Symptoms and treatment of arthritis of the hip joint

Deforming osteoarthritis of the hip joint is a disease of the elderly, which is caused by degenerative processes of cartilage tissue. The development of arthritis of the hip joint is accelerated by the mismatch of the joint surfaces, which leads to abnormal friction. In some patients, the disease develops due to ischemia of the femoral head after fractures of the femoral neck or direct damage to the articular cartilage; in 50% of cases, the cause of the disease is unknown. Doctors diagnose osteoarthritis of the hip joint using X-rays and CT scans.

The treatment of deforming arthritis of the hip joint is carried out with the latest drugs, which are extremely effective and have minimal side effects. Doctors discuss serious cases of coxarthrosis and decide on the treatment regimen of each patient. Rehabilitation therapists use innovative rehabilitation therapies to slow the progression of articular cartilage degeneration.

Deformative arthritis of the hip joints (coxarthrosis)

Signs of arthritis of the hip joint

Patients suffering from deforming arthritis complain of sudden attacks of stiffness in the hip joint, which appear after a state of rest and disappear after some activity. Initially, periods of minor pain last 1 to 2 days, intensifying after prolonged periods of weight gain.

Defensive lameness often occurs due to muscle spasm, which is accompanied by pain and a gradually increasing feeling of joint stiffness. Arthritis of the left hip joint presents with the same symptoms as arthritis of the right hip joint. Arthritis pain in the hip joint is located along the anterior or posterior surface of the joint, depending on the site of inflammation. It radiates to the front and inner surfaces of the thigh and to the halo. The pain syndrome intensifies after prolonged load on the limb and movements, especially in the direction of internal rotation, abduction and extension. Patients often complain of increased pain in wet and cold weather and experience relief from heat and after taking acetylsalicylic acid preparations.

In the acute period of arthritis-arthritis of the hip joint, patients experience pain at the site of inflammation of the capsule, which is accompanied by a muscle spasm that overwhelms the adductor muscles of the thigh. The orthopedists perform the Faber test: the patient places the heel of the affected limb on the back of the healthy foot and slides it upwards on the skin of the tibial surface of the lower leg towards the knee. It will be positive for any inflammatory process in the hip joint.

In the early stages of arthritis of the hip joint, there are no changes on the x-rays. Later, radiologists occasionally reveal hypochondriac sclerosis, which gradually leads to narrowing of the joint space. An additional sign is the flattening of the head at its upper pole, which is accompanied by cystic changes in this area.

The degree of arthritis of the hip joint

As it progresses, deforming arthritis of the hip joints goes through several stages, respectively, which distinguish three degrees of the disease.

Grade 1 deforming arthritis is the initial stage of the disease, when there are still no obvious changes in the structure of the joint tissues. Pain syndrome is often absent, if it occurs, then in the background of the inflammatory process. Patients may complain of stiffness and fatigue in the limb. Often the first degree of osteoarthritis of the hip joint is asymptomatic.

With grade 2 deforming arthropathy, the morphological changes are obvious. The articular surfaces are uneven, there are significant bone growths on them. The bone tissue in the joint area becomes less strong. Due to the inflammatory process, the synovial membrane thickens a lot. The pain may be dull, aching in nature and persistent, or it may appear abruptly and abruptly.

In the case of grade 3 deforming arthritis, the pain becomes so intense that it does not subside even after prolonged rest. The mobility in the diseased joint is reduced, the axis of the limb may be disturbed. Ulcers and areas of decay can form in the cartilage tissue that covers the articular surfaces.

How To Treat Hip Joint Arthropathy

Conservative treatment of arthritis of the hip joint is carried out with worsening of the disease. Includes limb unloading, traction, warmth and massage. To reduce the inflammatory process, salicylates are prescribed. Glucocorticoid injections are performed for arthropathy of the hip joint 1 and 2 degrees. In the third stage of deforming arthritis of the hip joint, the only effective treatment is the planned replacement of the hip joint with stent.

The complex treatment of arthritis of the hip joint is carried out using physiotherapy and kinesiotherapy, diet correction. Effective treatment of the early stages of the disease allows patients with grade 1 and 2 arthritis of the hip joint to avoid arthroplasty and reduce the need for medication.

Surgical treatment of deforming coxarthrosis

With 3rd degree coxarthrosis, when conservative treatment does not bring relief, only the prosthesis helps to relieve the patient from pain and discomfort, restoring the joy of movement. If there is fluid in the joint, it is pumped out after the puncture. Corticosteroid hormones are injected simultaneously into the hip joint.

With the help of arthroscopic cleaning, the inner surface of the joint is cleaned of fragments of damaged cartilage and its cavity is rinsed with a therapeutic solution to relieve the inflammatory process. Periarticular osteotomy is an artificial fracture of the femur followed by its fusion at a different angle. Surgery can reduce joint stress.

Rehabilitation methods for arthritis deformity

The following types of physiotherapy are used to treat patients with osteoarthritis of the hip joint:

  • Shock wave therapy - exposure to sound waves that provide blood flow to the desired area of the body, which stimulates regenerative processes and speeds up metabolism.
  • muscle stimulation, which restores the work of muscles that have been weakened due to the forced restriction of movements in the joint.
  • Phonophoresis is a method that combines the benefits of the effects of ultrasound and drugs on the body (under the influence of the device, a drug in the form of an ointment or cream penetrates more effectively through the skin into the hip joint).
  • Ozone therapy - reduces the discomfort and activates the growth of cartilage tissue due to the properties of the ozone-oxygen mixture.

Kinesiotherapy is considered the basis for the successful treatment of arthritis of any localization. Regular application of a special system of gymnastic exercises strengthens the ligaments and muscles around the joint that are affected by the pathological process, which reduces the discomfort during the usual daily stress. The exercise therapy instructor individually selects exercises for hip joint disease 1, 2 and 3 degrees. Clinical rehabilitation specialists perform various types of massage, including lymphatic drainage, using innovative manual therapy techniques aimed at passive work with muscles, ligaments and joints. The approaches used to help people with coxarthrosis reduce the need for pills and injections for deforming arthritis, which reduces the pharmacological burden on the body.

Rehabilitation clinics are equipped with state-of-the-art engineering and computer simulators from the world's leading manufacturers. They help to exercise the joint without significant physical effort, which is especially demanding among the elderly. The extension of the joints with the help of a special traction device or the hands of a chiropractor increases the space inside the joint, which "throws" the pathological process a few steps back, relieving the symptoms and giving the body time to restore the function of the hip joint. .

Nutritional therapy is necessary for all patients with osteoarthritis of the hip joint, but it is more important for overweight people. Weight loss will be followed by fatigue and constant tiredness. Combined with other conservative methods, a balanced diet allows you to forget about pain and other manifestations of arthritis-arthritis of the hip joint.

Gymnastics for arthritis in the hip joint

Exercises for hip joints are not prescribed in the following cases:

  • with exacerbations of arthritis-arthritis.
  • after a recent major surgery.
  • presence of hernia, acute diseases of the internal organs.
  • during menstruation;
  • with an increase in body temperature above 37, 50WITH.

The therapist selects all the exercises individually. The therapist takes into account the age of the patient, the severity of the pathological process and the presence of concomitant diseases. With deforming arthritis, well-chosen exercise should give a useful load to the muscles and ligaments of the hip joint, but not to the joint, because it is already worn out.

The set of gymnastic exercises for hip arthropathy consists of more static exercises than dynamic ones. Static exercises are those where you have to determine the position of the body for a few seconds. If such movements are sufficient, the muscles and ligaments of the legs receive the necessary load to repair the joint. The hip joint itself takes minimal part in such exercises and does not wear out.