Osteoarthritis of the hip joint is a disease called coxarthrosis. The insidious thing about the disease is that it differs in an imperceptible course for a long time.
Symptoms may not alert the patient for more than two years, until they gradually worsen and force him to see a doctor.
Symptoms are divided into 3 degrees, according to their severity.
Symptoms of the disease
The main symptom is joint pain when walking. Being chronic, coxarthrosis sometimes worsens and then the pain becomes more pronounced. The localization is usually in the groin area, on the outer part of the thigh, on its front surface and echoes on the knee or buttocks. The pain causes a change in gait, as the patient adjusts, trying to avoid pain. This can cause (especially in advanced cases) a shortening of the leg. Let's consider the symptoms of osteoarthritis in more detail.
Attention!The disease mainly affects women.
Osteoarthritis of the hip joint - grade 1
It is characterized by a mild and painful pain that occurs after significant physical exertion, mainly running or walking for a long time. The pain passes quickly after rest, without altering the dynamics of movements, so it does not cause alertness in the patient. On the x-ray, small bony changes are visible, a growth that does not go beyond the articular lip.
Osteoarthritis of the hip joint - grade 2
The pain becomes more intense, is localized in the joint, radiates to the groin and thigh, appearing even at rest. The work of the joint is affected, the long walk causes lameness. Hip abduction and internal rotation are limited, and the muscles that allow hip abduction and extension are weakened.
Osteoarthritis of the hip joint - grade 3
Coxarthrosis pains constantly bother the patient and even appear at night. The muscles of the leg (thigh, calf) and buttocks atrophy, their volume decreases, when walking, a cane is needed. This leads to a shortening of the limb, the patient is forced to stand on tiptoe and bend forward. In grade 3, the painful sensations are usually stronger in the knee than in the groin or thigh, so the doctor may be misdiagnosed.
Causes of the disease
There are many reasons for coxarthrosis. Let's consider the main ones:
- Excessive stress on the joint, its injuries, which occur especially often in athletes.
- Hereditary diseases. These include congenital hip dislocation, hip dysplasia, and others.
- hereditary predisposition. Despite the fact that coxarthrosis is not genetically transmitted, a child can inherit a weak skeleton or structural features of cartilage tissue from relatives.
- Arthritis, even if cured, can lead to osteoarthritis of the hip joint.
- Chronic stress and long-term experiences, scientists say, have an extremely negative effect on joint health.
- Infarction (aseptic necrosis) of the hip joint causes circulatory disorders.
- Changes at the hormonal level, diabetes mellitus, loss of sensation of the lower limbs in nervous diseases.
Important!Significantly increases the risk of developing obesity. In 5-10% of cases, it is this that leads to the development of the disease.
Treatment with home remedies
Bees
Apiproducts has established itself as an effective treatment for many internal diseases. It is not surprising that bees can also help with joint deformation: bee venom has an anti-inflammatory and analgesic effect, normalizes the mobility of diseased joints, relieves swelling and prevents deterioration. Mainly the bee sting is used, which is only prescribed by a specialist. Therapy begins with a bite, but the result is usually visible after the first procedure. The venom acts at the site of inflammation and helps the body fight the infection on its own. In addition, it will help to cope with other problems of the body: eliminate infections, restore the functioning of the nervous system and stop the aging of the body.
Sludge treatment
Mud wraps give positive results as a complementary therapy. The efficiency of heated mud is higher, so it is recommended to heat it up to 40 degrees before use. Apply a mud cake (clay diluted with water in a ratio of 1: 7) to the damaged joint and fix it with a sheet, oilcloth and warm it on top with a towel. The duration of the procedure is 30 minutes. Rinse with lukewarm water and let it rest for half an hour. Perform wraps at least once a day for a month.
The following types of dirt are used:
- slime;
- peat;
- sapropel.
Gelatin treatment
Gelatin is a natural substance used by humanity for centuries. Its main advantage is that it is not only useful, but also completely safe.
Attention!Gelatin helps to improve hair condition, eliminating dryness and hair loss, as well as increasing the functionality of the entire body. To cure hair, simply dilute the powder with cold water and, letting it sit, dilute it in equal proportions with shampoo.
What are the benefits of gelatin for the joints? It contains amino acids that add elasticity to the joints and slow (or stop at all) their destructive changes. In terms of chemical composition, gelatin is collagen and is almost 90% protein, and protein foods are especially helpful for joint problems.
Patients who take gelatin notice a decrease in the pathological process and the intensity of joint pain, which allows them to move more freely. Of course, it cannot be considered as the main type of treatment, but in combination with other measures, it is very effective.
How to make gelatin:
- Pour a teaspoon of powder with half a glass of cold water (previously boiled).
- Let it infuse; it should swell.
- In the morning, add hot water to a mug and add a teaspoon of honey for sweetness and added effect.
- After stirring, drink the gelatin while it is still warm, on an empty stomach in the morning.
- Course: 10 days of treatment / 10 days of rest for 3 months.
Leech Healing
Hirudotherapy (or treatment with leeches) gives positive results in the initial stages of the disease: I and II. The benefit of a leech bite is that its saliva contains enzymes, the action of which corresponds to the effect of drugs injected into the periarticular region. Also, leeches improve blood flow to the damaged joint area.
In stage III coxarthrosis, the use of leeches eliminates nocturnal joint pain and pain at rest. In the postoperative period, the recovery of damaged muscles and joints is accelerated.
The procedures are carried out with an interval of 2-6 days, the course includes 6-8 sessions. During the session, 4 to 8 medicinal leeches are used. Already after 4 sessions, a noticeable improvement is observed, but the maximum effect is achieved approximately 2 weeks after the end of the hirudotherapy course.
Herbs
Traditional medicine recipes are often the only way to eliminate a difficult disease. The herbs are applied both topically and internally. Some of them help even with grade III coxarthrosis.
Recipe no. 1:
- You will need lemon (3 pcs. ), celery (250 g), garlic (120 g).
- Blend the ingredients, place in a 3-liter jar, cover with boiling water and heat with a blanket, leave overnight.
- Take the medicine in the morning, 70 g per day, half an hour before meals, for three months. Banks are usually enough for 1 month.
Stir and consume one glass every day for a month.
Attention!Before consuming lemon, make sure your stomach acid is not too acidic; citrus fruits increase it.
Recipe # 2. Take 3 lemons, chop them finely together with the peel, pour boiling water (three liters) and allow to cool completely, and then dissolve 3 tablespoons. l. Linden honey.
Hint!If your tendons and muscles are pulling, you can prepare celandine oil. Take 8 tablespoons. l. flowers and stems of the plant, chop them and cover with 1 liter of olive oil. Let the oil sit in a warm place for 2 weeks. When infused, strain and rub it into sore areas, isolating them with a warm washcloth.
Lap for joint pain
Take equal proportions of iodine, glycerin, alcohol and flower honey. After 2-3 hours, the medicine will be ready. You should use it by applying it on a cotton swab and rubbing it well on the skin in the painful joint area. It is necessary to lubricate the skin from the bottom up, along the flow of lymph and blood. The effectiveness of lapping will be greater if the tissues surrounding the area of inflammation are further lubricated; This will improve blood circulation and make the disease regress.
Cabbage
The cabbage compress will reduce pain in the injured joint. You will need a head of cabbage, from which you need to separate several large, fresh leaves before going to bed. Lubricate the area of inflammation with flower honey and put the cabbage, and then fix it with a plastic bag and warm it with a towel or handkerchief. In the morning, wash off the remaining honey and repeat the procedure. You need to walk with a compress until the evening. Repeat the procedure for a month.
Mint
Peppermint ointment for joint pain.
Chop 50 g of mint and eucalyptus leaves with a knife and then add 50 ml of aloe juice.
Stir the ingredients and lubricate the sore joints 3 times a day.
Treatment without surgery
Sometimes patients present to the doctor with an extremely advanced stage of coxarthrosis. In this case, it is almost impossible to help them without surgery. However, medical practice shows that regular therapeutic exercises and the appointment of certain drugs can not only reduce the manifestations of the disease, but also almost completely eliminate them.
Treatment in this case is purely individual and consists, in addition to gymnastics, in taking drugs that strengthen the bones. If the joint can still be saved, it makes sense to prescribe drugs to restore cartilage.
There are several alternative methods that help with coxarthrosis:
- Manual therapy.
- Applied Kinesology (movement therapy).
- Traction of the hardware joint.
- Joint traction without apparatus (post-isometric relaxation).
Preparations
The following groups of drugs help with this diagnosis.
Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. Although they do not cure the disease itself, these medications can effectively eliminate pain and reduce severe inflammation. Its constant intake is not recommended due to the harmful effects on the body.
Chondroprotectors, unlike NVPs, not only relieve symptoms, but also affect the basis of the disease. They restore the structure of cartilage, improve the production of joint fluid. However, they do not work right away - it will take at least 2-3 courses to achieve positive results.
Attention! Chondroprotectors can only help in the early stages of the disease.
Muscle relaxants (muscle relaxants) are good for relieving spasms in the muscles surrounding inflamed tissue. They are effective in combination with joint traction and chondroprotectors, because if you do not begin to restore the joint itself, relieving the spasm can lead to its accelerated destruction.
Hint!The doctor states that muscle oxidants rarely help significantly improve the patient's condition, because their appointment is not always justified.
Vasodilators. They increase blood circulation in the joint, which contributes to its faster recovery and also reduces pain, relieves vasospasm and improves joint nutrition. To begin with, the tablets are taken one at a time, but after a few days, if there are no side effects, they switch to the doctor's recommended course of administration.
Injections
Injections are injected directly into the joint or periarticular tissue. However, most of the time the injection is not carried out in the lumen of the damaged joint, but in the periarticular tissue, since there is a high risk of overshooting, damaging the nerve endings.
- Corticosteroid hormones are given to relieve pain.
- The introduction of chondroprotectors through the thigh is very useful (2-3 courses are carried out per year).
- Hyaluronic acid, an artificial joint lubricant, must be injected into the joint lumen, which is very difficult to penetrate, so the treatment only gives a 30% positive effect.
Ointments
It is not so much the ointments that are effective, that they do not always reach the joint; the process of rubbing the ointment itself often gives a positive effect, replacing light massage. You should rub the ointment with clean hands for 15 minutes. Circular and spiral movements from the bottom up until a feeling of warmth appears.
The composition of the ointments is different: it can be vegetable raw materials, bee and snake venom, an extract from the cartilage tissue of cattle. Ointments with honey or mustard and other warming components in the composition will be good. You can even prepare such funds yourself. Ointments also have an analgesic effect.
Exercises
Therapeutic gymnastics is very effective in the early stages of the disease and is sometimes effective even in advanced cases. The main goal of exercise is to develop the affected joint and strengthen nearby muscles. If discomfort occurs in the hip area after gymnastics, a massage should be performed to minimize the discomfort.
Important!During gymnastics, do not load the joint; exclude its axial load as it may worsen the condition. Also, try not to make sudden, deep movements.
There are a wide variety of exercises that are important to do regularly; in this case, the result will be really remarkable.
Here are some exercises.
- I. p. - standing. Grab the support with both hands and slowly do a half squat 10 times.
- I. p. - standing. Transfer your body weight to your good leg and support yourself with one hand on the same side (table or back of a chair). Swing back and forth slowly on your sore leg.
- I. p. - laying face down. Place your hands on your hips and lift your legs straight alternately.
- I. p. - stand firmly on both legs and with both hands resting on the support. Stand on your toes and lower your heels to the ground. Perform - 10 times.
The exercise set consists of three sets and is performed slowly but surely for one hour. It is imperative to do the exercises correctly.
Diet
Proper nutrition is one of the keys to success in any disease, including osteoarthritis. These are the products that will help restore cartilage tissue and will not cause weight gain:
- low-fat milk and fermented milk products;
- lean meat and fish;
- buckwheat;
- beans, lentils.
- Fats are essential for normal metabolism. Give preference to vegetable oils and unrefined butter, fish or shark oil.
- Carbohydrates fill the body with energy. It is better to eat complex carbohydrates (vegetables, fruits) than simple ones, which include sugar and other sweets.
- Minerals and vitamins are found in foods like baked potatoes, bananas, nuts, eggs, chicken meat, whole wheat bread.
Doctors recommend not consuming more than 1 teaspoon of salt per day, giving up preservatives, smoked meats and other unhealthy high-fat foods.
Hint!Water is life. For coxarthrosis, drink plenty of water, up to two liters a day.
Prevention
Prevention consists of an active lifestyle, proper nutrition, avoiding excessive stress on the joints (which athletes often abuse). Be healthy!