. This information can help a person make informed health care decisions that are based on his or her personal preferences, values, and lifestyle.
Physical activityCommitting to an exercise routine often decreases pain and increases function of an osteoarthritic joint. It also promotes a healthy lifestyle and decreases the risk of developing other conditions, such as heart disease or diabetes. The goals of physical activity include increasing muscle strength and aerobic capacity.
Activity modificationWork or recreational activities that aggravate hip arthritis pain may need to be modified. For example:
- A person who does heavy manual labor may be advised to adopt new lifting mechanics or to cut back on work hours, if possible.
- A golfer may be advised to make swing adjustments to minimize the effects of twisting the torso, or to play 9 holes instead of 18.
Some people may decide to change jobs or take up alternative activities that exert less stress on the hip joint.
A physical therapist or other healthcare professional who provides physical therapy may:
The goal of physical therapy is to improve quality of life by reducing strain on the hip.
Pain Locking Grinding Limping Trouble Walking Up Stairs Or Being Unable To Stand Or Sit For Long Periods Are All Common Symptoms Of Arthritis Hip Pain
When Lois W.s hip pain from osteoarthritis started a few years ago, she could manage it with cortisone injections a few times a year. But it didnt stay that way. Over time, I started walking with a limp and had very limited mobility in my hip, she says, noting that she became unable to sit in a cross-legged position. Eventually, things worsened to the point that she was in severe daily pain for almost two years before she decided to have a hip replacement surgery.
The hip is a ball-and-socket joint. The ball is the top of your thigh bone it sits in a socket that is formed by part of your pelvic bone. Slippery tissue called cartilage covers the bone surface and helps cushion the joint, creating a low-friction environment so you can move easily and without pain.
When you have arthritis in the hip, you can start to lose that cartilage in the joint that cushions the bones. You can experience inflammation and pain in reaction to that degeneration. Arthritis is a wear-and-tear or immune response that makes this cartilage get thinner or wear away, says Jonathan M. Vigdorchik, MD, hip and knee surgeon at the Hospital for Special Surgery in New York City. Its like the treads on a tire. As you wear out the treads, they get thinner and thinner.
Everyday tasks like bending over to tie a shoe, getting up from a chair, or going for a walk become more challenging and downright painful.
Learn more about what causes hip arthritis and how it is treated.
Primary Osteoarthritis Versus Secondary Osteoarthritis
In primary OA, the disease is of idiopathic origin and usually affects multiple joints in a relatively elderly population. Secondary OA usually is a monoarticular condition and develops as a result of a defined disorder affecting the joint articular surface . or from abnormalities of joint eg acetabular displasia. Pistol grip deformities are seen in some cases, mostly linked with slipped upper femoral epiphysis. Although seen as a specific condition, it is often linked with metabolic abnormalities.
- Aggravated movement when hip is loaded wrong or too long cold weather
- Eased with continuous movement
- Commonly in groin/thigh, radiating to buttocks or knee. According to new systematic review published in the Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, thigh/groin pain and constant back/buttock pain are better indicators of hip OA than stand-alone tests.
- End-stage: Constant pain, night pain
- Joint space narrowing on x-rays
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Surgical Treatments For Hip Osteoarthritis
When non-surgical treatments dont relieve hip osteoarthritis symptoms, the following surgical options may be recommended.
- Total hip replacement surgery : Removal of damaged bone from the hip socket and the femoral head and replacing it with new joint surfaces .
- Partial hip replacement: Replacement of the ball of the hip joint and leaving the socket intact. This surgery is most often done to repair certain types of hip fractures or isolated arthritis.
- Arthroscopy: Involves smaller incisions and uses tiny cameras and instruments to repair abnormalities in the hip that are contributing to wear and tear.
- Osteotomy: Surgery around the hip to adjust anatomical irregularities that may contribute to wear and tear, while preserving the hips general structure.
Important Considerations For People With Arthritis Of The Hip
There is no cure for arthritis. Typically, it starts gradually and worsens over time. Eventually, all forms of arthritis of the hip may permanently damage the hip joint. While osteoarthritis is more common in older people, there are forms of arthritis that affect younger people.
Fortunately, there are things that can be done to help minimize the effect of arthritis, and we are glad to discuss these option.
Arthritis Statistics*:
- 22% of the U.S. population in 2010 reported some form of arthritis
- Among adults over 65, 50% have some form of arthritis
- The most common form of arthritis is osteoarthritis
- Weight loss of just 11 pounds can reduce a womans risk of developing knee arthritis by 50%
- Of working age people , one-third of those who had arthritis reported it limited their ability to work
*Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
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What Kind Of Physical Therapist Do I Need
All physical therapists are prepared through education and experience to treat hip osteoarthritis and people with hip replacements. However, you may want to consider:
- A physical therapist who is experienced in treating people with hip osteoarthritis and people who have had hip replacement surgery. Some physical therapists have a practice with an orthopedic focus.
- A physical therapist who is a board-certified orthopaedic clinical specialist. This physical therapist has advanced knowledge, experience, and skills that may apply to your condition.
You can find physical therapists who have these and other credentials by using Find a PT, the online tool built by the American Physical Therapy Association to help you search for physical therapists with specific clinical expertise in your geographic area.
General tips when youre looking for a physical therapist :
- Get recommendations from family, friends, or other health care providers.
- When you contact a physical therapy clinic for an appointment, ask about the physical therapists experience in helping people who have hip osteoarthritis or hip replacement.
- Be prepared to describe your symptoms in as much detail as possible, and say what makes your symptoms worse.
The American Physical Therapy Association believes that consumers should have access to information that could help them make health care decisions and also prepare them for their visit with their health care provider.
Use Hot And Cold Therapy
Heat and cold treatments can help relieve arthritis pain and inflammation.
- Heat treatments can include taking a long, warm shower or bath in the morning to help ease stiffness and using an electric blanket or moist heating pad to reduce discomfort overnight.
- Cold treatments can help relieve joint pain, swelling, and inflammation. Wrap a gel ice pack or a bag of frozen vegetables in a towel and apply it to painful joints for quick relief. Never apply ice directly to the skin.
- Capsaicin, which comes from chili peppers, is a component of some topical ointments and creams that you can buy over the counter. These products provide warmth that can soothe joint pain.
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Stage 4 Hip Osteoarthritis
Since osteoarthritis is a progressive illness, eventually you may experience Stage 4 osteoarthritis in one or both hips. At this point, the cartilage would have become so thin and brittle and the synovial fluid so diminished that you experience pain and stiffness most of the time, even when youre not moving. Sometimes the pain can be very severe and can make it difficult for you to complete even the simplest of tasks, and can keep you awake at night too.
Hopefully by this stage you have been seeing an orthopedic surgeon, because your quality of life can greatly improve with the help of the right physician. They can review your options with you, which may include surgery to replace some or all of the arthritic hip. The surgical procedures available today are very successful, with faster and easier recoveries than ever before, and you can be left with a hip free of arthritis and free of pain.
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How Arthritis In The Hips Is Diagnosed
The diagnosis of arthritis in the hips begins with taking your medical history and doing a physical exam of your hip. The doctor will look at where youre in pain and how well you can move the hip . Dr. Vigdorchik says he watches patients walk to assess their gait. If theyre tilting their body over the hip that hurts, thats the bodys response to making it hurt less, he says.
Your doctor will ask questions that can help make sure your pain is indeed coming from the hip and not due to a different problem. Other conditions like a hernia or a pinched nerve in the back can mimic pain from arthritis in the hip.
X-rays of the hips and spine can determine if the joint has any abnormalities and assess where your pain is coming from. They can reveal such changes indicative of arthritis, including:
- Thinning or erosion in the bones
- Loss of joint space
- Excess fluid in the joint
You may need other imaging, such as an MRI or a CT scan, to get a clearer picture if an X-ray doesnt show enough, says Dr. Vigdorchik.
If your doctor suspects that inflammatory arthritis could be responsible for your hip pain, they will order additional blood tests to check for levels of inflammation and the presence of antibodies that may indicate autoimmune disease .
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Stretch And Loosen Hips With Plis
Stretching and strengthening the quadriceps and gluteus muscles in the legs and buttocks frees up the surrounding joints that may otherwise be constrained, says Miranda Esmonde-White, the author of the books Forever Painless and Aging Backwards and the long-standing host of the PBS exercise show Classical Stretch.
To do her tai chi plié with hip swing , follow these steps:
How To Know If You Have Hip Arthritis
Having problems with one particular routine task is a common giveaway that hip arthritis is affecting your life: putting on your socks and shoes. You need an adequate range of motion in your hips to put your foot up on your opposing leg to put on your shoes and socks. People with hip arthritis tend to lose the range of motion in the hips. Problems putting on your socks and shoes are not always associated with pain but rather just becomes more difficult to do.
You can also tell how long you have been affected by hip arthritis by looking back at how long you have been having problems putting on your socks and shoes. Hip arthritis can onset rapidly and deteriorate the range of motion in the hips quickly. A patient can go from seeing no signs to needing a hip replacement in less than 24 months.
While that is a common symptom, there are many others that a person could be experiencing. Regardless of the type of arthritis, other signs of hip arthritis can include:
- Pain in the groin or thigh that radiates to your knee, outer thigh or buttocks.
- Pain that is worse in the morning or after sitting for a while.
- Flare ups after vigorous activity.
- Limping or pain that causes difficulty walking.
- Sticking or locking of the hip joint.
- Difficulty getting out of a car.
- Pain when leaning over.
- Grinding noises during movement.
- Increased pain in rainy weather.
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What Causes Osteoarthritis Of The Hip Joint
The causes of osteoarthritis of the hip are not known. Factors that may contribute include joint injury, increasing age, and being overweight.
In addition, osteoarthritis can sometimes be caused by other factors:
- The joints may not have formed properly.
- There may be genetic defects in the cartilage.
- The person may be putting extra stress on their joints, either by being overweight or through activities that involve the hip.
How To Treat Hip Arthritis
ByGerry Restrivera | Submitted On April 18, 2009
Arthritis is a joint disease and it can affect any joint in the body like the hips. Aging is the biggest factor that affects the occurrence of this joint disease. Millions of people aged 65 and above are suffering from the pain of this hip joint problem. It could be a very disabling condition that could restrict you from certain hip movements and it is important to treat hip arthritis as early as possible. If this disease is left untreated, it could become a lifetime problem that could torment you forever.
Before finding the best way to treat hip arthritis you have to get the proper diagnosis. There are many causes of arthritis and getting the correct diagnosis is the first step in finding the best treatment that will work for you. In most cases arthritis of the hips is caused by the grinding of hip bones due to the loss of cartilage between the joints. Wear and tear or aging is the most common reason. Arthritis may get worse over time so it is critical to seek treatment as early as possible.
There are different methods to treat hip arthritis and it is important to know the best treatment that will work for you. Here are the two common treatments:
Surgical treatment. Surgery maybe recommended by your doctor in severe cases of hip joint problem. Surgical treatments include Osteotomy and Total Hip Arthroplasty . Surgery is not for everybody, careful planning and diagnosis must be made before subjecting yourself under the knife.
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Where To Buy Lab Grade Products
There are a lot of extremely inferior products on the market. Still worse, many of the cheap herbal supplements found in Amazon.com and on the shelves of local drugstores are not inspected by third party regulators with FDA oversight. The majority are selling weakly concentrated ingredients, and there is growing concern that many products are testing in the danger zone for toxic chemicals and fillers.
Below are two companies that weve tested and found to produce lab grade turmeric and boswellia serrata. Their cost is higher due to the quality of ingredients and their strict self-imposed testing standards. Still, the cost is small compared to prices of pharmaceuticals.
Axial Spondyloarthritis And Ankylosing Spondylitis
Axial spondyloarthritis is a type of inflammatory arthritis that primarily affects the back and sacroiliac joints , though it can affect other joints too.
AxSpA is an umbrella for a spectrum of disease that includes non-radiographic axial spondyloarthritis in which there is inflammation in the spine and sacroiliac joints but no visible changes to the joints on X-ray and ankylosing spondylitis , which is when joint damage is visible on X-rays.
Hip involvement is common in axSpA studies suggest it can affect up to 20 to 30 percent of patients and can often be disabling. Hip symptoms in axSpA may, in fact, be an indicator of having more severe disease and be associated with a likelihood of having more bone damage over time, research shows.
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Studies Of Exercise In Persons With Knee Osteoarthritis
Studies of exercise in persons with knee osteoarthritis were more prevalent. Among the 11 studies identified , three studies incorporated an exercise intervention of 8 weeks of exercise duration range 6 16 weeks. The frequency and length of individual exercise sessions varied. The total duration of sessions per week ranged from 40 to 120 minutes per week. The mode of exercise also varied considerably. The majority included dynamic strengthening exercise either alone or in combination with another exercise mode. One trial assessed the impact of aquatic exercise , two used Tai Chi and infrequently aerobic exercise was combined with strengthening exercises . Two of the studies provided individual sessions with supervision . Most studies reported minimal, if any, detail regarding the intensity of effort used while performing the exercise sessions .
Orthopedic Surgeon In Raleigh
If you are experiencing any of these symptoms of hip osteoarthritis, or if you are bothered with hip pain that is interfering with your lifestyle, contact our friendly team today at the offices of Dr. Brett Gilbert by calling us at 788-8797 or request an appointment via our online form now. Let us help you get back to enjoying life without pain once again.
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