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Hip Osteoarthritis Physiotherapy

Hip osteoarthritis (hip OA) refers to the wearing down of the cartilage that lines over the bones of the hip joint. It can develop at any age, although it is more commonly diagnosed in older adults and can make everyday activities difficult, such as

• getting up of bed
• standing from sitting
  
• walking
  
• climbing up or down stairs,

There is no one reason patients develop hip osteoarthritis.

The incidence of developing symptoms from hip OA

• increase with age
• greater in white (compared to African American) females (compared to men)
• and people who have injured their hip in the past

Recent research found no difference in the rate of occurrence of hip OA in the general public based on race, gender, weight, or educational level.

More severe cases of hip osteoarthritis may require hip joint replacement surgery. Whether or not patients have surgery, our senior physiotherapists design specific exercise and treatment programs to manage pain and get people with hip OA moving again.

Other arthritis resources:

• Osteoarthritis
• Rheumatoid Arthritis

What is Osteoarthritis of the Hip?

Hip osteoarthritis is the inflammation and wearing away of the cartilage of the hip joint, a condition that is more likely to develop as people age.

Osteoarthritis results when injury or inflammation in a joint causes the soft, shock-absorbing cartilage that lines and cushions the joint surfaces to break down be it due to

• repetitive strain injury over time
• infections
• direct trauma from falls or motor-vehicle accidents
  

When the cartilage is damaged, the hip joint can become painful and swollen. Over time, this condition can cause

• joint stiffness
• muscle weakness
• increasing hip pain

that leads to limited  hip movement and function.

How Does hip osteoarthritis Feel like?

Hip OA may cause symptoms including:

• Sharp, shooting pain or dull, achy pain in the hip, groin, thigh, knee, or buttocks
• Stiffness in the hip joint, which is worse after sleeping or sitting
• Weakness of the muscles in the lower extremity
• A "crunching" sound when the hip joint is moved, caused by bone rubbing on bone
• Difficulty and pain when getting out of bed, standing up from a sitting position, walking, or climbing stairs
• Difficulty performing normal daily activities, such as putting on socks and shoes

How Is It Diagnosed?

If you see our senior physiotherapists first, they will conduct a full examination that includes your medical history, and will ask you questions such as:

• When and how frequently do you feel hip pain and/or hip joint stiffness?
• What activities in your life are made difficult by this pain and stiffness?

We will perform special tests to help determine whether you have hip OA, such as:

• Gently moving your leg in all directions (range-of-motion test)
• Asking you to resist as we try to gently push your leg and hip in different directions (muscle-strength test)
• Watching you walk to check for limping
• Asking you to balance while standing (balance test)
• Testing the mobility of the hip joint
• Watching how you climb stairs, how you move from one position to another, etc.

We may use additional tests to look for problems in other parts of your body, such as your lower back. Wet may recommend that you consult with an orthopedic surgeon, who can order diagnostic testing such as an X-ray or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to confirm the diagnosis.

how our senior physiotherapists can help your hip osteoarthritis

We will

• explain what hip OA is
• how it is treated
• the benefits of exercise for hip osteoarthritis
  
• the importance of increasing overall daily physical activity
• how to protect the hip joint while walking, sitting, climbing stairs, standing, carrying loads, and lying in bed

Testing will reveal any specific physical problems you have that are related to hip OA, such as

• loss of motion
• muscle weakness
• or balance problems

Addressing the problems in surrounding body regions, such as the spine and the lower extremity, is important to the treatment of hip OA.

The pain of hip OA can be reduced through simple, safe, and effective physical activities like

• walking
• riding a bike
• or swimming

Although physical activity can delay the onset of disability from hip OA, people may avoid being exercise and activities of their hip pain and hip joint stiffness, confusion about how much and what exercise to do, and not knowing when they will see benefits.

We will be able to guide you in learning a personal exercise program that will help reduce your particular pain and stiffness.

Our senior physiotherapists will work with you to:

• Reduce your pain
• Improve your leg, hip, and back motion
• Improve your strength, standing balance, and walking ability
• Speed healing and your return to activity and sport

Reduce pain

We can use different types of treatments and technologies to control and reduce your pain, including

• cold therapy
• heat therapy
• ultrasound therapy
• radio-frequency Indiba physiotherapy
• taping
• exercise therapy
• stretching exercises
  
• manual therapy
• deep tissue release
• joint mobilization
• soft tissue mobilization
  

Improve motion

We will choose specific activities and treatments to help restore normal movement in the leg and hip.

These might begin with "passive" motions that the physical therapist performs for you to gently move your leg and hip joint, and progress to active exercises and stretches that you perform yourself.

We also may use sustained stretches and manual therapy techniques that gently move the joint and stretch the muscles around the joint.

Improve strength

Certain exercises will benefit healing at each stage of recovery; we will choose and teach you the appropriate exercises to steadily restore your strength and agility.

These may include using your own body weight as resistance, or using

• weights
• resistance bands
• weight-lifting equipment
• and cardio (heart) exercise equipment, such as treadmills or stationary bicycles

Speed recovery time

We will design a specific treatment program to speed your recovery.

We're trained and experienced in choosing the right treatments and exercises to help you heal, return to your normal lifestyle, and reach your goals faster than you are likely to do on your own.

Return to activities

We will design your treatment program to help you return to work or sport in the safest, fastest, and most effective way possible.

You may engage in work retraining activities, or learn sport-specific techniques and drills to help you achieve your goals. Activity modification is essential for a safe return to activity, and to help control symptoms that may hinder your return.

If Surgery Is Necessary

In severe cases of hip osteoarthritis, the hip joint will degenerate until hip joint bone is rubbing on bone. This condition can require hip joint replacement surgery. Post surgery hip replacement physiotherapy will be an essential part of postsurgical recovery, which can take several months.

If you undergo hip joint replacement surgery, our senior physiotherapist will visit you in your hospital room to help you get out of bed and teach you how to walk, and will explain any movements that you must avoid to protect the healing hip area.

Physical therapists will work with you daily in the hospital and then in the clinic once you are discharged. We will be an integral part of your care and recovery,

• helping you minimize pain
• restore motion and strength
• and return to normal activities in the speediest yet safest manner possible after surgery.