How to treat arthrosis of the hip joint - methods and means

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

But thanks to the modern, most effective 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 gave impetus to the use of an integrated approach in therapy.Treatment of arthrosis of the hip joint can include both drugs and physiotherapeutic methods.

What is hip arthrosis?

Arthrosis is a disease in which the normal structure of the cartilaginous tissue of the joints is disturbed.Unlike arthritis, the cause of the deformation is not an infectious tissue inflammation, but a disturbance of metabolic processes.

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

• Metabolism is disturbed.Cartilage tissue has no blood vessels, so its nutrition is ensured by the neighboring muscle tissue.For various reasons, the synthesis of substances is disturbed.
• Due to insufficient nutrition, the cartilage begins to lose its elasticity.It thins out over time.Interosseous clearance is significantly reduced.Arthrosis in the hip joint, grade 3, is characterized by the fact that growths on the bone tissue rub against each other.Cartilage tissue is practically absent.

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

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

How does arthrosis manifest itself?

Symptoms of arthrosis of the hip joint and their nature depend on the degree of development of the disease.The most characteristic symptom is pain.Due to pain, patients most often turn to a doctor for qualified help.Moreover, the insidiousness of the disease is that in the early stages of degenerative changes, the pain, as a rule, does not cause great inconvenience, is short-lived and is often attributed to ordinary fatigue.

Delay leads to missing the best moment to start treatment, and treatment of stage 2 hip arthrosis requires more time and effort.There are still chances for a successful prognosis, provided that the therapy is properly prescribed.

Symptoms of the disease are:

1. Pain can occur in the hip, groin area and in the joint itself.You should be careful if pain symptoms occur at rest.This indicates the need for an urgent visit to an arthrologist.
2. Stiffness of movement, limping.It is observed after prolonged immobility of the leg, for example, after sleeping.
3. Over time, the diseased leg becomes shorter than the healthy one, atrophy of muscle tissue is observed, which can be felt by palpation.

The diagnosis of the disease cannot be established without modern diagnostic studies.Therefore, hip arthrosis of the 1st degree is diagnosed only with the help of radiography, CT and MRI.The picture clearly shows the changes and narrowing of the interosseous space.

Stages of hip arthrosis

After diagnosing the 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 statistical data is collected.The therapies that have produced the most significant results can be selected.Thanks to international cooperation, the treatment of hip arthrosis has improved significantly over time.

In world practice, it is recognized that arthrosis of the hip joint has three phases or stages of development.Each of them has its own symptoms.namely:

1. The first stage.Painful sensations occur only against the background of excessive stress: running, exercising, exercising and so on.The pain is concentrated mainly in the area of the joints.Usually the pain goes away on its own after some time of rest.At the same time, leg mobility remains complete, muscle strength is not limited.First-degree arthrosis can only be diagnosed with the help of radiography or tomography.The image clearly shows mild bone tissue deformations that do not extend beyond the so-calledlabrum.The joint space is slightly narrowed, usually in uneven areas.
2. The second stage.It is characterized by migrating pain, which begins to spread to the groin and thigh area.It can occur spontaneously during rest.Pain due to arthrosis of the hip joint in the second stage does not go away by itself and requires the patient to take an anesthetic.The range of motion is impaired, and muscle tissue atrophy is observed.Bone growths and deformations of the femoral head are clearly visible in the picture.Perhaps the appearance of a cyst in the most loaded part of the thigh - the acetabulum.The diagnosis of arthrosis in the second stage is carried out quickly.Even with a superficial examination, pathological changes are obvious.X-rays or an MRI are ordered to see the extent of the deformity.
3. The third phase.The pain starts to become chronic.Arthrosis can be determined even without a detailed examination.The patient cannot move without a cane;there is a tilt of the pelvis, which leads to the shortening of the leg.When moving, the patient must lean his body on the damaged joint.As a result, it leads to even greater degenerative changes.The picture shows extensive deformation of the bone.The joint gap is almost invisible.

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

How to treat arthrosis in the hip joint

Regardless of what is used, gymnastics for arthrosis of the hip joint or taking medication, all approaches are based on six fundamental principles.namely:

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

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

How to treat osteoarthritis of the hip

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

• NSAIDs- non-steroidal drugs to relieve the inflammatory process are the "classics" of treatment.Medicines for arthrosis of the hip joint are necessarily prescribed either in combination with non-steroidal drugs or contain them in their composition.NSAIDs are especially effective during exacerbations of the disease.It helps relieve pain and reduce swelling.The appointment enables the performance of physiotherapy exercises for arthrosis of the hip joint, the transition to massage, gymnastics and other physiotherapeutic procedures.The disadvantage of NSAIDs is their negative effect on the gastric mucosa.Patients must understand that non-steroidal drugs for the treatment of hip arthrosis do not cure the disease, but simply remove the symptoms, making therapy possible.
• Chondroprotectors and hyaluronic acid.These drugs are a new stage in the treatment of the hip joint, so they 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 to 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 relaxants- are vasodilators and allow you to relieve spasm of muscle tissue.Prescribed to reduce the load on the joint.Muscle relaxants can only be used as part of complex drug therapy.
• Ointment for pain relief- despite advertisements that talk about fats as a means of miraculously eliminating diseases, they actually only eliminate unpleasant symptoms of the disease.On the other hand, painkillers in the form of ointments increase the effectiveness of conservative treatment, allowing you to relieve swelling and the patient's condition.
• Intra-articular injections- designed to relieve pain, restore cartilage tissue or provide protection from excessive pressure on a joint.Corticosteroids are most often used.They relieve pain, allowing the patient to begin treatment with physical therapy.The group of corticosteroids also includes hyaluronic acid preparations.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 medicines can harm the body.Self-medication is strictly prohibited!

A bandage on the hip joint will relieve the load on the joint and reduce the factor that is the main reason for the appearance of tissue irritation that leads to the inflammatory process.Therefore, together with drug therapy, fixation of the damaged area is often prescribed.

Non-traditional methods and physiotherapy

In addition to prescribing anti-inflammatory drugs, intra-articular injections and other drugs, the patient can undergo physiotherapy and take advantage of alternative methods of therapy.

• Manual therapy- this procedure has a milder effect on damaged tissues than massaging the hip joint in arthrosis.Any aggressive impact on the damaged area can easily trigger the start of the inflammatory process.In our region, we are not yet used to manual therapy, but in the West it is widespread and is one of the official methods of therapy.
• Therapeutic exercisewith deforming arthrosis - a wide area where the patient can choose between traditional and non-traditional methods.Pilates, yoga, as well as water exercises and other methods for restoring the function of atrophied muscles are popular for hip arthrosis.Physical education and moderate exercise, 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 basis.A large number of patients, who refused the help of traditional medicine, became disabled.But under the supervision of a doctor, effective treatment of arthrosis of the hip joint with folk remedies is quite possible.Most of the herbs and infusions used have anti-inflammatory and analgesic effects.Some medicinal preparations have serious contraindications, so consult an arthrologist before taking them.Non-traditional folk methods for the treatment of arthrosis of the hip joint are recommended with caution.Some of the recipes not only do not contribute to improvement, but also lead to the opposite effect, causing accelerated cartilage destruction.
• Homeopathy- helps to normalize the synthesis of substances in the body.Homeopathy is especially effective for post-traumatic arthrosis, allowing you to deal with the main factor that led to the development of the disease.
• Apitherapy- bee sting treatment is very effective, it allows you to combine the effects of acupuncture and drug therapy.Not surprisingly, many warming and effective ointments contain processed bee venom.Often the use of apitherapy is more effective than the hip block.The appropriateness of the application of apitherapy should be decided by the attending physician.
• Magnetotherapy- it is used as an auxiliary treatment and disease prevention.The effect of the magnet increases blood flow to the tissues and helps restore metabolic processes.Removes salt deposits.
• Hirudotherapy- Leech treatment has been used for several centuries.It has been proven that the leech's saliva, which enters the blood, contains a substance that dilutes it.As a result, blood can even enter the atrophied capillaries and vessels.
• Mud therapy- has a mild warming effect, helps in obtaining essential nutrients.Proper application of mud therapy reduces the inflammatory process and pain syndrome.Prohibited for purulent arthrosis of the hip joint.It is prescribed with caution in the presence of blood clots and vascular diseases.
• Shilajit for osteoarthritis- it is used in pure form and as part of tinctures and poultices.Useful substances included in Mumiyo promote tissue regeneration.Mumiyo is especially effective in the early stages of the disease.
• Self massage- sharp aggressive blows and pressure are eliminated.During the massage, it is necessary to ensure the flow of blood and lymph.A chiropractor or experienced massage therapist will show you the types of movements and their direction.

Treatment of arthrosis of the hip joint at home with unconventional methods must be supplemented with proper nutrition.

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

Arthrosis in the hip joint and pregnancy

Pregnancy with arthrosis in the hip joint is a double stress for the woman's body.It is forbidden to take most medicines during pregnancy.At the very least, they must be taken with great care so as not to harm the child.

If hip arthrosis in pregnancy is at an early stage, drug treatment is recommended to be postponed until after delivery.

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

Even while planning a child, it is necessary to undergo a complete body examination.All medicines, ointments and painkillers can only be taken on the recommendation of a doctor.

Consequences of arthrosis

In the later stages of the disease, it becomes impossible to cure coxarthrosis in the usual way.Urgent surgical intervention is required.Surgery is a last resort and can be performed in a variety of ways.

1. Joint replacement- completely restores all motor functions.The disadvantage of the solution is the limited period of use of the prosthesis.On average, after 15 years, a second replacement operation will be required.
2. Laser therapy of operated arthrosiship joint - used in case of rejection of the joint part of the bone.Laser therapy removes the damaged surface and replaces it with an artificial insert.

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

Early diagnosis of coxarthrosis and properly prescribed course of restorative therapy is the only reliable way to fight the disease.Ignoring the symptoms leads to disability.