Osteoarthritis of the hip joint today is considered one of the most common diseases of the musculoskeletal system.Its symptoms cause severe discomfort to the patient and limit physical activity, and the treatment is long-term.
In severe cases, the disease leads to disability.Arthrosis of this localization is also known as coxarthrosis.In this disease, the hip joint suffers from chronic inflammation.His cartilaginous tissue breaks down and the joint space narrows, leading to a significant reduction in leg mobility.
Most often, the disease develops in older patients, but sometimes it is diagnosed in young people.
The essence of the disease
The hip joint is the largest joint in the human body.It is located at the junction of the femur with the pelvis, so it bears a significant daily load.The joint itself looks like a ball and socket: the rounded head of the femur sits in the hemispherical acetabulum of the pelvis.The surface of the bone tissue is covered with durable and highly elastic cartilage.It acts as a shock absorber and also ensures smooth sliding of the bones.Cartilage tissue prevents the femurs and pelvis from breaking down.
In coxarthrosis, the cartilage begins to thin and break down, and accordingly the bone tissues come into contact with each other.Sliding becomes difficult and painful.Movements become restricted.Further progression of the disease leads to more pronounced destructive changes: bone surfaces are covered with growths (occur due to permanent injuries), which further complicates movements in the joint.
Reasons
There are many known factors that can lead to coxarthrosis.This disease can occur as a result of:
- congenital joint pathologies (dysplasia), which can remain undiagnosed for many years of life;
- premature wear of joint mechanisms, which is explained by excessive loads (during intense sports or excess body weight);
- previous injuries;
- infectious processes affecting the functions of the musculoskeletal system;
- improper blood supply to the joint (for example, due to atherosclerosis);
- diseases of the spine;
- hormonal disorders;
- rheumatic processes, etc.
Identifying the causes of arthrosis of the hip joint allows to prevent the further development of the disease, to choose the most comprehensive treatment and to relieve unpleasant symptoms.
Symptoms
The signs of coxarthrosis directly depend on the degree of degenerative processes in the joint body.In general, doctors distinguish 3 main stages of the disease:
- Stage 1. In this condition, the patient is bothered by periodic pain in the groin area.They are provoked by physical exertion, prolonged walking and static standing.After you rest, the discomfort goes away.Therefore, patients do not perceive them as a reason to consult a doctor.And the disease develops further.
- Stage 2. At this stage of development, coxarthrosis causes more pronounced pain.The pain appears even after a minor effort.The patient begins to limp and the discomfort spreads to the inner thigh.The affected joint may rupture.Quite often, arthrosis at this stage limits motor activity and leads to a decrease in muscle strength.
- Stage 3. At this stage, coxarthrosis reaches such a stage of development that it makes the patient's life almost unbearable.The pain becomes constant and intensifies as a result of even small loads.A person with the third stage of arthrosis of the hip joint is forced to use a cane.In this case, the problem leg is often shortened, which is explained by the curvature of the pelvis and spine.Muscles atrophy.The third stage of the disease leads to significant damage to the general condition.Constant pain interferes with sleep and causes depression.
Some doctors separately distinguish stage 4 of coxarthrosis, in which the affected joint becomes completely immobile.
You can see the development of osteoarthritis of the hip joint on a regular X-ray.When the pathological process is just starting to develop, the joint gap narrows slightly and small isolated protrusions can be found on the bone tissue.At this stage of development, the disease can be treated using conservative methods.If coxarthrosis leads to deep deformation of the joint and contact of bone surfaces (which is characteristic of the third stage of the disease), then the normal state can be restored only with the help of surgery.
Non-drug treatment
Patients with arthrosis of the hip joint are advised to relieve the affected joint as much as possible.For this you need:
- avoid running, long walking, jumping, lifting weights and long time in one position;
- wear special shoes with well cushioned soles;
- additionally lean on a cane or crutch (it should be taken in the hand opposite to the affected joint).
In order to reduce pain and improve the functioning of the joint system, it is recommended to regularly perform physical therapy exercises.Simple exercises help to strengthen muscle tissue, which gives excellent results in the long run.If you are overweight, you need to stick to a diet and get rid of extra pounds.
Drug treatment
Conservative medical treatment of arthrosis of the hip joint is selected individually;therapy largely depends on the symptoms of the disease and the results of diagnostic procedures.As a rule, patients are prescribed:
- Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs.They help relieve pain in the affected joint;
- Steroid (hormonal) drugs.They are used when nonsteroidal drugs are insufficiently effective;
- Muscle relaxants that reduce muscle tone and help eliminate pain;
- Vasodilators.It may be necessary if the blood circulation in the joint is insufficient;
- Chondroprotectors that promote the restoration of joints and prevent their further destruction.
Conservative treatment of the joint can be supplemented with the use of the latest medical techniques.Patients can be offered procedures with plasmolifting, physiotherapy treatment and balneotherapy.All these methods of influence are applied only after elimination of the acute inflammatory process.
Balneotherapy for coxarthrosis
Patients with coxarthrosis can benefit from courses of balneotherapy, especially mud baths.Such procedures can be performed in regular clinics, private clinics, rehabilitation centers and sanatorium-resort institutions.Mud baths are widely used in the treatment of diseases of the musculoskeletal system.In case of arthrosis of the hip joint, treatment with mud helps to reduce the inflammatory process, relieve unpleasant symptoms and slow down the degenerative processes.The effectiveness of such procedures is confirmed by research by German scientists.In their article published in 2019, experts noted that a course of mud baths for coxarthrosis helped:
- improvement of motor functions of the joint;
- significant reduction in the severity of pain (the effect lasts 3 months after the end of therapy);
- delaying the progression of the disease.
However, it is worth bearing in mind that all physiotherapy and balneological procedures for coxarthrosis can be carried out only after the approval of the attending physician.Such treatment of the joint should be combined with taking prescribed drugs and observing all restrictive recommendations.