Throughout life, the joints of the feet experience a lot of stress. The hip is a large spherical joint that provides the ability to move freely. The appearance of painful sensations, tight movements, lame gait makes a person think about the appearance of pathology.
In recent years, the number of people under 30 who have been diagnosed with arthrosis has increased dramatically. These statistics are very disappointing, because the disease develops steadily and can cause serious disability and disability. To protect yourself from the development of adverse effects, you must immediately start treatment and follow all medical recommendations.
Arthrosis of the hip joint causes many difficulties for its owner. If there is discomfort in the joint area, it is necessary to consult a doctor to confirm the diagnosis and prescribe effective treatment. Late treatment can cause the patient to lose the ability to walk independently.
What is arthrosis?
Arthritis is a rheumatological disease, which is based on degenerative and dystrophic changes in the joints. At the same time, not only the articular surface, but also the ligamentous apparatus and the capsule are involved in the pathological process. Most often, the joints of the hands, feet, knees suffer, but the most severe disease is arthrosis of the hip joint. As it progresses, the risk of complete disability increases due to severe restrictions in movement.
The basis of articular cartilage consists of collagen and proteoglycan molecules: it is they who give the joint strength and elasticity, making it resistant to various types of loads. Under the influence of external factors, the amount of collagen and proteoglycan decreases, resulting in the gradual thinning and destruction of cartilage tissue. Arthritis develops under the influence of the following factors:
- mechanical injury;
- inflammatory process in the joints;
- excessive load on the lower limbs;
- obesity;
- age-related changes in the body (in people over 55 years old);
- menopause (in women);
- malnutrition with a lack of protein and calcium products;
- hereditary predisposition;
- operations that are transferred to the joint.
How does arthrosis of the hip joint manifest?
Arthrosis develops gradually, so it is quite difficult to detect its early manifestations. Patients may ignore the symptoms of the disease, thinking they are tired or overworked. More severe discomfort may occur after the injury. Arthritis of the hip joint is accompanied by the following symptoms:
- Pain in the affected limb. It is boring, painful in nature, continues throughout the day. Unpleasant sensations increase during physical activity (exercise, running or walking), decrease during rest. When the hip joint is affected, the pain radiates to the groin, perineum, and thigh. Joints may also begin to "react" to changes in weather conditions or atmospheric pressure.
- Atrophic muscle changes. When walking, the patient unconsciously saves the affected limb, causing less pressure on the back and thigh muscles. This is accompanied by atrophy and a decrease in volume. This is especially noticeable with unilateral arthrosis.
- The appearance of crunch during the implementation of movement in the joint. This sound resembles the rustling of a plastic bag and becomes louder after a long period of immobility (night sleep). In medicine, this term is called "crepitus". The appearance of crunch is associated with a violation of joint mobility.
- Joint enlargement is affected in volume. This happens due to the formation on the surface of the smallest spike bone - osteophytes. Such a reaction occurs as a compensatory response to the increased load on the bone surface (with thinning of the cartilage).
Medical treatment of arthrosis
Currently it is not possible to completely prevent the destruction of cartilage tissue. Therefore, the treatment of arthrosis with the help of drugs aims to reduce pain and slow the progression of the disease. Most often, the following groups of drugs are used in therapy:
- Non-narcotic analgesics and mixed-action analgesics. They help reduce pain and are available in tablets or ampoules for intravenous administration.
- Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs in the form of topical ointments or creams are also used to control pain. They are also prescribed if arthrosis is accompanied by inflammation of the synovial membrane of the joint.
- Chondroprotectors are drugs that slow the progression of the disease and improve joint function.
Exercise therapy and physiotherapy methods
Non-pharmacological agents are also widely used in the fight against this disease. The doctor prescribes exercise therapy to the patient to strengthen the muscles and prevent the development of joint immobility. The nature of training and the frequency of its implementation is determined individually for each case. Treatment of arthrosis also includes physiotherapeutic procedures such as:
- transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation;
- acupuncture;
- magnetic therapy;
- electrophoresis with analgesics;
- laser therapy;
- massage
To reduce the load on the affected limb, patients are also recommended to use crutches or walkers. It will be useful to wear a hip orthosis, a special device that helps restore leg function and prevent further damage to the joint.
Surgery
Endoprosthetics are prescribed in cases when conservative methods of treating arthrosis of the hip joint are ineffective. The purpose of surgery is to eliminate the pain syndrome and restore the motor function of the limb. The procedure is performed under general anesthesia in a specialized hospital, after which the patient will undergo a long recovery. The best labor prognosis is in patients aged 40 to 75 years with a body weight of up to 70 kg: the probability of rejection of the endoprosthesis is minimized in them, which makes the treatment of arthrosis very effective. On average, prostheses last about 10-12 years, but there are cases of their successful use with minimal wear for 20-25 years.