How To Manage Pain by Body Part > News > Yale Medicine
How is it: The hip is a ball and socket joint that is cushioned and protected during movement by smooth cartilage. When this cartilage is broken down due to overuse, aging, the body’s stress from obesity, and/or a number of other factors, bone rubs against bone, causing pain and other symptoms. It is a common area for OA development. And while RA usually starts in the smaller joints, it can also show up in the hip.
“The hip really drives the boat,” says Dr. Gibson, who specializes in hip and knee disorders. “When the hip isn’t working, it puts strain on the feet and ankles and makes it harder to move the knee. A person may experience a “blocking” sound when moving, reduced range of motion, a limp, and groin pain that can travel down the leg and into the back. You might eventually start walking with an altered gait.”
Self-sufficiency: Start an exercise program (or change your current program to avoid high-impact sports like running or tennis), eat healthily, and lose weight if necessary.
dr Gibson suggests trying “a gentle cyclic exercise program,” such as walking or low-impact aerobics. These types of activities have been shown to be easy on the joints. Talk to your doctor about taking an over-the-counter pain reliever such as B. a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID), but remember that these are for short-term use.
What a specialist does: Consult a professional if your hip arthritis limits daily function or regular activities, says Dr. Gibson. For example, a patient might say, “I like to go hiking, but now it’s more of a struggle.”
A specialist will begin noninvasive treatments, including physical therapy and oral medications. When these simple treatments don’t work, more invasive treatments like corticosteroid hip injections can minimize symptoms and preserve function. One caveat is that injections are “a double-edged sword” in that they reduce inflammation and relieve acute pain, but they can be toxic at the sites they’re administered, says Dr. Gibson. “So you shouldn’t do too many – maybe two or at most three in any given year.”
If you are considering surgery: Hip replacement is considered one of the most successful surgeries in orthopedics, explains Dr. Gibson. It is minimally invasive and in many cases can be performed on an outpatient basis. “It’s really a dramatic, transformative operation that allows us to bring someone who’s settled down to a place where they can pretty much do anything again,” he says.
Hip replacements use implants made from a combination of metal, plastic, and ceramic that last for decades. An operation called a direct anterior approach avoids cutting through muscle to replace a hip, and surgeons say it results in easier rehabilitation.
Whatever approach a patient chooses, the key is finding a surgeon who has performed a high volume of that particular surgery and is comfortable with it, adds Dr. Gibson added.