Dr. Naraina Vihar

If you are experiencing joint stiffness in your hip along with pain and tenderness, you could be suffering from hip arthritis or osteoarthritis. Osteoarthritis accounts for being the most common form of arthritis. It is referred to as degenerative joint disease and old-age arthritis and usually, occurs because of age-related issues. The condition occurs when injury and inflammation of a joint lead to the breakdown of the cartilage tissue, causing pain, swelling, and deformity.

How hip arthritis affects the hip joint?
People who are affected by osteoarthritis of the hip may have difficulty in walking properly. Diagnosis in the early stage is difficult as pain may occur in various locations such as the thigh, groin, knee or buttocks.

The underlying causes
The factors responsible for osteoarthritis include increasing age, joint injury and excess body weight. Some other factors may also be responsible. They are as follows:

1. When the joints have formed improperly.
2. In case of inherited defects in the cartilage.
3. When a person puts excess stress on the hip joint because of being overweight or due to certain activities and motions.

How it can be detected?
The different symptoms of hip arthritis or osteoarthritis are as follows:

1. Joint stiffness, especially after waking up in the morning.
2. Joint stiffness after sitting for a long period.
3. Swelling, pain, and tenderness in the hip joint.
4. A crunching feeling or sound of bones rubbing against one another.
5. The inability to move the hip for carrying out daily activities.

Treatment
The aim of osteoarthritis treatment is to improve the patient’s ability to move about so that his regular life is less affected. The function of the hip and pain management are other targets of treatment for this condition. The different treatment plans are as follows:

1. Proper joint care and rest
2. Using a cane while walking for taking weight off your hip
3. Losing excessive weight
4. Non-drug pain relief measures for controlling pain
5. Regular exercise
6. Several medicines, including NSAIDS and other prescribed pain medication
7. Surgery
8. Alternative therapies

Hip replacement surgery
This is a surgical procedure used for osteoarthritis treatment when all other treatment plans fail. The damaged ball of the hip joint is replaced with a metal ball in this surgical procedure. The hip socket is resurfaced by using a plastic liner and metal shell. Apart from the mentioned treatment procedures, hip resurfacing is another surgical option for osteoarthritis treatment, which helps in giving relief when a hip replacement surgery is delayed. In this procedure, the affected hip joint surfaces are surgically removed and are replaced with metal. If you wish to discuss about any specific problem, you can consult an Orthopedist.