How to treat hip osteoarthritis - methods and means

Coxarthrosis is a disease that affects the patient's hip joint.The treatment is long term.Just a few decades ago, such a diagnosis was practically a death sentence for the patient, promising him: severe and debilitating pain, a gradual decrease in mobility, early disability.

But thanks to modern and most effective methods of treatment, it has become possible not only to stop the degenerative process, but even to completely cure coxarthrosis at an early stage.

Understanding the causes of disease has provided impetus for the use of an integrated therapeutic approach.Treatment of hip osteoarthritis can include both medication and physiotherapeutic methods.

What is hip osteoarthritis

Osteoarthritis is a disease in which the normal structure of the cartilage tissue of the joints is disrupted.Unlike arthritis, the cause of deformity is not infectious inflammation of the tissues, but a disruption of metabolic processes.

Deforming osteoarthritis of the hip joint, with rare exceptions, is observed in patients over 40 years old.The evolution of the pathology occurs as follows:

• Metabolism is disrupted.Cartilage tissue does not have blood vessels, so its nutrition is provided by adjacent muscle tissue.For various reasons, the synthesis of substances is disrupted.
• Due to insufficient nutrition, cartilage begins to lose elasticity.Over time, this becomes clearer.Interosseous clearance is considerably reduced.Osteoarthritis of the hip joint, grade 3, is characterized by the fact that the growths of bone tissue rub against each other.Cartilaginous tissue is practically absent.

• The load on the bones and the decrease in cartilage thickness contribute to the deformation of bone tissue.

After the appearance of degenerative changes, the patient may take years to develop the third stage of the disease, but under unfavorable circumstances and failure to observe precautions, pathological changes can occur much faster.

How does osteoarthritis manifest?

The symptoms of hip osteoarthritis and their nature depend on the degree of development of the disease.The most characteristic symptom is pain.It is because of pain that patients most often turn to a doctor for qualified help.In addition, the insidious nature of the disease lies in the fact that at the early stage of degenerative changes, pain, as a rule, does not cause great inconvenience, is short-lived and is often attributed to ordinary fatigue.

Delay leads to the fact that the best time to start treatment is missed, and curing grade 2 osteoarthritis of the hip requires more time and effort.There are still chances of a positive prognosis, provided the treatment is prescribed correctly.

The symptoms of the disease are:

1. Pain can occur in the hip, groin, and the joint itself.Be wary if painful symptoms appear at rest.This indicates the need for an urgent visit to an arthrologist.
2. Stiffness of movements, lameness.It is observed after prolonged immobility of the leg, for example after sleep.
3. Over time, the diseased leg becomes shorter than the healthy leg, atrophy of muscle tissue is observed, which can be felt on palpation.

The diagnosis of the disease cannot be made without modern diagnostic studies.Thus, grade 1 hip osteoarthritis is diagnosed only by x-ray, CT scan and MRI.The image clearly shows the changes and narrowing of the interosseous space.

Stages of hip osteoarthritis

After diagnosing the pathology, the patient is assigned a code according to ICD 10. This is an international classification of diseases, revised every 10 years.

Thanks to the assigned code, not only statistical data is collected.Therapies that produced the most significant results can be selected.Thanks to international collaboration, drug treatment for hip osteoarthritis has improved significantly over time.

In world practice, it is recognized that osteoarthritis of the hip has three stages or stages of development.Each of them has its own symptoms.Namely:

1. First step.Painful sensations arise only against the background of excessive stress: running, exercise, exercise, etc.The pain is mainly concentrated in the joints.Usually the pain goes away on its own after some time of rest.At the same time, leg mobility remains full and muscle strength is not limited.First degree osteoarthritis can only be diagnosed by x-ray or tomography.The image clearly shows slight deformations of the bone tissue that do not extend beyond the labrum.The joint space is slightly narrowed, usually in uneven areas.
2. Second step.Migratory pain is characteristic and begins to spread to the groin and thigh.May occur spontaneously at rest.Pain due to hip osteoarthritis in the second stage does not go away on its own and requires the patient to take anesthetics.Range of motion is impaired and muscle tissue atrophy is observed.The image clearly shows bony growths and deformities of the femoral head.Perhaps the appearance of a cyst in the most loaded part of the thigh - the acetabulum.The diagnosis of osteoarthritis in the second stage is made quickly.Even with a superficial examination, pathological changes are evident.X-rays or MRIs are ordered to see the extent of the deformity.
3. Third step.The pain begins to become chronic.Osteoarthritis can be determined even without a thorough examination.The patient cannot move without a cane;there is a tilt of the pelvis, which leads to shortening of the leg.When moving, the patient must tilt their body over the damaged joint.As a result, this leads to even greater degenerative changes.The image shows significant bone deformation.The common area is almost invisible.

Therapeutic treatment of deforming osteoarthritis of the hip joint is effective only at stages 1-2 of the disease.The third stage of the development of pathology often leads to the need for surgical intervention.

How to treat hip osteoarthritis

Regardless of what is used, gymnastics for hip osteoarthritis or medication, all approaches are based on six fundamental principles.Namely:

• Relieve pain.
• Ensure normal nutrition of cartilage tissue and, if possible, restore it.
• Improve blood flow to the affected area.
• Reduce stress on the joint.
• Strengthens atrophied muscles.
• Restore joint mobility.

To achieve all six goals, it is necessary to resort to complex therapy.So, for example, by prescribing injections into a joint, but not taking care to reduce the load on it, you can cancel all the beneficial effects of chondroprotectors.It is not surprising that in world practice, from 2 to 10 different approaches are usually used simultaneously, depending on the patient's condition.

How to treat hip osteoarthritis

An integrated approach to the treatment of the hip joint gives better results compared to the use of a single therapeutic agent - this is a fact recognized by the world's leading arthrologists.Therefore, the patient is often prescribed several types of treatment from the following at the same time:

• NSAIDs- non-steroidal drugs to relieve the inflammatory process are the “classics” of treatment.Medicines for osteoarthritis of the hip are necessarily prescribed either in combination with non-steroidal drugs or contain them in their composition.NSAIDs are particularly effective during exacerbations of the disease.Helps relieve pain and reduce swelling.The appointment allows you to perform physiotherapy exercises for hip arthrosis, and then move on to massages, gymnastics and other physiotherapeutic procedures.The disadvantage of NSAIDs is their negative effect on the gastric mucosa.Patients should understand that nonsteroidal medications for the treatment of hip osteoarthritis do not cure the disease, but simply eliminate the symptoms, making treatment possible.
• Chondroprotectors and hyaluronic acid.These drugs represent a new stage in the treatment of the hip joint and therefore can be divided into a separate group.
  1. Chondroprotectors are prescribed as restorative therapy.With long-term use, chondroprotectors restore damaged cartilage tissue, but their effectiveness is limited at the initial stage of the disease.
  2. Hyaluronic acid creates a layer between the bones, reducing the load on the joint.Effective as a restorative therapy.
• Muscle relaxers- are vasodilators and help relieve muscle tissue spasms.Prescribed to reduce the load on the joint.Muscle relaxants can only be used as part of complex drug treatment.
• Analgesic ointment- despite the advertising that speaks of ointments as a means of miraculously eliminating the disease, in reality they eliminate only the unpleasant symptoms of the disease.On the other hand, painkillers in the form of ointments enhance the effectiveness of conservative treatment, allowing you to relieve swelling and alleviate the patient's condition.
• Intra-articular injections- designed to relieve pain, restore cartilage tissue or provide protection against excessive pressure on a joint.Corticosteroids are the most commonly used.They relieve pain, allowing the patient to begin treatment with physiotherapy.The group of corticosteroids also includes hyaluronic acid preparations.The effectiveness of intra-articular injections largely depends on the experience of the surgeon (according to statistics, 30% of doctors miss the joint capsule during manipulations).

Some medications can harm the body.Self-medication is strictly prohibited!

A bandage for the hip joint will relieve the load on the joint and reduce the factor that is the main cause of the appearance of tissue irritation leading to the inflammatory process.Therefore, in combination with drug treatment, fixation of the damaged area is often prescribed.

Non-traditional methods and physiotherapy

In addition to prescribing anti-inflammatories, intra-articular injections and other medications, the patient can undergo physiotherapy and benefit from alternative therapeutic methods.

• Manual therapy- This procedure has a more gentle effect on damaged tissues than massage of the hip joint for osteoarthritis.Any aggressive impact on the damaged area can easily trigger the inflammatory process.In our region we are not yet accustomed to manual therapy, but in the West it is very widespread and is one of the official therapeutic methods.
• Therapeutic exercisewith deforming osteoarthritis - a wide area in which the patient can choose between traditional and non-traditional methods.For hip osteoarthritis, Pilates, yoga, as well as water exercises and other methods of restoring the function of atrophied muscles are popular.Physical education and moderate exercise, combined with medications, have a beneficial effect and contribute to the patient's recovery.
• Traditional medicine- most arthrologists are against this method as an independent therapy.And their opinion is valid.A large number of patients, having refused the help of traditional medicine, have earned themselves a disability.But under the supervision of the attending physician, effective treatment of hip arthrosis with folk remedies is quite possible.Most of the herbs and infusions used have an anti-inflammatory and analgesic effect.Some medications have serious contraindications.Before taking them, you should therefore consult an arthrologist.It is recommended to use traditional non-traditional methods of treating osteoarthritis of the hip with caution.Some recipes not only do not contribute to improvement, but also lead to the opposite effect, causing accelerated destruction of cartilage.
• Homeopathy- helps to normalize the synthesis of substances in the body.Homeopathy is especially effective for post-traumatic osteoarthritis, allowing you to cope with the main factor that led to the development of the disease.
• Apitherapy- bee sting treatment is very effective, allowing the effects of acupuncture and pharmacotherapy to be combined.Not surprisingly, many warming and effective ointments contain processed bee venom.Often, the use of apitherapy is more effective than a hip block.The appropriateness of using apitherapy must be decided by the attending physician.
• Magnetotherapy- used as auxiliary treatment and prevention of diseases.The effect of a magnet increases blood flow in tissues and helps restore metabolic processes.Eliminates salt deposits.
• Hirudotherapy- Leech treatment has been used for several centuries.It has been proven that the saliva of leeches, which enters the blood, contains a substance that helps to thin it.As a result, blood can even enter atrophied capillaries and vessels.
• Mud therapy- has a slight warming effect, helps to obtain essential nutrients.With proper use of mud therapy, the inflammatory process and pain syndrome are reduced.Prohibited in cases of purulent osteoarthritis of the hip joint.Prescribed with caution in the presence of blood clots and vascular diseases.
• Shilajit for osteoarthritis- used both in pure form and as part of tinctures and compresses.The beneficial substances contained in Mumiyo promote tissue regeneration.Mumiyo is particularly effective in the early stages of the disease.
• Self-massage- Aggressive noises and pressures are eliminated.During massage, it is necessary to ensure circulation of blood and lymph.An experienced chiropractor or massage therapist will show you the types of movements and their direction.

Treatment of hip arthrosis at home by unconventional methods should be supplemented with proper nutrition.

Losing just 5 kg will reduce the risk of an inflammatory process by approximately 30%.

Hip osteoarthritis and pregnancy

Pregnancy with hip osteoarthritis is a double stress for the woman's body.Taking most medications during pregnancy is prohibited.At the very least, they must be taken with great caution so as not to harm the child.

If hip arthrosis during pregnancy is at an early stage, it is recommended to postpone drug treatment until after childbirth.

It is possible to give birth with hip osteoarthritis, but you need to understand all the risks associated with it.Complications after the birth of a child are not uncommon, and deformation of cartilage tissue occurs at an accelerated rate.

Even when planning a child, it is necessary to undergo a complete examination of the body.All medications, ointments and pain relievers can only be taken as prescribed by a doctor.

Consequences of osteoarthritis

In later stages of the disease, it becomes impossible to cure coxarthrosis in the usual way.Prompt surgery is necessary.The operation is a last resort and can be performed in different ways.

1. Arthroplasty- completely restores all motor functions.The disadvantage of the solution is the limited duration of use of the prosthesis.On average, after 15 years, a second operation will be necessary to replace it.
2. Laser therapy for operated osteoarthritiship joint - used in case of rejection of the articular part of the bone.Through laser therapy, the damaged surface is removed and replaced with an artificial insert.

All types of surgical interventions are temporary, but without them the patient becomes disabled.

Early diagnosis of coxarthrosis and correctly prescribed restorative treatment are the only reliable way to combat the disease.Ignoring symptoms leads to disability.