Over time or from injury, a patient can development degeneration of the hip. Arthritis is a general term used for conditions that cause joint pain, stiffness, and swelling. This occurs when the protective cartilage between bones start to wear. The bones may then rub together causing pain and stiffness.
Hip arthritis manifests as pain that is worse in the morning. People typically also have pain with increased activity and with movements involving hip rotation such as getting in and out of a car.
There are several risk factors that lead to arthritis including age, genetics, previous injury and overuse of joints.
If hip arthritis is suspected there are several ways to diagnose this condition. Medical history and physical examination are helpful and x-rays can help determine if there are arthritis abnormalities of the hip.
Treatment of hip arthritis includes: lifestyle modifications, oral anti-inflammatory medications and physical therapy. Intra-articular hip steroid injections are also often very effective for treating this pain. In addition to steroid injections, PRP and stem cell injections can be a very effective treatment.
Lastly, for very severe arthritis that not does respond to these treatment modalities the patient may be recommended to undergo hip replacement.
We'd love to help