Hip Arthritis

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Arthritis occurs in many joints of the body and the hip is one of them. Till now, there has been no identified cure for arthritis, but you can definitely reduce the symptoms and get some relief from the pain with the help of several treatment measures.

What are the Types of Hip Arthritis?

The several types of arthritis that results in the hip region are:

• Osteoarthritis – The hip joint is a type of ball and socket joint and to ensure a smooth movement, the end of the bones is covered with cartilage. But with time, this cartilage might wear off resulting in the grinding of the bones against one another. However, osteoarthritis can also occur as a result of some structural problems in the hip or even obesity.
• Secondary Osteoarthritis – This is the most common form of arthritis seen in India.  In this case osteoarthritis of the hip is secondary to any of the following conditions. Femoral head loses its shape in diseases like Avascular necrosis of femoral head, Childhood Perthes disease. Sometimes Acetabulum loses its shape due to childhood developmental dysplasia of hip or due to old healed fracture of the acetabulum. In either of the cases, the hip joint becomes osteoarthritic after few years. This is called secondary osteoarthritis.
• Rheumatoid Arthritis – The synovial lining on the joint of the hip helps in the smooth movement of the bones by the synovial fluid which acts as a lubricant. The synovial lining swells resulting in pain and deterioration of the bones and cartilage. This type of arthritis is not limited to any age. It can occur in adults and children alike. When the condition occurs in children it is termed as juvenile rheumatoid arthritis.
• Ankylosing spondylitis – The point where the spine meets the pelvis is known as the sacroiliac joint and when this joint along with the spine undergoes an inflammation, it is called ankylosing spondylitis. The problem can occur to people of all ages and is common in the age group 17 to 30.
• Systemic Lupus Erythematosus – This condition is also called lupus in short. This a type of autoimmune disorder and when it happens in the hip, there is a damage in the joint along with some inflammation.
• Psoriatic Arthritis – You must already be aware of the skin problems termed as psoriasis. This arthritis is related to the skin problem. When people develop psoriatic arthritis, they often develop psoriasis as their initial symptom.

What are the Symptoms of Hip Arthritis?

The symptoms of hip arthritis include the following:

Pain is an obvious symptom. There might be a pain in the groin region along with pain in the buttocks and outer thigh region.

• The pain has a typical characteristic of being worse in the morning and it usually reduces with the course of the day.
• If you tend to do some extended hours of activity, the pain will only become worsened.
• There is a stiffness felt in the hip region and people find it difficult to move.
• Patients also find it difficult to walk and usually limp.

What are the Treatment Measures for Hip Arthritis?

The treatment options available for treating hip arthritis are:

• Steroid injections or hyaluronic acid injections are often given by the doctors.
• Over the counter medications are also helpful.
• Platelet-rich plasma therapy has also been known to be of help.
• Physical therapy and acupuncture are also helpful modes of therapies.
• A hip resurfacing or hip replacement is advised only when other modes of treatment have failed.

As already stated above, arthritis does not have any specific cure but with these treatment measures, you can keep it under control.