Arthritis in the hip can be an overwhelming condition to face knowing what possible surgeries and recoveries lay ahead. However, there might be more treatment options than you think. Keeping and improving your hip mobility while reducing inflammation and pain is key to living with arthritis. Below are some treatments you can explore that might help you avoid going under the knife.

Physical Therapy

To improve your muscle mobility, you must have the muscle strength to support your joints. The goal of physical therapy is to reduce your inflammation and pain while gaining strength that will increase your joint mobility. Not only do therapists use stretching and exercises for increasing strength, but they also focus on coordination and balance. Overall, this will help improve your daily walking, jogging, bending, and kneeling activities.

Medications

Pain medications tend to be the most popular treatment for treating arthritis. Over the counter, non-steroidal options are available to help reduce inflammation and decrease pain. These medications are referred to as NSAIDs. NSAIDs include ibuprofen, aspirin, and naproxen. Acetaminophen is another common option but does not reduce inflammation since it does not thin the blood. Consult with your physician before adding these medications into your daily life.

Weight Loss

Losing extra pounds can do wonders on your knee and hip joints. The extra bearing weight puts much more pressure on our joints than we realize. They say for every one pound of body weight, four pounds are placed on your knees when conducting daily walking activities. Maintaining a healthy weight is critical to reducing the extra pressure that can aid in the erosion of your joints’ cartilage. Losing weight can reduce pain and increase the ease of mobility, especially during walking and running.

Injections  

Over time, multiple injection options have become popular in the medical field for the treatment of arthritis. While it doesn’t cure arthritis, injections have been shown to delay surgery for serious cases. Some even are the direct result of avoiding surgery altogether. The most popular injection is cortisone, which aids in the reduction of inflammation. However, cortisone does not aid in increasing mobility (physical therapy is typically recommended to help with this). Another popular injection is hyaluronic acid. Talk to your doctor to learn about injection options and what he/she recommends.

Alternative/Homeopathic Therapies

For some, more natural and homeopathic paths might be more popular. This can include magnetic pulse therapy or acupuncture. It can also include consuming certain herbs and supplements, such as aloe vera and ginger. There are other options out there for those who want a more natural approach.

Overall, there is no “one size fits all” approach when handling arthritis, especially within the hip. But there are options for individuals to explore if surgery is something that they want to avoid. Taking on multiple treatments and making it a routine that works best for you is something that should be researched.

Speak with an Orthopedic Specialist Today

Are you suffering from hip pain? Make an appointment with one of our orthopedic specialists today to start your healing journey. OrthoArizona has nearly two dozen offices throughout the Valley, each focused on quality care, compassion, and excellent customer service. Since 1994, OrthoArizona has been dedicated to compassionate care of the highest quality.

The advice and information contained in this article is for educational purposes only and are not intended to replace or counter a physician’s advice or judgment. Please always consult your physician before taking any advice learned here or in any other educational medical material.