Hip Osteoarthritis

What is Osteoarthritis?

Osteoarthritis is a disease caused by the destruction of cartilage in joints and that causes pain and stiffness in the diseased joint. It is the most common type of arthritis. It mostly occurs in the knees. The swelling and pain that occurs in the knee discomforts the patients. Since osteoarthritis occurs due to aging, it is also called “wear and tear arthritis” and classified as a degenerative joint disease. It occurs most commonly over the age of 50.

How does osteoarthritis affect the hip joint?

Some patients may have difficulty in walking. The patient may complain about a searing pain or a dull ache. The pain may be felt in the groin, thigh, hips, or sometimes in the knee. Hip joint movements are generally limited.

What are the symptoms of hip osteoarthritis?

Patients often complain about the following:

• Joint stiffness while getting up from bed or after being seated for long time
• The pain, swelling and tenderness in the hip joint
• The feeling of friction between bones and hearing related sounds
• Limited range of motion in the hips that prevents walking and causes claudication (limping)
• Failure in wearing socks and shoes
• Increased pain in the hip joints especially during rainy weather

These symptoms may increase over time and even occur during rest (nights).

How is hip osteoarthritis diagnosed?

Your doctor suspects hip osteoarthritis during physical examination and questioning the patient.

During the examination, your doctor considers the state of tenderness in the hip joint, the range of motion, the sounds that come out of the joint, the level of pain accompanying joint movements, your walking and the state of muscles and ligaments around your hip.

The diagnosis becomes definite by viewing the arthritis in x-ray. It often shows intra-articular narrowing and bone spurs around the joint. Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) is occasionally needed as well.

How is hip osteoarthritis treated?

Although there are no treatments for hip osteoarthritis, there are many adjuvant therapies that help reducing the pain and increasing the range of motion.

• Rest
• Losing weight

It relieves pain and increases functionality

• Change of lifestyle

Avoiding activities that contribute in the development of osteoarthritis (like climbing up the stairs). Preferring activities that load less burden on the hips like swimming and cycling rather than running and playing tennis.

• Physical treatment

Special exercises allow increasing the range of motion and flexibility of muscles in the hips as well as strengthening the muscles in the hip and thighs. Your physician determines a special rehabilitation program for you in hip osteoarthritis.

• Walking equipment

Walking sticks, crutches and walkers provide unassisted walking. The patient may also use a tool for picking up things from the floor due to not being able to crouch. Thus it serves to decrease the level of pain.

• Medication

Painkillers may also be used if the pain is so intense that it hinders daily activities. It should not be forgotten that these drugs might interact with other diseases (like hypertension) and cause side effects especially on the stomach.