How to treat osteoarthritis of the hip - methods and tools

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

But thanks to the most effective modern methods of treatment, it has become possible not only to stop the degenerative process, but even to completely cure coxarthrosis in its early stages.

Understanding the causes of the disease has led to the use of an integrated approach in therapy. Treatment for osteoarthritis of the hip may include medication and physiotherapy methods.

What is hip osteoarthritis

Osteoarthritis is a disease in which the normal structure of the cartilaginous tissue of the joints is disturbed. Unlike arthritis, the cause of the deformity is not contagious tissue inflammation, but a violation of metabolic processes.

Deforming osteoarthritis of the hip joint, with rare exceptions, is seen in patients older than 40 years. The development of pathology is as follows:

• Metabolism is disturbed. Cartilage has no blood vessels, so it is nourished by adjacent muscle tissue. For various reasons, the synthesis of substances is disturbed.
• Due to malnutrition, cartilage begins to lose its elasticity. It gets thinner over time. The intercostal lumen is significantly reduced. Grade 3 osteoarthritis of the hip joint is characterized by the fact that the growths on the bone tissue rub against each other. There is practically no cartilage.

• The load on the bones, reducing the thickness of the cartilage, contributes to the deformation of the bone tissue.

After the appearance of degenerative changes, it may take years until the patient develops the third stage of the disease, but under unfavorable circumstances and disregard for precaution, pathological changes can occur much faster.

How osteoarthritis manifests

Symptoms of osteoarthritis of the hip and their nature depends on the stage of development of the disease. The most common symptom is pain. Because of the pain, patients usually turn to a doctor for qualified help. Moreover, the insidiousness of the disease is that in the early stages of degenerative changes pain, as a rule, does not cause great discomfort, is short-lived in nature and is often attributed to normal fatigue.

The delay leads to the fact that the most appropriate moment to start treatment is missed, and it takes more time and effort to treat grade 2 hip osteoarthritis. The chances of a successful prognosis still remain, provided the therapy is properly prescribed.

The symptoms of the disease are:

1. Pain - can occur in the thigh, groin and joint. It is worth being careful if the symptoms of pain appear at rest. This indicates the need for an urgent visit to an arthrologist.
2. Stiffness of movement, limping. It is noticed after a long immobility of the leg, for example, after sleeping.
3. Over time, the diseased leg becomes shorter than the healthy one, atrophy of the muscle tissue is observed, which is palpable.

The diagnosis of the disease is impossible without modern diagnostic studies. Thus, grade 1 hip osteoarthritis is diagnosed only with the help of X-ray, CT, and MRI. The image clearly shows changes and narrowing of the interosseous lumen.

Stages of hip osteoarthritis

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

Thanks to the assigned code, not only statistics are collected. Therapies that have given the most visible results can be selected. Thanks to international cooperation, the medical treatment of hip arthrosis has significantly improved over time.

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

1. First phase.Painful sensations occur only in the background of excessive effort: running, exercising, exercising, etc. The pain is concentrated mainly in the joint area. The pain usually goes away on its own after rest. In this case, the mobility of the leg remains complete, muscle strength is not limited. First-degree osteoarthritis can only be diagnosed by X-ray or tomography. The picture clearly shows small deformations of the bone tissue, which do not cross the so-called articular lip. The joint gap is slightly narrowed, usually in uneven areas.
2. Second phase.Characterized by migratory pain that begins to spread to the groin, thigh. It can happen spontaneously during rest. The pain of osteoarthritis of the hip joint in the second stage does not go away on its own and requires the patient to take anesthetics. The range of motion is disturbed, atrophy of the muscle tissue is noticed. The picture clearly shows the growths and deformations of the femoral head bones. 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 obvious. An X-ray or magnetic resonance imaging is done to determine the level of deformation.
3. Third phase.The pain is starting to get chronic. It is possible to determine arthrosis 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 lean the torso on the damaged joint. As a result, it leads to even greater degenerative changes. The figure shows extensive bone deformities. The articular self is certainly invisible.

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

How to treat osteoarthritis in the hip joint

No matter what is used, gymnastics for hip osteoarthritis or taking medication, all approaches are based on six basic principles. Namely:

• Remove the pain.
• Provide the tissue with normal nutrition and, if possible, restore it.
• Improve blood flow to the affected area.
• Reduce stress on the wrist.
• Strengthen atrophied muscles.
• Restore joint mobility.

In order to achieve all six goals, it is necessary to use complex therapy. So, for example, by prescribing injections into the joint, but without worrying about reducing the load on it, you can undo all the beneficial effects of chondroprotectors. Not surprisingly, in world practice, 2 to 10 different approaches are used simultaneously, depending on the patient’s condition.

How to treat hip osteoarthritis

A comprehensive approach to the treatment of the hip joint gives better results than the use of only one therapeutic agent - a fact recognized by the world's leading arthrologists. Therefore, it is not uncommon for a patient to be prescribed several types of treatment at the same time from the following:

• NSAIL- non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs are a "classic" treatment. Drugs for osteoarthritis of the hip joint are necessarily prescribed either in combination with non-steroidal drugs, or have them in their composition. NSAIDs are especially effective during disease exacerbation. They help relieve pain and reduce swelling. The reception allows you to perform exercises for osteoarthritis of the hip, going to massage, gymnastics and other physiotherapeutic procedures. The disadvantage of NSAIDs is their negative effect on the gastric mucosa. Patients must understand that nonsteroidal drugs for hip osteoarthritis do not cure the disease, but simply eliminate the symptoms, making therapy possible.
• Chondroprotectors and hyaluronic acid. These drugs are a new stage in the treatment of hip joints, so they can be separated into a separate group.
  1. Chondroprotectors are prescribed as restorative therapy. With prolonged use, chondroprotectors repair damaged cartilage tissue, but their effectiveness is limited by the initial stage of the disease.
  2. Hyaluronic acid builds a layer between the bones, allowing less stress on the joint. Effective as restorative therapy.
• Muscle relaxants- are vasodilators and can relieve muscle cramps. Prescribed to reduce the load on the joint. Muscle relaxants can only be used as part of a complex drug therapy.
• Anesthetic ointment- despite advertisements for ointments as a miracle cure for the disease, they actually only eliminate the unpleasant symptoms of the disease. On the other hand, ointments in the form of ointments increase the effectiveness of conservative treatment, allowing you to alleviate swelling and alleviate the patient's condition.
• Intra-articular injections- designed to relieve pain, restore cartilage or provide protection against excessive pressure on the joint. The most commonly used medications are corticosteroids. They relieve pain by allowing the patient to begin treatment with physical therapy. Hyaluronic acid preparations can also be included in the group of corticosteroids. The effectiveness of intra-articular injections largely depends on how experienced the surgeon is (according to statistics, 30% of doctors miss the joint capsule when performing manipulations).

Some medications can be harmful to the body. Self-medication is strictly forbidden!

The bandage of the lateral joint will relieve stress on the joint and reduce the factor, which is the main cause of tissue irritation that leads to the inflammatory process. Therefore, fixation of the damaged area is often prescribed along with drug therapy.

Alternative methods and physiotherapy

In addition to prescribing anti-inflammatory drugs, intra-articular injections and other medications, the patient can undergo physiotherapy and use the help of non-traditional methods of therapy.

• Manual therapy- this procedure has a milder effect on damaged tissues than hip massage due to osteoarthritis. Any aggressive effect on the damaged area can easily trigger the onset of the inflammatory process. In our area, manual therapy is not yet used, but in the West it is widespread and is one of the official methods of therapy.
• Physical therapyfor osteoarthritis deformity is a large area where the patient can choose between traditional and non-traditional methods. Pilates, yoga, as well as water exercises and other methods that help restore the function of atrophied muscles are popular for hip osteoarthritis. Physical education and moderate effort, along with medication, 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 has a foundation. A large number of patients, who refused the help of traditional medicine, acquired a disability. But under the supervision of a doctor who is present, it is quite possible to effectively treat osteoarthritis of the hip with folk remedies. Most of the herbs and infusions used have anti-inflammatory and analgesic effects. Some drug charges have serious contraindications, so you should consult an arthrologist before taking them. Careful use of unconventional alternative methods of treating hip osteoarthritis is recommended. Some of the 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 in post-traumatic osteoarthritis, allowing you to deal with the main factor that led to the development of the disease.
• Apitherapy- treatment with bee stings is very effective, it allows you to combine the effect of acupuncture and drug therapy. Not surprisingly, many warming and effective fats contain processed bee venom. Apitherapy is often more effective than hip block. The usefulness of apitherapy should be decided by the attending physician.
• Magnetotherapy- used as an adjunct treatment and disease prevention. The effect of the magnet increases blood flow in the tissue, helps to restore metabolic processes. Removes salt deposits.
• Hirudotherapy- Leech therapy has been used for centuries. It has been proven that the saliva of leeches that enters the bloodstream contains a substance that promotes its liquefaction. As a result, blood can even reach atrophied capillaries and blood vessels.
• Blatotherapy- has a mild warming effect, helps to obtain the necessary nutrients. Proper application of mud therapy reduces inflammation and pain. Prohibited by purulent osteoarthritis of the hip joint. It is 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 that make up Mumiyo stimulate tissue regeneration. Mumiyo is especially effective in the early stages of the disease.
• Self-massage- sharp aggressive applause and pressure are excluded. During the massage, it is necessary to ensure the flow of blood and lymph. A chiropractor or an experienced massage therapist will show the types of movements and their direction.

Treatment of osteoarthritis of the hip at home with non-traditional methods must be supplemented with proper nutrition.

Losing weight by only 5 kg will reduce the likelihood of an inflammatory process by about 30%.

Osteoarthritis of the hip joint and pregnancy

Pregnancy with osteoarthritis of the hip is a double stress for a woman's body. Most medications are prohibited during pregnancy. At the very least, they must be taken with great care so as not to harm the baby.

If hip osteoarthritis is in the early stages of pregnancy, drug treatment is recommended to be postponed until after delivery.

It is possible to give birth with osteoarthritis in the hip joint, but it is necessary 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 pace.

Even during child planning, it is necessary to undergo a complete body examination. All medications, ointments and painkillers can only be taken as directed by a doctor.

Consequences of arthrosis

In the late stages of the disease it becomes impossible to cure coxarthrosis in the usual way. Surgery is needed. The operation is a last resort and can be reported in various ways.

1. Joint replacement- completely restores all engine functions. The disadvantage of this solution is the limited lifespan of the prosthesis. On average, after 15 years, a second operation will be needed to replace it.
2. Laser therapy of operated arthrosiship joint - used in case of rejection of the articular part of the bone. Using 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 a properly prescribed course of restorative therapy are the only reliable ways to fight the disease. Neglecting the symptoms leads to disability.