Hip Osteoarthritis

As we age, the tissues in our joints often break down, resulting in osteoarthritis. Your hip is often one of the first joints to experience osteoarthritis. Many middle-aged and older adults experience minor inflammation, pain, and stiffness as the cartilage in their hip wears. However, for some osteoarthritis patients, the inflammation progresses and the pain may become severe.

Hip Osteoarthritis Symptoms
The first symptom of osteoarthritis is usually a small twinge of stiffness in your hip. But as the osteoarthritis evolves, your hip may become rigid and painful.

For most people, hip osteoarthritis is a nuisance they endure with the help of medication. However, when your hip pain is so severe that it wakes you up at night, it may be time to consider a hip replacement.

Hip Osteoarthritis Causes
If you have a family history of osteoarthritis, you're more likely to develop it yourself. However, many patients can trace their osteoarthritis back to an injury, work, exercise, or a hobby.

Hip Osteoarthritis Diagnosis
Your doctor can diagnose osteoarthritis in your hip using an x-ray. He or she can tell you how severe your osteoarthritis is and provide you with a rough estimate of how likely you are to need a hip replacement in the next few years. This is valuable information for many reasons.

To prepare for a hip replacement, you should make sure you have health insurance, time off from work, and finances to cover unpaid leave or medical deductibles or co-insurance.

Treatments for Hip Osteoarthritis
If you have a mild case of hip osteoarthritis, your doctor will encourage you to rest your hip joints. Limit any activities that may cause pain. If you're an avid golfer, skier, hiker, or runner, this may be difficult. Many patients reduce their hip pain by doing more low-impact activities, such as cycling, swimming, and weight training, while reducing the high-impact ones.

Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) are one of the most common medications to treat hip osteoarthritis. However, NSAIDs may introduce unwelcome side effects on your heart, stomach, intestines, and kidneys. Work with your doctor to create a medication treatment plan that weighs the benefits of taking NSAIDs to treat your hip osteoarthritis.

If your hip pain interferes with your daily routine, you may want to consider surgery for hip replacement. Find an orthopedic surgeon who completed a fellowship—one extra year of training beyond residency—in joint replacement surgery.

Many patients are surprised to learn that the surgery is rather simple. Most hip replacements procedures are less than 90 minutes. The doctor will remove osteoporosis-covered bone and cartilage and replace them with titanium and plastic. Surgery can significantly control your pain, and complications are rare.

But your real work starts with a physical therapist—he or she can help you rehabilitate your new hip. Within 24 hours of surgery, you'll most likely walk for a few yards. Thanks to pain medications, this will not be so painful, but it will require some effort and exertion on your part.

You'll likely come home from the hospital 3 to 4 days after surgery, where you'll continue your physical therapy for a few weeks.

Most patients are happy with their hip replacement outcomes, often reporting they slept well for the first time in months the night after their hip replacement surgery. Once their hip osteoarthritis is treated, they can increase their normal activities.