Arthrosis of the hip joint, that is, coxarthrosis, is a serious pathology in this area of the skeletal system, which is characterized by the destruction of the articular layer of the cartilage, damage afterwards to other components: adjacent muscles, bursa, pelvic bones.
Deforming arthrosis is especially dangerous because it not only leads to thinning of the cartilage, but also to the growth of bones, which has irreversible consequences.
With active progression, arthrosis contributes to the development of vascular sclerosis of the articular head with the growth of a large number of cysts. The consequences of the disease will be severe deformities, dysfunctions of one or both of the hip joints. Joint coxarthrosis manifests itself not only in connection with age-related changes in the skeletal system, but also in children with congenital hip dislocation, dysplasia.
Arthrosis of the hip joint: symptoms
Signs of damage to pelvic bones manifest differently in each patient, but among the most common are the following:
- The leadership among them is occupied by the pain syndrome, which the patient suffers not only after physical efforts, but also at rest. Painful sensations are located in the thigh, groin, giving to the knee. The pains are not always static, as the disease progresses, the place of location, intensity, duration changes;
- The restriction of the motor activity of the musculoskeletal system leads to rigidity of human movements, lameness, sometimes shortening of the limb due to the spasm of the gluteal muscles;
- The acute phase is characterized by the inability to bring the affected leg into the body or to remove it in the supine position. When performing the movements, joint crunches are heard.
There are three degrees of development of coxarthrosis. If, in the first stage of pathology, painful sensations pass after a brief rest, then they become more and more intense. The hip joints are threatened with immobility, and the muscles of the thighs, buttocks and legs are difficult to cope with due to the atrophic changes in them.
The main causes of injury
- The risk of developing osteoarthritis is often found in groups of people who already have metabolic disorders, genetic characteristics in the structure of the skeletal system and weakness of cartilage tissues.
- But most of the time the appearance of this pathology is preceded by some diseases associated with malnutrition, blood supply to the femoral head, for example, Peters disease. It manifests itself mainly in boys during childhood.
- Congenital dislocation of the hip also leads to the development of joint pathologies of the pelvis.
- Injuries in the form of fractures, dislocations cause the development of diseases of the hip joints.
- Inflammatory processes in the bones, such as arthritis of various etiologies, contribute to damage to the joint tissue.
- And leading a sedentary lifestyle, hormonal disorders in the body, the practice of heavy sports only provoke the development of arthritic changes in the hip joints.
Treatment of osteoarthritis with therapeutic methods
In the case of advanced pathology, an operation is likely. But in the early stages of development, deforming arthrosis is cured by conservative methods in a hospital or at home.
Joint treatment with drugs
Several main types of drugs are used to treat the disease:
- Non-steroidal drugs are often produced in the form of tablets, capsules and gels. They are effective anti-inflammatory and analgesic agents that relieve swelling, reduce pain and interrupt the pathological process in the tissues. Pills, capsules and medicines are taken with meals, first forty milligrams and, two days later, reducing to twenty. The gel is used three times a day, rubbing with massage movements. With caution, medications are prescribed for elderly patients with heart failure, pathologies of the gastrointestinal tract. During use, you should not drink alcohol, drive a car;
- The agent, which is a chondroprotective agent, restores the metabolic processes, the functions of the cartilaginous tissues of the hip joint and reduces pain. They take the medicine a gram and a half a day for six weeks. Thanks to these drugs, after three months it will be possible to feel improvements in the state of the hip joint;
- To relax smooth muscles, eliminating spasms of small vessels, a drug that improves blood properties, increases resistance to hypoxia, helps. Take two tablets once a day with meals;
- Muscle relaxants aim to normalize blood circulation and relieve muscle pain. One tablet is prescribed three times a day. The drug is contraindicated for people with severe liver disease;
- Corticosteroids are used only for extremely severe forms of the disease, when other medications do not provide relief. Some of these drugs have strong anti-inflammatory effects. Most of the time, a solution of the drug is injected intramuscularly, starting at one hundred milliliters, every six hours. It is successfully used for administration with ultrasound equipment (phonophoresis, electrophoresis).
The treatment with warming ointments for this joint disease is rarely used, since it is very difficult for external agents to penetrate the lesion through the layers of fat, skin and muscles.
We treat coxarthrosis at home
Traditional time-tested drug prescriptions should also be used to treat coxarthrosis.
- After passing the pulp of three lemons, 250 grams of celery root and 120 grams of garlic through a meat grinder, a mixture is obtained which, after being placed in a three liter jar, is poured with boiling water. The infusion is taken half an hour before breakfast, half a glass a day.
- A glass of calamus and astragalus is boiled in five liters of water for five minutes. After infusing the medicine, add the solution to a warm bath. After performing medical procedures, it is good to do gymnastics to develop the mobility of the joints of the pelvis.
- Aspic, cooked with a kilo of unsalted beef hooves, is very useful for joint diseases. Two hundred grams must be ingested half an hour before meals.
- A bath with the addition of Jerusalem artichoke, pine branches, sea salt and honey will relieve the patient's condition. And the network of iodine and lard will consolidate its effect. In addition, after bathing, a compress of horseradish porridge mixed with honey, applied to the area of pain, will help.
Of course, treatment with folk remedies will only weaken some of the symptoms of the disease, not remove them completely, but in combination with other methods it will be effective.
Medical procedures can help with pelvic arthrosis
The procedures prescribed by specialists for the successful treatment of coxarthrosis have a beneficial local effect on the tissues of the affected area of the skeletal system of the human body:
- Acting at low temperatures in the painful areas of the pelvic bones, cryotherapy stimulates blood flow to them, metabolic processes in the tissues. Partial immersion of the body in an environment with liquid nitrogen, where the temperature ranges from minus one hundred and ten to minus one hundred and sixty, will help to remove unpleasant symptoms of arthritic pain, restore motor functions;
- Infrared light irradiation is used for painful sensations in muscle tissues and nerve endings. Before the phototherapy procedure, it is necessary to lubricate the affected area with gel, then for thirty minutes they work with the aid of a special apparatus at the site of the pain. To avoid allergic reactions, the mandatory test is performed before the session and then the appropriate radiation dose is selected;
- The traction, or traction, of the hip joint is a way of stretching the joints in order to avoid abrasion and increase the space between them. The procedure is performed by the specialist himself or by means of a traction unit. In the supine position, when fixing the chest, the patient's shoulder column, a load is suspended on the lower back in a special belt. The weight of the cargo depends on the person's weight, height, age, severity of illness. After such an operation, it is recommended to give the patient a long rest.
Physiotherapy and massage should be prescribed for deforming osteoarthritis of the hip joint, as this will help to improve blood circulation, relieve muscle tension and pain.
Preventing recurrence of joint pathology
The successful treatment of any disease of the skeletal system must be consolidated so that the disease does not come back again.
- To develop the hip joint, daily gymnastics, thigh and buttock massage will help. Swimming exercises have a positive effect on the condition of the pelvis and hips.
- The prevention of joint pathologies is not complete without a balanced diet composed of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, seafood, chicken, turkey.
- The recipes of traditional medicine will also strengthen muscles and bones, so the use of compresses, trays based on medicinal herbs is mandatory.
Most importantly, don't overload your joints and muscles with work, long walks, runs. And when the first symptoms of pain appear, a doctor should be consulted immediately.
The materials posted on this page are for informational purposes and are intended for educational purposes. Determining the diagnosis and choosing the treatment method remains the exclusive prerogative of your attending physician.