Hip Osteoarthritis (Hip OA)
What is Osteoarthritis?
Osteoarthritis is the degeneration of articular cartilage that surrounds the bone of a joint. Articular cartilage is a firm, slippery surface that acts as shock absorption and helps the joint move fluidly. With osteoarthritis, this surface is so worn down that bone is rubbing on bone, causing inflammation and pain. Osteoarthritis in the hip is one of the most common causes of hip pain in adults.
Hip Osteoarthritis Symptoms
The most common symptom of hip osteoarthritis is deep pain in the hip joint. One may also experience stiffness in the joint upon waking in the morning or after activity as well as loss of motion in the hip. Finally, due to the excessive load placed directly onto the bones, bone spurs may form around the hip causing increased pain.
People most at risk for hip osteoarthritis include adults over 50, women, those with obesity, and those who have had past injuries to the hip or place repeated stress on the hip joints.
How can hip osteoarthritis be treated?
Many people will first think of surgery, like a total hip arthroplasty (replacement) as the go-to choice to cure hip osteoarthritis. But, research has found that a more conservative approach involving physical therapy can help many people with the condition lead functional, pain-free lives.
The conservative approach to hip osteoarthritis is a multimodal approach. Strengthening and aerobic exercise are incorporated to help enhance function and decrease pain. Education into how to modify the activity to prevent or reduce pain is also taught. By avoiding provocative activities, the progression of osteoarthritis can be delayed. Additionally, new activities are instructed to allow for pain-free movement.
How can physical therapy help hip osteoarthritis?
The primary goal of physical therapy when addressing hip osteoarthritis is to decrease pain, enhance function, and prolong, or altogether, avoid surgery. At ProTailored Physical Therapy, our therapists are trained to construct a personalized treatment approach to meet your individual needs. We start off by completing a thorough evaluation, examining your motion, strength, walking pattern, neuromuscular involvement, and pain. We treat the whole body as a unit and may evaluate and address factors in your back, pelvis, or legs that we believe to be a contributing factor to your pain or discomfort.
When it comes to treatment, your physical therapist may incorporate strengthening of weak muscles, stretching of tight muscles, therapeutic modalities to help manage pain, manual interventions to mobilize the hip joint, and activity modifications to ease the
What are some things I can do now to help manage my pain?
Although the limitations of hip arthritis are unique to each individual, there are several stretches and exercises that may help many people manage their pain. Below are some examples of those. It is important to perform these exercises and stretches without increased pain in the hip.
Hip Flexor Stretch
Begin kneeling on the floor or a mat with the knee on the same side as your hurting hip on the floor. Slowly lean forward until you feel a strong, but painless pull on the front of your hip. Hold for 30 seconds and then relax.
Hip Extensor Stretch
Begin lying on your back with the knee on the side of your hurting hip bent. Wrap a belt or rolled towel around your thigh as shown. Next, pull the belt or towel toward your chest until you feel a strong, but painless stretch in the back of your thigh and/or buttock. Hold for 30 seconds, then relax.
Bridges
Begin lying on your back with both knees bent as shown. Next, tighten your abdominal muscles to lift your bottom off the surface. Then, slowly lower your bottom back down.
