Hip Joint Pain
Understanding Hip Joint Pain
Hip joint pain is most commonly caused by osteoarthritis, as the wear and tear of age and use in the hip joints can lead to arthritis. The joint will wear down and the cartilage will slip away, bearing the joints to each other in a way that causes ongoing pain when they rub against one another.
Risk Factors
The most common group of individuals to suffer from hip joint pain is those individuals who are over 50 years of age and who are overweight, putting extra stress on their hip joints. The symptoms of hip joint pain have been shown to reduce multiple times over due to weight loss. Additionally, there is known to be a genetic link to the condition, meaning many times someone can prepare for the possibility of hip joint pain if they know their parents or grandparents suffered from it.
Symptoms
The symptoms of hip joint pain will tend to get worse as the condition itself is allowed to persist. However, they do not always grow steadily worse as time goes by. Things like weather can cause spikes in symptoms while changes in diet and supplementation can often even reduce the symptoms.
Some of these common symptoms of hip joint pain can include pain when active, limited motion, stiffness, and walking with a limp. The only way to evaluate and diagnose arthritis though is to see a doctor and have x-rays taken to see if the condition has progressed into arthritis.
Treatment
The best ways to treat hip joint pain are often the same as the ways you would treat any other form of osteoarthritis. They can be as simple as losing weight and as drastic as surgery to support or even replace the hip itself.
- Weight Loss - The first thing recommended for hip joint pain is to reduce the weight on the joint. This can often reduce or even alleviate the pain altogether.
- Reduction of Activity - Cutting down on painful activity can be a huge factor in reducing pain in the hip as well. Additionally, getting a cane or a walker to help support the weight being put onto the hip joint can help reduce pain as well.
- Physical Therapy - You can also reduce hip joint pain greatly by strengthening the right muscles to help support weight and keep them strong. Physical therapy is recommended for not only those who have had hip surgery, but for anyone who is having trouble with mobility.
- Supplementation - There are numerous supplements that help prevent or reduce hip joint pain including the likes of Glucosamine which is part of what most joint are made of, allowing for a stronger, healthier surface to keep the problems from persisting.
