Osteoarthritis of the hip joint is a condition called coxarthrosis. The insidiousness of the disease is that it differs for a long time imperceptibly.
Symptoms may not alert the patient for more than two years, until they gradually worsen and require them to see a doctor.
Symptoms are divided into 3 degrees, depending on their severity.
Symptoms of the disease
The main symptom is joint pain when walking. Being chronic, coxarthrosis sometimes gets worse - then the pain becomes more pronounced. The localization is often in the groin area, on the outer side of the thigh, its front face and echoes in the knee or in the buttocks. The pain causes a change in gait, as the patient adjusts, trying to avoid the pain. This can lead (especially in advanced cases) to shortening of the leg. Let's take a closer look at the symptoms of osteoarthritis.
Warning!The disease mainly affects women.
Osteoarthritis of the hip joint - grade 1
It is characterized by a mild, aching pain that occurs after heavy physical exertion, mainly when running or walking for a long time. The pain disappears quickly after rest, without disturbing the dynamics of movement, so it does not cause vigilance in the patient. On the x-ray, small bone changes are visible - growth that does not extend beyond the joint lip.
Osteoarthritis of the hip joint - grade 2
The pain becomes more intense, localized in the joint, radiating to the groin and thigh, appearing even at rest. The work of the joint is impaired, a long walk causes lameness. Hip abduction and internal rotation are limited, and the muscles that allow hip abduction and extension become weak.
Osteoarthritis of the hip joint - grade 3
The pain of coxarthrosis constantly disturbs the patient, even at night. The muscles of the leg (thigh, lower leg) and buttocks atrophy, their volume decreases, when walking, a cane is necessary. This leads to a shortening of the limb, the patient is forced to stand on the toes, leaning forward. In grade 3 of the disease, painful sensations are often stronger in the knee than in the groin or thigh, so the doctor may misdiagnose.
Causes of the disease
There are many reasons for hip osteoarthritis. Consider the main ones:
- Excessive stress on the joint, its injuries, particularly frequent in athletes.
- Hereditary diseases. These include congenital dislocation of the hip, hip dysplasia, and others.
- Hereditary predisposition. Although coxarthrosis is not transmitted genetically, a child can inherit weak skeleton or structural features of cartilage tissue from parents.
- Arthritis, even when cured, can cause osteoarthritis of the hip joint.
- Chronic stress and long-term experiences, scientists say, have an extremely negative effect on joint health.
- Infarction (aseptic necrosis) of the hip joint causes circulatory problems.
- Hormonal changes, diabetes mellitus, loss of sensitivity of the lower limbs in nervous diseases.
Important!Significantly increases the risk of developing obesity. In 5-10% of cases, this is what leads to the development of the disease.
Treatment with folk remedies
Bees
Apiproducts have established themselves as an effective treatment for many internal diseases. It is not surprising that bees can also help with deformation of the joints - bee venom has anti-inflammatory and analgesic effect, normalizes the mobility of diseased joints, relieves swelling and prevents deterioration. Mainly bee sting is used, which is prescribed only by a specialist. Treatment begins with a bite, but the result is usually visible after the first procedure. The poison works at the site of inflammation and helps the body fight infection on its own. In addition, it will help to cope with other bodily problems - eliminate infections, restore the functioning of the nervous system and stop the aging of the body.
Sludge treatment
Mud wraps give positive results as a complementary therapy. The efficiency of heated slurry is higher, so it is recommended to warm it to 40 degrees before use. Apply a mud cake (clay diluted with water in a ratio of 1: 7) to the damaged seal and fix it with foil, oilcloth and warm it with a towel. The duration of the procedure is 30 minutes. Rinse it off with lukewarm water and let it sit for half an hour. Perform wraps at least once a day for a month.
The following types of dirt are used:
- silt;
- peat;
- sapropel.
Gelatin treatment
Gelatin is a natural substance that has been used by mankind for centuries. Its main advantage is that it is not only useful, but also completely safe.
Warning!Gelatin helps to improve the condition of the hair, eliminate dryness and hair loss, as well as increase the functionality of the whole body. To cure hair, it is enough to dilute the powder with cold water and, leaving it to infuse, dilute it in equal proportions with shampoo.
What are the benefits of gelatin for the joints? It contains amino acids that add elasticity to the joints and slow down (or even stop) their destructive changes. In terms of chemical composition, gelatin is collagen and contains almost 90% protein, and protein foods are especially useful for joint problems.
Patients taking gelatin report a decrease in the pathological process and the intensity of joint pain, which allows them to move more freely. Of course, it cannot be considered the main type of treatment, but in combination with other measures it is very effective.
How to make gelatin:
- Pour a teaspoon of powder with half a glass of cold water (pre-boiled).
- Let it steep - it should swell.
- In the morning add hot water to a cup and add a teaspoon of honey for extra sweetness and extra high.
- After stirring, take the gelatin, still lukewarm, in the morning on an empty stomach.
- Course: 10 days of treatment / 10 days of break for 3 months.
Leech Healing
Hirudotherapy (or treatment with leeches) gives positive results in the early stages of the disease - I and II. The advantage of a leech bite is that its saliva contains enzymes, the action of which corresponds to the effect of drugs injected into the periarticular region. In addition, leeches improve blood circulation in the area of the damaged joint.
In stage III osteoarthritis, the use of leeches eliminates nocturnal joint pain and pain at rest. In the postoperative period, the recovery of damaged muscles and joints is accelerated.
The procedures are carried out with an interval of 2-6 days, the course consists of 6-8 sessions. During the session, 4 to 8 medicinal leeches are used. Already after 4 sessions, a noticeable improvement is observed, but the maximum effect is reached about 2 weeks after the end of the course of hirudotherapy.
Herbs
Traditional medicine recipes are often the only way to eliminate a difficult disease. The herbs are applied both topically and internally. Some of them even help with grade III coxarthrosis.
Recipe n ° 1:
- You will need lemon (3 pcs. ), celery (250 g), garlic (120 g).
- After grinding, place the ingredients in a 3 liter jar, cover with boiling water and warm with a blanket, leaving overnight.
- Take the medicine in the morning, 70 g per day, half an hour before meals, for three months. Banks are often enough for 1 month.
Stir and consume one drink a day for a month.
Warning!Before consuming lemon, make sure your stomach acid is not too acidic - citrus fruits increase it.
Recipe # 2. Take 3 lemons, finely chop them with the peel, pour boiling water (three liters) and let cool completely, then dissolve 3 tbsp. l. lime blossom honey.
Tip!If your tendons and muscles are pulling, you can make celandine oil. Take 8 tbsp. l. the flowers and stems of the plant, crush them and cover them with a liter of olive oil. Let the oil sit in a warm place for 2 weeks. When it is infused, strain it and rub it into the painful areas, insulating them with a warm cloth.
Break-in joint pain
Take equal proportions of iodine, glycerin, alcohol and flower honey. After 2-3 hours, the drug will be ready. You should use it by applying it on a cotton swab and rubbing it carefully into the skin in the area of the painful joint. It is necessary to lubricate the skin from the bottom up, along the lymphatic and blood flow. The effectiveness of the break-in will be higher if you additionally lubricate the tissues surrounding the area of inflammation - this will improve blood circulation and reduce the disease.
Cabbage
Cabbage compress will reduce pain in the injured joint. You will need a head of cabbage, which you need to separate several large fresh leaves from before bed. Lubricate the inflammation area with flower honey and tie the cabbage, then secure it with a plastic bag and isolate with a towel or handkerchief. In the morning, wash off the remaining honey and repeat the procedure. You have to walk with a compress until the evening. Repeat the procedure for a month.
Mint
Peppermint ointment for joint pain.
Chop 50 g of mint and eucalyptus leaves with a knife, then add 50 ml of aloe juice.
Stir the ingredients and lubricate the sore joints 3 times a day.
Treatment without surgery
Sometimes patients present to the doctor with extremely advanced hip osteoarthritis. In this case, it is almost impossible to help them without surgery. However, medical practice shows that regular therapeutic exercises and taking certain drugs can not only reduce the manifestations of the disease, but also eliminate them almost completely.
Treatment in this case is purely individual and consists, in addition to gymnastics, in taking drugs that strengthen bones. If the joint can still be saved, it makes sense to prescribe drugs to restore the cartilage.
There are a number of alternative methods that help with hip osteoarthritis:
- Manual therapy.
- Applied kinesology (movement therapy).
- Material articulation traction.
- Non-apparatus joint traction (post-isometric relaxation).
Preparations
The following groups of drugs help in this diagnosis.
Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. Despite the fact that they do not cure the disease itself, these drugs can effectively eliminate pain and reduce severe inflammation. Their constant intake is not recommended because of the harmful effects on the body.
Chondroprotectors, unlike NVP, not only relieve symptoms, but also affect the base of the disease. They restore the structure of cartilage, improve the production of joint fluid. However, they do not work immediately - it will take at least 2-3 courses to achieve positive results.
Warning! Chondroprotectors can only help in the early stages of the disease.
Muscle relaxers (muscle relaxers) are good for relieving spasms in the muscles surrounding inflamed tissue. They are effective in combination with joint extension and chondroprotectors, because if you do not start to restore the joint itself, relief from the spasm can lead to its accelerated destruction.
Tip!The doctor claims that muscle oxidants rarely help significantly improve the patient's condition, so their appointment is far from always justified.
Vasodilators. They increase blood circulation in the joint, which contributes to its faster recovery, also reduce pain, relieve vasospasm and improve joint nutrition. To begin with, the tablets are taken one at a time, but after a few days, if there are no side effects, they switch to the mode of administration recommended by the doctor.
Injections
Injections are injected directly into the joint or periarticular tissue. However, most often the injection is not made into the lumen of the damaged joint, but into the periarticular tissue, since there is a high risk of protrusion, damaging the nerve endings.
- Corticosteroid hormones are used to relieve pain.
- The introduction of chondroprotectors through the thigh is very useful (2-3 courses are carried out per year).
- Hyaluronic acid, artificial joint lubrication, must be injected into the joint lumen, which is very difficult to penetrate, therefore, the treatment only gives a positive effect of 30%.
Ointments
It is not so much the ointments that are effective, which do not always reach the joint - the process of rubbing in the ointment itself often gives a positive effect, replacing a light massage. You need to rub the ointment with clean hands for 15 minutes. circular and spiral movements from bottom to top until a feeling of warmth appears.
The composition of ointments is different - they can be vegetable raw materials, bee and snake venom, an extract from the cartilage tissue of cattle. Ointments with honey or mustard and other warming components of the composition will be good. You can even prepare these funds yourself. Ointments also have an analgesic effect.
Exercises
Therapeutic gymnastics is very effective in the early stages of the disease, and sometimes it is effective even in advanced cases. The main purpose of the exercise is to develop the affected joint and strengthen neighboring muscles. If discomfort appears in the thigh area after gymnastics, massage should be performed to minimize the discomfort.
Important!During gymnastics, do not load the joint - exclude its axial load, as it can worsen the condition. Also, try not to make any sudden, deep movements.
There is a whole range of exercises that are important to do regularly - in this case the results will be really noticeable.
Here are some exercises.
- I. p. - standing. Grab the support with both hands and slowly do a half squat 10 times.
- I. p. - standing. Transfer your body weight to your healthy leg and support yourself with your hand on the same side (table or chair back). Slowly swing back and forth with your sore leg.
- I. p. - Laying down on the chest. Place your hands on your hips and lift your straight legs alternately.
- I. p. - stand firmly on both legs and both hands are resting on the support. Stand on your toes and lower your heels to the floor. Perform - 10 times.
The exercise set consists of three sets and is performed slowly but steadily for an hour. It is imperative to do the exercises correctly.
Diet
Good nutrition is one of the keys to success in any disease, including osteoarthritis. Here are products that will help restore cartilage tissue and do not cause weight gain:
- low fat milk and fermented milk products;
- lean meat and fish;
- buckwheat;
- beans, lentils.
- Fats are essential for normal metabolism. Choose unrefined vegetable oils, butter, fish oil, or shark oil.
- Carbohydrates fill the body with energy. It's better to eat complex carbohydrates (vegetables, fruits) than simple carbohydrates, which include sugar and other sweets.
- Minerals and vitamins are found in foods such as baked potatoes, bananas, nuts, eggs, chicken meat, whole grain bread.
Doctors advise not to consume more than a teaspoon of salt per day, to give up preservatives, smoked meats and other unhealthy foods high in fat.
Tip!Water is life. For coxarthrosis, drink plenty of water - up to two liters per day.
Prevention
Prevention consists of an active lifestyle, a proper diet, avoiding excessive stress on the joints (which athletes often abuse). To be in a good health!