Natural Ways To Aid Your Hip Osteoarthritis

Hip osteoarthritis (OA) is a degenerative disease that therapists at Bodyharmonix can help you with. Manual physical therapy (MPT) options at our fitness centre include biomechanical training, massage and dry needling. We recognise that as the largest joints in your body, and that the flexibility of your hips can seriously enhance your quality of life.

The disease tends to be more prevalent in women than men therefore the exact cause of hip OA remains unknown. The condition may take years to develop and it is not unusual for symptoms to have active and latent phases. With hip OA, the joint cartilage breaks down and spurs (osteophytes) grow on the joint. Your hips bear a lot of weight on the joints and for this reason wear and tear is inevitable over time.

At Bodyharmonix, your therapy regime will focus on increasing the range of motion (ROM) for those experiencing hip osteoarthritis. As well, we seek to reduce swelling and inflammation in the hip area. The goal is to help slow down your degeneration and to decrease the likelihood that you will need a joint replacement.

Whilst the damage done to your hip joints due to OA is unable to be undone, your symptoms can be reduced and the progress of the disease, slowed.

Treatments

Bodyharmonix therapists will talk with you about weight loss where relevant, and provide you with self-care information to complement the muscle strengthening exercises you take part in at our Biomechanical Lab.

You may be referred on to a specialist if it becomes necessary.

Your exercise program will be personalised to meet your immediate needs, goals and lifestyle expectations. Stretching the muscles, tendons and cartilage around your hip joint is important, as well as strengthening your musculoskeletal structure. You need to be able to handle load bearing activities better.

By discussing and understanding your day to day activities, we can pinpoint tasks or movements that are causing strain on your hip area.

Posture and Balance

Assessing your posture and stability, we will assign exercises to help improve your balance. Balance decreases your risk of falls and an analysis will help change improve your gait patterns when necessary.

Your therapist may also help you to adjust to a supportive device if you are using a cane or medical walker.

Using a variety of massage techniques can aid in improving your hip flexibility and this depends on your individual needs. But also stretching the muscle groups in the area and releasing built up tensions, waste toxins and improving circulation of oxygen to the area.

Part of changing your biomechanical movement patterns will be discussing activity modification to suit your biomechanical training regime. We’ll assess activities that aggravate your pain before introducing you to functional movement techniques.

The goal is to put less stress on your hips therefore hip twisting and high impact exercises like jogging and running counteract healing.

Resting is a key element in supporting your joints and avoiding them becoming stiff through overuse. Pain is the indicator that it is time to slow down, and to take some time out.

Our therapists also read literature to help us provide empirical findings. The goal is to keep finding methods to help alleviate your pain, strengthen your hips and to improve your flexibility.

Reference:

MacDonald, C. W., Whitman, J. M., Cleland, J. A., Smith, M., & Hoeksma, H. L. (2006). Clinical outcomes following manual physical therapy and exercise for hip osteoarthritis: A case series. Journal of Orthopaedic & Sports Physical Therapy, 36(8), 588-599. doi:10.2519/jospt.2006.2233

Charmayne Paul, Bodyharmonix Associate, of Psych and Stats Tutor ~ Chart your course to success~