How to treat osteoarthritis of the hip joint: methods and means.

Coxarthrosis is a disease that affects the patient's hip joint.The treatment is long term.Just a few decades ago, such a diagnosis was practically a death sentence for the patient, promising: intense and debilitating pain, gradual decrease in mobility and early disability.

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

Understanding the causes of the disease has prompted the use of an integrated approach in therapy.Treatment of osteoarthritis of the hip joint can include both medications and physiotherapy methods.

What is hip osteoarthritis?

Osteoarthritis is a disease in which the normal structure of the cartilaginous tissue of the joints is altered.Unlike arthritis, the cause of the deformation is not an infectious inflammation of the tissues, but rather an alteration in metabolic processes.

Deforming osteoarthritis of the hip joint, with rare exceptions, is observed in patients over 40 years of age.The development of pathology occurs as follows:

• The metabolism is altered.Cartilage tissue does not have blood vessels, so its nutrition is provided by adjacent muscle tissue.For various reasons, the synthesis of substances is disturbed.
• Due to insufficient nutrition, cartilage begins to lose elasticity.Over time, it becomes thinner.The interosseous space is significantly reduced.Osteoarthritis in the hip joint, grade 3, is characterized by the fact that the growths in the bone tissue rub against each other.Cartilage tissue is practically absent.

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

After the appearance of degenerative changes, it may take years for the patient to develop the third stage of the disease, but under unfavorable circumstances and without taking precautions, pathological changes can occur much faster.

How does osteoarthritis manifest?

The symptoms of osteoarthritis of the hip joint and their nature depend on the degree of development of the disease.The most characteristic symptom is pain.It is because of pain that patients often turn to a doctor for qualified help.In addition, the insidiousness of the disease is that at the early stage of degenerative changes, pain, as a rule, does not cause great inconvenience, is short-lived and is often attributed to common fatigue.

The delay causes the best time to start treatment to be missed and curing grade 2 hip osteoarthritis requires more time and effort.There is still a chance for a successful prognosis, provided the treatment is prescribed correctly.

The 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 appear at rest.This indicates the need for an urgent visit to an arthrologist.
2. Stiffness of movement, lameness.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 during palpation.

Diagnosis of the disease cannot be made without modern diagnostic studies.Therefore, grade 1 hip osteoarthritis is diagnosed only by X-ray, CT, and MRI.The image clearly shows changes and narrowing of the interosseous space.

Stages of hip osteoarthritis.

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.Therapies that have produced the most significant results can be selected.Thanks to international collaboration, the pharmacological treatment of hip osteoarthritis has improved significantly over time.

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

1. First stage.Painful sensations occur only against the background of excessive stress: running, exercise, exercise, etc.The pain is mainly concentrated in the joint area.The pain usually goes away on its own after a period of rest.At the same time, leg mobility remains full and muscle strength is not limited.First degree osteoarthritis can only be diagnosed by x-ray or tomography.The image clearly shows slight deformations of the bone tissue that do not extend beyond the so-called labrum.The joint space narrows slightly, usually in irregular areas.
2. Second stage.Migrating pain that begins to spread to the groin area and thigh is characteristic.It can occur spontaneously during rest.Pain due to osteoarthritis of the hip joint in the second stage does not go away on its own and requires the patient to take anesthetics.Range of motion is affected and muscle tissue atrophy is observed.The image clearly shows bone growths and deformations of the femoral head.Perhaps the appearance of a cyst in the most stressed 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.X-rays or MRIs are ordered to see the extent of the deformity.
3. Third stage.The pain begins to become chronic.Osteoarthritis can be determined even without a comprehensive examination.The patient cannot move without a cane;There is a tilt of the pelvis, which causes a shortening of the leg.When moving, the patient must tilt his body over the damaged joint.As a result, this leads to even greater degenerative changes.The image shows extensive bone deformation.The joint gap is almost invisible.

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

How to treat osteoarthritis in the hip joint.

Regardless of what is used, gymnastics for osteoarthritis of the hip joint or taking medications, all approaches are based on six fundamental principles.Namely:

• Relieve 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 a joint, but not taking care to reduce the load on it, all the beneficial effects of chondroprotectors can be nullified.It is not surprising that in world practice 2 to 10 different approaches are usually used simultaneously, depending on the patient's condition.

How to treat hip osteoarthritis

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

• NSAIDs- Non-steroidal medications to relieve the inflammatory process are the "classics" of treatment.Medicines for osteoarthritis of the hip joint are necessarily prescribed in combination with non-steroidal drugs or contain them in their composition.NSAIDs are especially effective during disease exacerbations.Helps relieve pain and reduce swelling.The appointment allows you to perform physiotherapy exercises for osteoarthritis of the hip joint, move on to massage, gymnastics and other physiotherapy procedures.The disadvantage of NSAIDs is their negative effect on the gastric mucosa.Patients should understand that non-steroidal medications for the treatment of hip osteoarthritis do not cure the disease, but simply eliminate the symptoms, making therapy possible.
• Chondroprotectors and hyaluronic acid.These drugs represent a new stage in the treatment of the hip joint, therefore 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- They are vasodilators and relieve muscle tissue spasms.Prescribed to reduce the load on the joint.Muscle relaxants can only be used as part of complex drug therapy.
• Pain relieving ointment- Despite advertising that talks about ointments as a means of miraculously eliminating the disease, in reality they only eliminate the unpleasant symptoms of the disease.On the other hand, analgesics in the form of ointments improve the effectiveness of conservative treatment, allowing to relieve swelling and alleviate the patient's condition.
• Intra-articular injections- designed to relieve pain, restore cartilage tissue, or provide protection against excessive pressure on a joint.The most used are corticosteroids.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 the experience of the surgeon (according to statistics, 30% of doctors ignore the joint capsule when performing manipulations).

Some drugs can harm the body.Self-medication is strictly prohibited!

A bandage of the hip joint will relieve the load on the joint and reduce the factor that is the main cause of the appearance of tissue irritation leading to the inflammatory process.Therefore, along 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 medications, the patient can undergo physiotherapy and use alternative therapeutic methods.

• manual therapy- This procedure has a gentler effect on damaged tissues than massage of the hip joint in case of osteoarthritis.Any aggressive impact on the damaged area can easily trigger the onset of the inflammatory process.In our area we are still not used to manual therapy, but in the West it is very widespread and is one of the official therapeutic methods.
• therapeutic exercisewith deforming osteoarthritis: a wide area in which the patient can choose between traditional and non-traditional methods.For hip osteoarthritis, Pilates, yoga, as well as water exercises and other methods to restore the function of atrophied muscles are popular.Physical education and moderate exercise, together with medications, have a beneficial effect and contribute to the patient's recovery.
• traditional medicine- Most arthrologists are against this method as an independent therapy.And your opinion has a basis.A large number of patients, who refused the help of traditional medicine, gained disability.But under the supervision of the attending physician, effective treatment of osteoarthritis of the hip joint with folk remedies is quite possible.Most of the herbs and infusions used have an anti-inflammatory and analgesic effect.Some medicinal preparations have serious contraindications, so before taking them it is worth consulting with an arthrologist.It is recommended to use non-traditional folk methods of treating osteoarthritis of the hip joint with caution.Some recipes not only do not contribute to improvement, but also cause the opposite effect, causing accelerated destruction of cartilage.
• Homeopathy- helps to normalize the synthesis of substances in the body.Homeopathy is especially effective for post-traumatic osteoarthritis, as it allows you to cope with the main factor that provoked the development of the disease.
• apitherapy- Treatment with bee stings is very effective and allows you to combine the effects of acupuncture and pharmacotherapy.It is not surprising that many effective warming ointments contain processed bee venom.Often the use of apitherapy is more effective than a hip block.The treating doctor must decide the appropriateness of the use of apitherapy.
• Magnetotherapy- used as auxiliary treatment and prevention of diseases.The effect of a magnet increases blood flow to tissues and helps restore metabolic processes.Eliminates salt deposits.
• Hirudotherapy- Treatment with leeches has been used for several centuries.It has been proven that the saliva of leeches, which enters the bloodstream, contains a substance that helps dilute it.As a result, blood can even enter atrophied capillaries and vessels.
• mud therapy- has a gentle warming effect, helps obtain essential nutrients.With the proper use of mud therapy, the inflammatory process and pain syndrome are reduced.Prohibited for purulent osteoarthritis of the hip joint.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 included in Mumiyo promote tissue regeneration.Mumiyo is especially effective in the early stages of the disease.
• self-massage- Aggressive bursts and pressure are eliminated.When massaging, it is necessary to ensure the flow of blood and lymph.An experienced chiropractor or massage therapist will show you the types of movements and their direction.

Treatment of osteoarthritis of the hip joint at home using unconventional methods should be complemented by proper nutrition.

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

Osteoarthritis in the hip joint and pregnancy.

Pregnancy with osteoarthritis in the hip joint is a double stress for the woman's body.Most medications are prohibited from taking during pregnancy.At the very least, they must be taken very carefully so as not to harm the child.

If hip osteoarthritis during pregnancy is in an early stage, it is recommended to postpone drug treatment until after delivery.

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

Even when planning a child, it is necessary to undergo a complete examination of the body.All medications, ointments and pain relievers can only be taken as prescribed by a doctor.

Consequences of osteoarthritis

In the later stages of the disease, it is impossible to cure coxarthrosis in the usual way.Immediate surgical intervention is required.The operation is a last resort and can be performed in different 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 operation will be necessary to replace it.
2. Laser therapy for operated osteoarthritis.hip 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 remains disabled.

Early diagnosis of coxarthrosis and appropriately prescribed restorative treatment is the only reliable way to combat the disease.Ignoring symptoms leads to disability.