Osteoarthritis of the hip joint is today 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.
In severe cases, the disease leads to disability.Arthrosis of this location is also known as coxarthrosis.With this disorder, the hip joint suffers from chronic inflammation.His cartilage tissue is destroyed and the joint space narrows, which leads to a significant decrease in the mobility of the leg.
The disease most often develops in elderly 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 bones with the pelvis, so it carries a significant daily load.The joint itself looks like a ball-and-socket joint: the rounded head of the femur rests on the hemispherical acetabulum of the pelvis.The surface of the bone tissue is covered with durable and highly elastic cartilage.It plays the role of a shock absorber and also guarantees smooth sliding of the bones.Cartilage tissue prevents the destruction of the femur and pelvis.
With coxarthrosis, the cartilage begins to thin and collapse, and accordingly, the bone tissues come into contact with each other.Slipping becomes difficult and painful.Movements become limited.The further progress of the disease leads to more pronounced destructive changes: the bone surfaces are covered with growths (they arise due to continuous damage), which further complicates movements in the joints.
reason
There are many known factors that can lead to coxarthrosis.This disease can occur as a result of:
- congenital joint pathologies (dysplasia), which may remain undiagnosed for many years of life;
- premature wear of joint mechanisms, which is explained by excessive loads (during intense sports or excessive 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 makes it possible to prevent the further development of the disease, choose the most comprehensive treatment and relieve unpleasant symptoms.
Symptoms
The signs of coxarthrosis depend directly on the degree of degenerative processes in the articular body.In total, doctors distinguish 3 main stages of the disease:
- Stage 1. With this condition, the patient is bothered by periodic pain in the hip area.They are provoked by physical activity, prolonged walking and static posture.Once you relax, the discomfort goes away.Therefore, patients do not perceive them as a reason to consult a doctor.And the disease develops further.
- Stage 2. In this stage of development, coxarthrosis causes more pronounced pain.Pain appears even after a small effort.The patient begins to limp and the discomfort radiates to the inner thigh area.The affected joint may crack.Very often, arthrosis at this stage limits motor activity and leads to a decrease in muscle strength.
- Stage 3. In 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 problematic leg is often shortened, which is explained by the distortion of the pelvis and spine.Muscle atrophy.The third stage of the disease leads to a significant impairment of 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 arthrosis of the hip joint on a regular X-ray.When the pathological process just begins to develop, the joint space is slightly narrowed and small and isolated protrusions can be found in 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 typical for the third stage of the disease), then the normal condition 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 purpose you need:
- avoid running, long walking, jumping, lifting weights and staying in one position for a long time;
- wear special shoes with well-cushioned soles;
- also lean on a cane or crutch (it should be held in the hand opposite the affected joint).
To reduce pain and improve the functioning of the joint system, regular physical therapy exercises are recommended.Simple exercises help 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 those extra pounds.
Drug treatment
Conservative drug treatment for arthrosis of the hip joint is selected on an individual basis;therapy largely depends on the symptoms of the disease and the results of diagnostic procedures.As a rule, patients are prescribed:
- Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs.They help relieve pain in the affected joint;
- Steroid (hormonal) drugs.They are used when nonsteroidal medications are insufficient;
- Muscle relaxants that reduce muscle tone and help eliminate pain;
- Vasodilators.It may be necessary if there is not enough blood flow to the joint;
- 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 for raising plasma, physiotherapeutic treatment and balneotherapy.All these methods of influence are practiced only after the acute inflammatory process has been eliminated.
Balneotherapy for coxarthrosis
Patients with coxarthrosis can benefit from balneotherapy courses, 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.For arthrosis of the hip joint, mud treatment helps to reduce the inflammatory process, relieve unpleasant symptoms and slow down the degenerative processes.The effectiveness of such procedures is confirmed by the research of German scientists.In their article published in 2019, experts noted that a course of mud baths for coxarthrosis helped:
- improvement of joint motor functions;
- significantly reduces the severity of pain (the effect continued for 3 months after the end of therapy);
- slow the progression of the disease.
However, it is worth considering that all physiotherapeutic and balneological procedures for coxarthrosis can be performed only after the approval of the attending physician.Such joint treatment should be combined with taking prescribed medications and following all restrictive recommendations.