What are the treatment options for hip arthritis?
Hello and welcome to the One Care Medical Center, my name is Dr Abdul Salam and I am practicing ortho doctor in Coimbatore, in this short blog post we are going to discuss on the various treatment options for hip arthritis.
The treatment recommendations for hip arthritis depends upon your overall health, the severity of the disease, symptoms, range of motion of the affected joint and numerous other individual centric factors
However an important point to bear in mind is that, hip osteoarthritis is a progressive degenerative disease, and the condition only worsens with time. In some patients undergoing a full hip replacement may be the only option.
Some well-proven treatment options for hip osteoarthritis include
Weight Management
Patients with a very high BMI (Body mass index) have a higher risk of osteoarthritis and the added weight puts a strain on the joints. Higher body weight combined with obesity is associated with a greater degree of inflammation-causing faster disease progression.
Thus the first-line recommendation for patients who are obese is weight loss.
Pain Medications
There are numerous pain medications that can be given effectively to treat arthritis. Some of these pain medications also have anti-inflammatory properties. Patients with severe arthritis however may require medications like tramadol apart from the routinely prescribed ibuprofen or naproxen. Opioid medications although effective are not recommended.
Steroid injections
Steroid injections can be used intermittently to manage the pain of osteoarthritis, although long term use is not recommended.
Exercise and physiotherapy
Exercise is absolutely essential for preventing the progression of arthritis, exercise not only helps with weight management but also helps with slowing disease progression and improving range of motion and joint stability. Low impact exercises like swimming, cycling, and walking are strongly recommended for patients
Stretching exercises also help and consistent practice also helps in the long run.
Self-care tips
Some quick self-care tips that you can follow for reducing osteoarthritis include
A. Adequate rest with 6 hours of sleep
B. Manage your stress with exercise, guided meditation
C. Adopt a healthy diet by restricting processed meat and dairy products, yoga et cetera.
D. Limit alcohol and tobacco usage as well
E. Complementary therapies like hot and cold alternative application combined with capsaicin topical creams can also help lower the intensity of pain
F. Use of walking support like canes or braces for joint support also helps tremendously
Hip Replacement Procedures
Hip replacement procedures can drastically improve the quality of life by
Improving overall levels of pain
Improving overall mobility and lastly
Lowering the risk of hip dislocation
I hope you enjoyed this article on treatment options for hip replacement. Please watch this space for more interesting reads
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