Arthrosis of the hip joint, or in other words coxarthrosis, is a serious pathology in this area of the skeletal system, which is characterized by the destruction of the layer of articular cartilage and further damage to other components: neighboring muscles, bursa, pelvic bones.
Deforming osteoarthritis is particularly dangerous, as it leads not only to the thinning of the cartilage, but also to the growth of bones, which threatens with irreversible consequences.
The actively progressing osteoarthritis contributes to the development of vascular sclerosis of the articular head, with the growth of a large number of cysts. The consequences of the disease are severe deformities, dysfunction of one or both hip joints. Coxarthrosis of the joint manifests itself not only in connection with age-related changes in the skeletal system, but also in children with congenital hip dislocation, dysplasia.
Arthrosis of the hip joint: symptoms
Signs of damage to the pelvic bones manifest themselves differently in each patient, but among the most common are the following:
- The leading place among them is the pain syndrome, from which the patient suffers not only after physical exertion, but also at rest. Painful sensations are localized in the thigh, groin and knee. The pains are not always static as the disease progresses, they change the place of localization, intensity, duration;
- A restriction in the motor activity of the musculoskeletal system leads to stiffness of human movements, lameness, and sometimes shortening of the limb due to spasm of the gluteal muscles.
- The acute stage is characterized by the inability to bring the affected leg towards the body or remove it while lying on your back. Joint grinding can be heard when performing movements.
There are three stages of development of coxarthrosis. When, in the first stage of the pathology, the painful sensations pass after a short pause, they become more and more intense. The hip joints are at risk of immobility, and the muscles of the thighs, buttocks, and lower legs are difficult to perform due to atrophic changes.
The main causes of the lesion
- The risk of osteoarthritis is often found in groups of people who already have metabolic disorders, genetic features in the structure of the skeletal system and weakness of the cartilage tissue.
- But most often the appearance of this pathology is preceded by some diseases associated with malnutrition, blood supply to the femoral head, e. g. B. Peters disease. It manifests itself mainly in boys in childhood.
- Congenital dislocation of the hip also leads to the development of joint pathologies of the pelvis.
- Injuries in the form of fractures, dislocations lead to the development of diseases of the hip joints.
- Inflammatory processes in the bones, such as arthritis of various causes, contribute to the damage to the joint tissue.
- And if you lead a sedentary lifestyle, hormonal imbalances in the body and heavy sports only lead to arthritic changes in the hip joints.
Treatment of osteoarthritis using therapeutic methods
If the pathology is advanced, surgery is likely. However, in the first stages of development, deforming osteoarthritis is cured by conservative methods in a hospital or at home.
Joint treatment with medication
Several main types of drugs are used to treat the disease:
- Non-steroidal-type drugs are often made in the form of tablets, capsules, and gel. They are effective anti-inflammatory analgesics that reduce swelling, relieve pain, and stop the pathological process in tissues. Tablets, capsules and medication are taken with meals, first forty milligrams, then reduced to twenty two days later. The gel is used three times a day and rubbed in with massage movements. With caution, drugs are prescribed to elderly patients with heart failure and pathologies of the gastrointestinal tract. Do not drink alcohol or drive a car during use.
- The agent, which is a chondroprotective agent, restores metabolic processes and functions of the cartilage tissue of the hip joint and relieves pain. You take the medicine one and a half grams a day for six weeks. Thanks to such drugs, after three months it will be possible to feel an improvement in the condition of the hip joint.
- To relax smooth muscles, get rid of spasms of small vessels, a drug that improves the properties of blood, increases resistance to hypoxia, helps. Take two tablets once a day with meals.
- Muscle relaxants are said to normalize blood flow and relieve muscle pain. One tablet is prescribed three times a day. The drug is contraindicated for people with severe liver disease.
- Corticosteroids are only used for extremely severe forms of the disease, when other drugs do not provide relief. Some of these drugs have powerful anti-inflammatory effects. Most often, a solution of the drug is injected intramuscularly, starting at one hundred milliliters every six hours. It is successfully used for administration using ultrasound equipment (phonophoresis, electrophoresis).
Treatment with warming ointments for such a joint pathology is rarely used, since it is quite difficult for external agents to penetrate the lesion through the layers of fat, skin and muscles.
We treat coxarthrosis at home
Proven traditional medicine recipes should also be used in treating coxarthrosis.
- After passing the pulp of three lemons, 250 g of celery root and 120 g of garlic through a meat grinder, a mixture is obtained, which, after pouring into a three-liter jar of boiling water, is poured. The infusion is taken half an hour before breakfast, half a glass a day.
- A glass of calamus and astragalus is boiled in five liters of water for five minutes. After infusing the medicine, put the solution in a warm bath. After medical procedures, it is good to do gymnastics to develop the mobility of the joints of the pelvis.
- Aspic, cooked from a kilogram of cattle hooves without salt, is very useful for joint diseases. It must be eaten two hundred grams half an hour before meals.
- A bath with Jerusalem artichoke, fir branches, sea salt and honey will alleviate the patient's condition. And the network of iodine and pork fat will strengthen its effect. After bathing, a compress made of horseradish porridge and honey, which is applied to the painful area, will also help.
Of course, treatment with folk remedies will only weaken some of the symptoms of the disease, not completely eliminate them, but in combination with other methods it will be effective.
Medical procedures can help with pelvic osteoarthritis
The procedures prescribed by specialists for the successful treatment of coxarthrosis have a beneficial local effect on the tissues of the affected area of the skeletal system of the human body:
- Cryotherapy works at low temperatures on painful areas of the pelvic bones and stimulates blood flow and the metabolic processes in the tissue. Partial immersion of the body in a liquid nitrogen environment, where the temperature is between minus one hundred ten and minus one hundred sixty, will help eliminate uncomfortable symptoms of arthritic pain and restore motor functions.
- Irradiation with infrared light is used for painful sensations in muscle tissue and nerve endings. Before phototherapy, it is necessary to lubricate the affected area with gel, then they act on the painful site for 30 minutes with the help of a special device. In order to avoid allergic reactions, mandatory tests are carried out before the session, and then the appropriate dose of radiation is selected.
- Hip joint traction, or traction, is a way of stretching the joints to prevent abrasion and to widen the gap between them. The procedure is carried out either by a specialist himself or with a traction unit. In the supine position, when fixing the chest, the shoulder spine of the patient, a load is suspended from a special belt on the lower back. The weight of the cargo depends on the weight, size, age and severity of the disease. After such an operation, it is recommended to give the patient a long break.
Physiotherapy, massage must be prescribed to deform the osteoarthritis of the hip joint, as it improves blood circulation, relieves muscle tension and pain.
Prevention of recurrence of joint pathology
Successful treatment of a disease of the skeletal system must be consolidated so that the disease does not recur.
- To develop the hip joint, daily gymnastics, massage of the thigh and buttocks will help. Swimming exercises have a positive effect on the condition of the pelvis and hips.
- Joint disease prevention is not complete without a balanced diet of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, seafood, chicken, and turkey.
- Traditional medicine recipes also strengthen muscles and bones, so the use of compresses and trays based on medicinal herbs is mandatory.
And most importantly, do not overload your joints, muscles at work, long walks, jogging. And when the first symptoms of pain appear, you should immediately consult a doctor.
The materials published on this page are provided for informational and educational purposes. The determination of the diagnosis and the choice of treatment method remain the exclusive prerogative of your treating physician.