Hip Arthritis
Hip arthritis is the degenerative changes within the hip joint that cause swelling, limitation of movement, and pain. Arthritic hips are most common in persons over the age of 50, though they can occur at any age. The most common cause is premature wear and tear caused by repetitive activities, slip-and-falls, or sports injuries. The degenerative changes of hip arthritis occur gradually. Limitation of movements and severity of pain worsens as degenerative changes progress. There are two types of hip arthritis:
- Osteoarthritis of the hips
- Rheumatoid arthritis of the hips
What is the difference between Osteoarthritis and Rheumatoid Arthritis?
The difference between osteoarthritis (OA) and rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is the underlying cause. In osteoarthritis, wear and tear or injury are the primary causes. Rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune disorder or disease. An autoimmune disease is one where your body attacks your joints, muscles, ligaments, tendons, and cartilage by mistake. In other words, in an autoimmune disorder, your body sees parts as foreign or infectious and starts attacking them.
Rheumatism of the Hip (Hip RA)
Rheumatism is an autoimmune disease that causes swelling, stiffness, and pain in joints, ligaments, muscles, tendons, and cartilage. Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is most common in smaller joints. It can also occur in the shoulder, arms, wrists, and the hands. RA (rheumatoid arthritis) has an affinity for the tubular bones. Tubular bones of the hands and feet are also common sites of involvement. As the autoimmune reaction progresses, it can impact the weight-bearing joints such as the hips, knees, and ankle.
Rheumatism of the hips is a rare condition. Diagnosing hip RA is not an easy task. Familial history and blood tests can help in detection. Since there are no cures for RA (rheumatism), patients are provided with medication to manage the pain. Due to the rare nature of hip rheumatism, we will focus our article on osteoarthritis of the hip (hip arthritis).
Cause and Effect When it Comes to Hip Arthritis
Osteoarthritis of the hip (hip OA) is the most common type of arthritis involving the hip joint. In patients above the age of 50, hip arthritis (OA) is the dominant source of hip pain. Although minor osteoarthritic conditions are common in hips of those above the age of 60, nowadays it is becoming more common in younger people. But, it is rather unusual to see this condition in the young. Generally speaking, hip arthritis is a result of excessive stress leading to premature “wearing out of a joint.”
For this reason, osteoarthritis is also called “wear and tear” arthritis. It is a common source of hip pain and back pain for many. We have had many patients present with significant back pain in the presence of hip arthritis. And as such, you will need our clinical chiropractors to evaluate your condition fully before getting chiropractic treatments in Malaysia.
A neglected minor hip injury such as a sprained hip can lead to degenerative changes including osteoarthritis in the hips. Therefore, we encourage everyone to visit our center anytime they have injured their hip. Mild injuries today can result in osteoarthritis. Furthermore, when a slight injury is neglected, it can lead to chronic hip pain. Chronic hip pain is often related to bursitis. Bursitis is an inflammatory disorder. The most common bursitis in the hip is trochanteric bursitis.
Hip arthritis may not have a single reason for occurring, but some factors increase your likelihood of getting arthritis in the hips.
These are a few of the more common factors that lead to hip arthritis (hip OA) in most:
- Getting older
- A history of osteoarthritis in close family members
- If you have had accidents or directly injured the hip joint
- Obesity: more weight on the hip joint means more wear and tear
- Congenital malformation of the hip joint: also called Developmental Dysplasia of the Hip
- And last: because life isn’t fair, even if you do not have any of these increased risk factors, you can still get osteoarthritis of the hi
- Spine conditions such as scoliosis that results from an uneven pelvic height
Osteoarthritis and Hip Joint
The hip joint is a weight-bearing joint: it is one of the largest joint in the body affected by osteoarthritis. The day in, day out stress placed on the hip joint causes the articular cartilage (a thin, smooth covering of the hip bone) to wear out prematurely. Increased hip joint stress leads to thinning out the already thin articular cartilage. The surface of the acetabular joint is lined by a thin covering referred to as the synovium. In a healthy joint, the synovium produces a small amount of fluid, which lubricates the hip joint enabling pain-free movements, relatively effortless.
A properly working bone and cartilage are ten times more slippery than ice. The thinning process often leads to cracks. In patients that neglect this condition, this thinning progressively worsens, and small pieces of cartilage may come loose. The loose pieces may then float inside the hip joint; further irritating the condition. With continued neglect, the articular cartilage wears out completely, and the bones begin to rub together.
Steroidal injections and Hip Replacement for Hip Arthritis
Avoid the steroidal injections at all costs! Steroids do provide some relief. However, it can also cause damage to the joint capsule, ligaments, and soft tissues of the hip. A better option is to get focused treatments provided by chiropractors and physiotherapists familiar with hip conditions.
Replacement hip surgery should is best when the hip joint has severely degenerated. In other words, when the cartilage is thoroughly worn out, and there is bone-on-bone contact within the hip joint. The downside of hip surgery is its limitation. Joint replacement surgery of the hip usually lasts for 10-15-years. It is better to delay this procedure if you are under the age of 60. Surgery should be your absolute last option.
Best Hip Arthritis Remedy
To help minimize the pain and for quick relief, we encourage the following home care or remedy for hip arthritis:
- Avoid activities that cause pain.
- Limit prolonged standing or excessive walking.
- Avoid wearing shoes with high heels. Wear shoes with less than a 2-inch heel.
- Drink a boiled tea mixture of fresh ginger and turmeric.
- Ice the painful hip 2-3 times per day for 15 minutes with a 2-hour break between icing session.
When icing, make sure to wrap the ice pack in a cloth. Also, use a timer and never ice more than 15-minutes. If symptoms continue, call our center for combined care from our corrective chiropractors and physiotherapists. We have the best non-surgical spine and joint team in Malaysia!
What is the Best Treatment for Hip arthritis?
Osteoarthritis usually comes on slowly and results in pain and stiffness in the hip. Sometimes pain is felt further down the leg. However, osteoarthritis does not always cause pain. The hip can have a mild amount of osteoarthritis and feel perfectly fine. Most types of treatment for osteoarthritis of the hip work best when started early before sensitive tissues of the hip joint are damaged.
For this reason, our chiropractors prefer to see patients as soon as possible. At Chiropractic Specialty Center®, we begin with an exam to establish a proper working diagnosis. Once we have finalized your diagnosis: treatments start. We may or may not do additional tests such as imaging (CT scan, X-ray or MRI) or lab work. So, procedures may vary and depend on the severity of your condition. Often a mixture of chiropractic, physiotherapy, physical therapy or rehabilitation is recommended. Rest assured, regardless of the form of treatment prescribed; you are in good hands when you visit one of our centers.
Not only do our chiropractors have a thorough education, but also the experience needed to deal with arthritic conditions. Furthermore, in each of our centers, our chiropractors are backed by an expert clinical team of physiotherapists. Additionally, our chiropractors and physiotherapists use advanced technology to enhance their treatments. To summarize, call visit our center to get the best non-surgical treatment for hip arthritis in Malaysia.