Hip Osteoarthritis

Osteoarthritis (OA) refers to the deterioration of the cartilage between two bones and a result they now touch one another. Osteoarthritis (OA) can happen at any joint in the body. The hip joint consists of the femur and acetabulum (part of the pelvis). In between these two bones is articular cartilage and a ring of cartilage known as the labrum that keeps the hip in the socket. When hip OA develops the articular cartilage deteriorates and now the femur and the acetabulum touch. This is the source of pain within the hip from OA. A lot of people tend to get upset when they learn they have OA but in reality it’s a normal finding as we age and all it really means is that we use our bodies. The hip and knees are prone to osteoarthritis because they are weight bearing joints (why we see a lot of knee and hip replacements as opposed to other joints of the body). As we use our legs throughout the course of our lives we put force through our legs when we use our legs to walk, run, jump, navigate up and down stairs, amongst all other activities. This leads to the development of OA and mild levels are normal as we age. The hallmark sign of severe osteoarthritis is significant pain when getting up to move after a period of staying still and then alleviating as the person moves more. The hip joint refers into the glute, down the side of the leg, and within the inner thigh area. Many of those with severe hip OA may initially think they have sciatica due to the severe pain in the glute. Diagnostic testing in the clinic can quickly distinguish whether the pain is originating in the hip or not. Treatment for hip OA in physical therapy varies greatly and entirely depends on how severe the OA is. Mild to moderate OA can be resolved in physical therapy. We use manual techniques to create space between the femur and acetabulum so the femur has more room to move and then we use hip strengthening exercises to keep the femur in that position, and so the force and impact is taken off the joint and is absorbed by the muscle instead of the joint. By doing these techniques the individual is less likely to feel pain during movement. Treatment of mild/moderate hip OA tends to get excellent results in physical therapy. In cases of severe hip OA the hip may not respond to physical therapy. In this case it is likely a hip replacement is needed. But the good news is that the surgery tends to have excellent results. The surgery has advanced to become an easy procedure with few precautions afterwards. It is a very straightforward rehab process after the replacement and patients tend to have their pain totally resolved. Please see below for examples of how we treat hip OA in our clinic. If you would like to schedule an appointment please reach out to us.