Osteoarthritis is the most common form of arthritis. Many people are not clear that osteoarthritis is different from rheumatoid arthritis or osteoporosis. Osteoarthritis is the wear-and-tear joint disease caused by the breakdown of cartilage — the firm, rubbery tissue that cushions bones at joints.
Osteoarthritis is the end result of years of abuse, improper biomechanics, or trauma.
Healthy cartilage allows bones to glide over one another for ease of movement and absorbs the shock associated with movement. As a result of the breakdown of cartilage, the bones now rub together causing pain, swelling and stiffness.
Thanks to the deep ball-and-socket design of the hip joint, it is a very stable joint. A thick joint capsule reinforced by strong ligaments and several powerful muscles further enhances the stability of the hip joint. Due to this strong design and supporting structures, the hip is injured much less commonly than joints such as the shoulder, knee, and ankle.
Hip arthritis
Hip arthritis typically affects patients over 50 years of age. It is more common in people who are overweight, and weight loss tends to reduce the symptoms associated with hip arthritis. One pound of weight loss equals three pounds in stress reduction on the hip while walking!
There is no single test to diagnose hip Osteoarthritis, so most doctors use a combination of methods for diagnosis. A physical exam can show limited range of motion, grating of the hip joint with motion, joint swelling, and tenderness. An x-ray of the hip joint will show loss of the joint space and, in advanced cases, wearing down of the ends of the bone and bone spurs.
Symptoms
Hip arthritis symptoms tend to progress as the condition worsens. What is interesting about hip arthritis is that symptoms do not always progress steadily with time. Often patients report good months and bad months or symptom changes with weather changes. This is important to understand because comparing the symptoms of hip arthritis on one particular day may not accurately represent the overall progression of the condition.
The most common symptoms of hip arthritis are:
- Pain with activities ;
- Limited range of motion;
- Stiffness of the hip ;
- Walking with a limp
The most prominent symptom of hip arthritis is pain, especially when weight bearing. Many people mistake pain in the low back or buttocks as hip pain. True hip pain is most commonly experienced in the groin. The pain can radiate down the front of the thigh as well. Occasionally the pain can extend all the way down the thigh to the knee. In fact, in some patients with hip disease, knee pain may be the only symptom.
Treatment
Treatment of hip arthritis should begin with the most basic steps, and progress to the more involved, possibly including surgery.
In patients with osteoarthritis of the hip, there is a progressive decrease in mobility of the hip, which will result in tightness of the muscles surrounding the hip joint. This tightness will result in more pressure being placed on the joint, causing more pain. Gentle hip stretching will alleviate some of this stress.
Chiropractic techniques can improve mobility and reducing inflammation by using gentle, manual techniques on joints, muscles and ligaments.
Acupuncture may ease hip and joint pain from osteoarthritis. Acupuncture may also help to relax tightened muscles, and release trigger points in the muscles associated with the hip.
Biomechanical faults of the feet can aggravate hip problems by altering the gait. One way to minimise problems caused by the feet or ankles is to correct misalignments and poor biomechanics in the feet with shoe inserts (orthotics).
Walking, or other weight bearing activities will cause pain. However, becoming totally sedentary will not slow down the progression of arthritis. It is a good idea to remain as active as your pain will comfortably allow.
Various mechanical modalities, such as ultrasound, cold laser, TENS, and electo-stim may provide benefit.
The best all-around exercise for hip osteoarthritis is swimming. The water relieves the stress on your hip as you ‘walk’ about in the shallow end of the pool. Bicycling (stationary or mobile) is also well tolerated.
Surgical treatment in the form of a total hip replacement is usually the last option considered. Generally the prosthesis will last anywhere from 10 to 15 years.
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