Hip osteoarthritis is the inflammation and deterioration of the cartilage in the hip joint, which is more common as people get older. It can strike at any age, but older persons are more likely to be diagnosed. Osteoarthritis develops when the soft, shock-absorbing cartilage that lines and cushions the joint surfaces breaks down due to injury or inflammation. The joint might become painful and swollen when the cartilage is injured. This syndrome can develop to stiffness, muscle weakening, and growing pain, limiting function over time.
Hip OA can occur for a variety of reasons. Hip OA symptoms are more likely to develop with age and in persons who have previously hurt their hip. The lifetime risk, or the chance of acquiring symptomatic hip OA during one’s lifetime, is 25%.
According to a recent study, there is no variation in the rate of hip OA in the general population based on race, gender, weight, or educational level.
Hip OA that is more severe may necessitate hip joint replacement surgery. Physiotherapists construct customised exercise and treatment programmes to manage pain and get people with hip OA moving again, whether or not they have surgery.
Signs and Symptoms of OA Hip
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
Diagnosis
Your physiotherapist at Physiotouch Courtice will perform a thorough examination, including a review of your medical history, and will ask you questions like:
- When and how frequently do you feel pain and/or stiffness?
- What activities in your life are made difficult by this pain and stiffness?
Your physiotherapist will run a series of tests to see if you have hip OA, including:
- Gently moving your leg in all directions (range-of-motion test)
- Asking you to resist as the physiotherapist tries 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.
Additional tests may be used by your physiotherapist to look for abnormalities in other sections of your body, such as your lower back. The therapist may suggest that you see an orthopaedic specialist, who can confirm the diagnosis with diagnostic tests such as an X-ray or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).
OA Hip Treatment
The benefits of exercise, the significance of increasing general daily physical activity, and how to protect the hip joint while walking, sitting, climbing stairs, standing, carrying burdens, and lying in bed will all be explained by your physiotherapist at Physiotouch Courtice.
Any specific physical symptoms you have that are associated to hip OA, such as loss of mobility, muscular weakness, or balance issues, will be revealed through testing. The therapy of hip OA necessitates addressing issues in the surrounding body parts, such as the spine and lower extremity.
Hip OA discomfort can be alleviated by engaging in easy, safe, and effective physical activities such as walking, biking, or swimming.
Although physical activity might help delay the onset of hip OA disability, people may avoid it because to pain and stiffness, misunderstanding about how much and what exercise to undertake, and a lack of knowledge about when they would notice benefits. Your physiotherapist will be able to assist you in developing a personalised exercise regimen to help relieve your pain and stiffness.
Your physiotherapist 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
To regulate and relieve your pain, your physiotherapist can use a variety of treatments and technologies, including cold, heat, electrical stimulation, taping, exercises, and hands-on (manual) therapy techniques including joint mobilisation and soft-tissue mobilisation.
Improve motion
Your physiotherapist will recommend particular exercises and treatments to help you regain normal leg and hip movement. These may begin with “passive” motions performed by the physiotherapist to gently move your leg and hip joint, and progress to active exercises and stretches performed by you. Sustained stretches and manual therapy techniques that gently manipulate the joint and stretch the muscles around it may also be used by your physiotherapist.
Improve strength
At each stage of rehabilitation, certain activities will aid healing; your physiotherapist will select and teach you the proper exercises to gradually rebuild your strength and agility. Weights, resistance bands, weight-lifting equipment, and cardio (heart) exercise equipment, such as treadmills or stationary bicycles, can all be used as resistance.
Speed recovery time
Your physiotherapist will devise a treatment plan tailored to your needs in order to expedite your recovery. Your therapist is qualified and experienced in selecting the appropriate treatments and exercises to help you heal, reclaim your normal lifestyle, and achieve your goals more quickly than you would on your own.
Return to activities
Your physiotherapist at Physiotouch Courtice will create a treatment plan that will allow you to return to work or sports in the safest, quickest, and most effective manner possible. To assist you attain your goals, you can participate in job retraining activities or learn sport-specific methods and drills. For a safe return to exercise and to assist control symptoms that may obstruct your recovery, activity moderation is crucial.
If Surgery Is Necessary
The hip joint degenerates in severe cases of hip OA until bone rubs on bone. This issue could necessitate hip replacement surgery. Physiotherapy is an important element of the recovery process after surgery, which might take several months.
If you have hip joint replacement surgery, a physiotherapist will come to your hospital room to assist you in getting out of bed and teaching you how to walk, as well as explain any actions you should avoid in order to protect the healing hip area.
Physiotherapists at Physiotouch Courtice will work with you daily in the hospital and then after you are discharged, they will be an important part of your care and recovery, assisting you in minimising pain, restoring motion and strength, and returning to normal activities in the quickest and safest way possible after surgery.
Book your appointment Today! If you require alternate appointment times, please contact us and we will gladly assist you with your reservation.
What to Expect on Your First Visit:
- At Physiotouch Courtice, you will register with our friendly front office staff.
- A comprehensive assessment by a Physiotherapist or other Health Care Provider will take you through a detailed history of your major physical concern, assessment of your range of motion and strength, as well as a variety of special tests specific to your injury or dysfunction. These assessment findings are analyzed and used to create a clinical impression. This will help us to better identifying and understanding your problem and formulating an effective treatment plan tailored specifically for your needs and to achieve the realistic goals. This treatment plan could involve a number of things including therapeutic exercises, therapeutic modalities, manual mobilizations, massage, patient and family education, activity modification, home exercise programs, supervised exercise programs and many others.
- There will be some treatments performed the first day to get you started on your path to recovery. However, during the next visits you will get into all aspects of your treatment plan.
- Our staff will help you scheduling your next visits at Physiotouch Courtice as per treatment plan recommended by related Health Care Provider. We offer many convenient appointment times, however, prime times can become busy, so it is best to book ahead as much as possible.
- If you have any questions at any time, please do not hesitate to call. We want to ensure your satisfaction and full recovery.
Before Your First Visit
- You will receive a confirmation email shortly after booking your appointment.
- This email will contain some forms which you can fill out and sign from your device in handy.
- If you have any questions, ask us before signing the form.
- If you are not able to access the forms online, please arrive 15 minutes early for your first appointment so that we can help you with the paperwork.
- Make a list of questions that you want to discuss on your first visit.
- Bring with you if you have any imaging reports (i.e.) X-rays, Ultrasound/MRI (etc.) and doctor’s referral.
- Bring with you a copy of your insurance card and a photo ID.