Osteoarthritis of the hip joint is considered one of the most common diseases of the musculoskeletal system today.Its symptoms cause severe discomfort to the patient and limit physical activity, and the treatment is long.
In severe cases, the disease causes disability.Arthrosis of this localization is also known as coxarthrosis.With this disorder, the hip joint suffers from chronic inflammation.Its cartilage tissue is destroyed and the joint space narrows, which causes a significant decrease in the mobility of the leg.
The disease most often develops in elderly patients, but sometimes it is diagnosed in young people.
The essence of the disease
The hip joint is the largest joint in the human body.It is located at the junction of the femur bones with the pelvis, so it carries a significant daily load.The joint itself is similar to a ball and socket joint: the rounded head of the femur sits on the hemispherical acetabulum of the pelvis.The surface of bone tissue is covered with durable and highly elastic cartilage.It acts as a shock absorber and also ensures smooth sliding of the bones.Cartilage tissue prevents the destruction of the femur and pelvic bones.
With coxarthrosis, the cartilage begins to thin and collapse, and accordingly, the bone tissues come into contact with each other.Slipping becomes difficult and painful.Movements are limited.The further progression of the disease leads to more obvious destructive changes: the bone surfaces are covered with growths (they are caused by permanent damage), which makes the movements in the joint even more difficult.
Reasons
Many factors that can cause coxarthrosis are known.This disease can occur as a result of:
- congenital joint pathologies (dysplasia) that can remain undiagnosed for many years of life;
- premature wear of joint mechanisms explained by excessive loads (during vigorous sports or excess body weight);
- previous injuries;
- infectious processes affecting the functions of the musculoskeletal system;
- improper blood supply to the joint (for example, due to atherosclerosis);
- diseases of the spine;
- hormonal disorders;
- rheumatic processes, etc.
Determining the causes of arthrosis of the hip joint allows you to prevent further development of the disease, choose the most comprehensive treatment and eliminate unpleasant symptoms.
Symptoms
Symptoms of coxarthrosis directly depend on the degree of degenerative processes in the articular body.In general, doctors distinguish 3 main stages of the disease:
- Stage 1. With this condition, the patient suffers from periodic pains in the groin area.They are provoked by physical activity, prolonged walking and static standing.After resting, the anxiety disappears.Therefore, patients do not accept them as a reason to consult a doctor.And the disease progresses further.
- Stage 2. At this stage of development, coxarthrosis causes more pronounced pain.Pain occurs even after a small force.The patient begins to limp and the discomfort spreads to the inner thigh.The affected joint may crack.Often, at this stage, arthrosis limits motor activity and causes a decrease in muscle strength.
- Stage 3. At this stage, coxarthrosis reaches such a stage of development that it makes the patient's life almost unbearable.The pain is constant and aggravated by even small loads.A person with the third stage of arthrosis of the hip joint is forced to use a cane.In this case, the problem leg is often shortened, which is explained by the distortion of the pelvis and spine.Atrophy of muscles.The third stage of the disease leads to a significant deterioration of the general condition.Constant pain interferes with sleep and causes depression.
Some doctors distinguish the 4th stage of coxarthrosis separately, when the affected joint becomes completely immobile.
You can see the development of arthrosis of the hip joint on a regular X-ray.When the pathological process only begins to develop, the joint space narrows slightly, small and isolated protrusions can be detected in the bone tissue.At this stage of development, the disease can be managed with conservative methods.If coxarthrosis leads to deep deformation of the joint and contact of bone surfaces (this is characteristic of the third stage of the disease), then the normal condition can be restored only with the help of surgical intervention.
Non-drug treatment
Patients with arthrosis of the hip joint are advised to relax the affected joint as much as possible.For this purpose you need:
- avoid running, long walking, jumping, not lifting weights, staying in one position for a long time;
- wear special shoes with well-cushioned soles;
- additionally lean on a cane or crutch (must be taken on the opposite side of the affected joint).
It is recommended to regularly perform physical therapy exercises to reduce pain and improve the functioning of the joint system.Simple exercises help to strengthen muscle tissue, which gives excellent results in the long run.If you are overweight, you should go on a diet and get rid of those extra pounds.
Drug treatment
Conservative drug treatment for arthrosis of the hip joint is selected individually;therapy mainly depends on the symptoms of the disease and the results of diagnostic procedures.As a rule, patients are prescribed:
- Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs.They help relieve pain in the affected joint;
- Steroid (hormonal) drugs.They are used when non-steroidal drugs are not effective enough;
- a muscle relaxant that reduces muscle tone and helps relieve pain;
- Vasodilators.It may be necessary if there is insufficient blood circulation in the joint;
- Chondroprotectors that promote the recovery of joints and prevent their further destruction.
Conservative treatment of the joint can be completed with the use of the latest medical technology.Patients can be offered plasma lifting procedures, physiotherapeutic treatment and balneotherapy.All these methods of action are applied only after the acute inflammatory process has been eliminated.
Balneotherapy for coxarthrosis
Patients with coxarthrosis can benefit from balneotherapy courses, especially mud baths.Such procedures can be performed in regular clinics, private clinics, rehabilitation centers and sanatorium-resort institutions.Mud baths are widely used in the treatment of diseases of the musculoskeletal system.Mud treatment for arthrosis of the hip joint helps to reduce the inflammatory process, eliminate unpleasant symptoms and slow down degenerative processes.The effectiveness of such procedures is confirmed by the research of German scientists.In their articles published in 2019, experts noted that a course of mud baths for coxarthrosis helped:
- improve the motor functions of the joint;
- significantly reduce the severity of pain (the effect lasted for 3 months after the end of therapy);
- slow the progression of the disease.
However, it is worth considering that all physiotherapeutic and balneological procedures for coxarthrosis can be carried out only after the consent of the attending physician.Such treatment of the combination should be combined with taking prescribed drugs and following all restrictive recommendations.