Help With Arthritis Pain-Hip Arthritis

• Arthritis of the hips can be caused due to us carrying our own body weight, resulting in the wear and tear of the cartilage that lines the hip joints, therefore making the joints stiff.

• It is important to stretch in the correct way. Researchers believe that slow exercise is the best form of exercise for hip arthritis, try to avoid fast walking and running.

• It is highly advised that if you are suffering from pain in the hip area, that you should consult your doctor who will seek to give you the best advice and treatment when possible.

• Hip arthritis is a problem for many people. It could be a result of day to day wear and tear, or the collapsing of the joints, which is caused by a fault from the blood supply to the ball of the joint. In most cases, it is more common in the older generation. The most common case is to have replacement surgery, but normally this is not undertaken until the patient reaches the age of 60 years.

• The most common type of hip arthritis is osteoarthritis, also known as wear and tear arthritis. The protective cartilage erodes away due to hip arthritis and exposes the bare bone in the joint.

The symptoms of hip arthritis

• The symptoms of hip arthritis normally progress as the condition worsens, but the most common symptoms are:

• Stiffness of the hip; More pain when the climate is cold or damp; Limping when walking; Pain when undertaking activities;

• It is general practice, when you have hip arthritis, to have a physical examination and an X-Ray. Your doctor will arrange this with your local hospital.

What can be done to reduce the pain?

• In most cases, it is normal to take an anti-inflammatory medication along with daily exercise, such as gentle walking, swimming or water exercises and cycling.

Very gentle exercise for the more mature adult can include:

(all done in the standing position)

Give yourself support by holding on to a door handle or kitchen worktop:

Move your leg forwards, keeping your leg straight (10 times) Move your leg backwards, keeping your leg straight (10 times) Move your leg away from your side (10 times) Rotate your foot clockwise, then counterclockwise (10 times) Change legs and repeat the process

Weight Loss

• Weight loss is also another important factor. Remember the more weight you carry, the more strain you have on your hips.

• Simple activities, such as dressing yourself in the morning, having a shower or going up and down the stairs can be difficult. Some basic tips that could assist you in these activities are:

Having a raised toilet seat so you don’t have to bend or raise yourself so far may be useful;

Install a non-skid safety mat in the shower;

Purchase a long handled shoe horn to help with putting on shoes and socks;

Slip on shoes rather than tie up shoes;

Always use the hand rail when climbing the stairs;

And always use your good leg to take your first step when descending the stairs;

• As with all types of arthritis, it is important to have a healthy diet and exercising is also highly important for arthritis sufferers. Eating fruit, more green leafy vegetables and natural oily fish, such as mackerel, sardines that have Omega 3 oils may help to reduce inflammation. Research has proven that yoga is a good method of exercise to help reduce inflammation and stiffness. It is highly important to keep the joints moving to prevent them loose.

• Multivitamins and Calcium capsules are important supplements to consider adding to the diet. Cod-liver Oil capsules should also be considered as these are a natural joint lubricator.

• Massage and heat presses are another option. A normal life is possible with hip arthritis, but you need to get the right treatment from your doctor in order to better live with your condition.

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