Hip Osteoarthritis – symptoms, diagnosis and treatment
In osteoarthritis (OA) of the hip, the whole hip joint (cartilage, menisci, ligaments, bones and muscles) is affected by the disease, causing joint pain and joint stiffness. The hip is a weight-bearing joint and symptoms are mainly experienced when putting stress on the joint. If you experience symptoms of hip osteoarthritis, you should primarily focus on strengthening the muscles around the hip joint to increase function and decrease joint pain. Doing individualized exercises provided by a physical therapist is a great way of strengthening your muscles and relieving osteoarthritis symptoms.
Symptoms of hip osteoarthritis
The first symptom of hip osteoarthritis is usually that the hip feels stiff, making it difficult to walk or bend over. Hip pain is also common, primarily when straining the hip. Over time you may even feel pain whilst resting.
The most common symptoms of hip osteoarthritis include:
- Pain located in the groin, which sometimes radiates towards the buttocks and down towards the thigh
- Stiffness and pain in the hip area
- Pain and tenderness in the hip when resting, for example at night or after physical activity.
- Walking difficulties
- Abnormal fatigue
If you experience any of these symptoms you should schedule an appointment with a physical therapist or a doctor to get a diagnosis.
Several risk factors play a part
There is no single cause for the development of osteoarthritis. Several risk factors tend to contribute to the development of the joint disease. Some of them, for instance occupational activities, excess body weight and joint injuries can often be influenced. However, risk factors such as genetics, female sex and age cannot. It is common that osteoarthritis in the hip joint develops as a result of excess pressure to the joint. This joint overload could be caused by body weight, weak muscles, or manual labor. Congenital disorders, such as dysplasia, may also cause osteoarthritis of the hip.
Diagnosing osteoarthritis of the hip
Traditionally, osteoarthritis was diagnosed by X-ray. Today, it is still a widespread belief that this method is necessary for diagnosis. However, according to the World Health Organization and extensive international research, osteoarthritis should be diagnosed by a physical therapist or a doctor through an assessment based on the patient’s medical history, joint function and pain level. The healthcare professional will also take any risk factors for osteoarthritis into account and keep them in mind when establishing the diagnosis. If you experience hip pain or stiffness and suspect that you may have osteoarthritis, a good first step is to contact your primary healthcare center and schedule an appointment with a physical therapist or a doctor to receive the right diagnosis.
First-line treatment is physical exercise
First-line treatment for hip osteoarthritis is physical exercise, patient education about the disease and lifestyle changes. Individualized exercises for hip osteoarthritis should be coordinated by a physical therapist, either physically or digitally. These exercises should consistently be adapted to the patient based on pain and function level. As a complement to first-line treatment, if the pain becomes unbearable, non-prescription painkillers may be used for short periods of time. You should always discuss the use of painkillers with your doctor to avoid side effects and drug interaction.
Other treatment methods for hip osteoarthritis
If first-line treatment isn’t enough to manage your symptoms, other treatments can be offered in addition to exercise. On occasion, cortisone injections are used as a complement to treat severe osteoarthritis. However, it is difficult to inject cortisone into the hip and these injections should always be administered by an experienced orthopedic specialist. Cortisone injections should be used with caution and only when symptoms are not alleviated by physical exercise as excessive injections may further damage the joint.
In rare cases, joint replacement surgery may be necessary. It is estimated that only 10-20% of all patients with hip osteoarthritis require surgery. Although hip surgery can provide good results for many patients, it is never risk-free. All surgery comes with the risk of developing blood clots and infections.