Today, one of the most common degenerative-dystrophic diseases is arthrosis of the hip joint, otherwise known as coxarthrosis.This disease can affect one or both joints, but these processes occur gradually.At the initial stage of the disease, one joint is damaged, and a little later - the other.
Most often, patients older than 40-45 years suffer from coxarthrosis, but this disease has many causes and in principle it can occur in different age groups.Fortunately, arthrosis of the hip joint in children is not common.Congenital dysplasia of the hip joint causes coxarthrosis in children.Its reason is the underdevelopment of the bone tissue and ligaments of this joint.Babies born with this condition often have a subluxation and dislocation of the hip, where the head of the femur slips out of its socket.
Disease description and causes
The hip joint is located between the femur and the thigh bone.That is why the inflammation and pathology of the sacral joints are called arthrosis of the hip joint.
The space between them also includes the synovial membrane and hyaline cartilage, all these components together ensure the normal functioning of the joint.All this is clearly visible in the photo of arthrosis of the hip joint.
The function of hyaline cartilage is similar to that of a sponge.When it contracts, depending on the load on the joint, it releases the required amount of fluid, which has a lubricating effect.After the load is stopped, the cartilage pores are filled with fluid again.One of the reasons for the development of a disease such as hip arthrosis is a change in the properties of the synovial fluid.
In addition to the work of hyaline cartilage, the cause of arthrosis of the hip joint can also be the slowing down of the metabolic process in the joint, which occurs as a result of poor circulation.These processes cause atrophy of the muscles surrounding the joint.These muscles perform a joint protective function during the normal operation of all mechanisms and processes.They reduce the risk of injury in case of careless movements, falls or jumps.
The causes of the development of the disease can also be the results of injuries, inflammatory processes and infections occurring in the body, as well as congenital dislocations of the hip or congenital disorders of joint development (dysplasia).
Degree and symptoms of arthrosis
There are four degrees of this disease:
- Arthrosis of the hip joint of the 1st degree.At this stage of the disease, the patient feels some discomfort, it is especially pronounced after physical exertion, as well as going down or climbing stairs.The pain of the first degree of hip arthrosis can occur in both the hip and knee area.
- Arthrosis of the hip joint 2 degrees.This degree of the disease is characterized by the manifestation of pain of a more intense nature.In addition to physical exertion, pain can occur even when the leg is at rest;Long-term walking can even lead to lameness.The nature of the pain is pronounced, it radiates to the groin, back or knee.The joint function of this degree of arthrosis is already impaired.
- In case of third-degree arthrosis of the hip, the pain is constant, it does not stop even at night.The patient can move only with the help of orthopedic devices (crutches or crutches).Joint movement is strictly limited.
- Arthrosis of the 4th degree of the hip joint is manifested by large bony protrusions (visible on X-ray), severe pain, which is constantly increasing.This degree of arthrosis is also called pronounced.Joint function is completely impaired, movement is limited or impossible.It can be cured only by surgery.
Symptoms of arthrosis of the hip joint differ depending on the degree of the disease:
- with lameness, impaired mobility of the leg in the thigh area;
- Stiffness of movement, both after exercise and during rest;
- Atrophy of the thigh muscles and shortening of the affected limb.
The main symptom that causes a visit to the doctor is pain.A timely trip to the hospital plays a special role here, because most patients have complaints during the active development of the second or even third degree of the disease.You should not wait for the expression of pain, because it is full of irreversible processes that can occur in your body.
Diagnosis of the disease
This disease requires a combined diagnosis.At the first stage, the doctor talks to the patient, identifies pain complaints and other factors that cause anxiety.After that, the patient is examined to determine the gait disturbance, the difference in the length of the healthy and diseased limb, as well as pain during palpation.In addition, the sensitivity of the diseased areas is checked for its reduction and a process is carried out to determine the functions of the neighboring joints.Already at this stage of diagnosis, the doctor can make a tentative diagnosis: hip arthrosis at one or another stage.
After the conversation and examination, it is time for laboratory and instrumental studies:
- First of all, the patient is sent for X-ray.Plain and axial radiography gives the doctor the opportunity to see an almost complete picture of the disease.
- If the X-ray is not enough, the patient is sent for magnetic resonance or computer tomography.
- The essence of laboratory research is both a blood test to determine inflammatory processes in the body and the collection of synovial fluid through puncture.Using the latter, you can observe whether the composition of the given fluid has changed, since these changes are often the cause of the development of coxarthrosis.
Treatment of hip arthrosis
Treatment of coxarthrosis, as well as its diagnosis, should be combined.There is an opinion that the only reliable way to get rid of hip arthrosis is surgery.But often, due to a number of individual reasons, such as general health or advanced age, surgery may be extremely undesirable or impossible.In this case, coxarthrosis should be treated in another way.Here everything depends not only on the condition of the patient, but also on the stage of the disease.
First-degree arthrosis can be completely cured without surgery.Of course, this treatment is complex and requires a lot of effort, which the patient must do to recover.Some of the procedures performed for osteoarthritis of the hip include:
- drug treatment to relieve inflammation in the joint area, reduce pain and improve metabolism;
- The patient should regularly perform a special set of exercises prescribed by the doctor;
- The diet of 1st degree arthrosis of the hip joint also plays an important role, because the processes of blood circulation and metabolism in the body, and especially in the area of the hip joint, depend on proper nutrition.
In the second degree of the disease, we cannot talk about complete recovery, since deformation has already occurred in the bones, although with the help of a set of procedures, it is possible to postpone the operation for a longer time or avoid it altogether.In addition to second-degree arthrosis of the hip joint, drug treatment using the same painkillers and anti-inflammatory drugs, a set of exercises and a special diet, also requires hospital treatment 1-2 times a year.
The third stage of arthrosis requires surgery.The joint tissue is severely depleted, the deformation in the joint area is irreversible, and there is probably no other solution.However, there are particularly persistent patients who, with the help of incredible efforts and continuous work on themselves, achieve significant improvement without surgical intervention.
Diet and folk remedies for coxarthrosis treatment
As mentioned above, an important part of hip arthrosis treatment is diet.The diet of a patient with coxarthrosis should be balanced and contain all the necessary microelements.The basis of any tissue in the human body is protein, so you should eat dairy products and legumes, as well as jelly and not too fatty jelly meat.It is necessary to take into account the fact that the purpose of the diet, in addition to the fact that the body is saturated with essential microelements, is weight loss.This is necessary to ease the load on the joint.Based on this, you should reduce the consumption of fatty, salty and other high-calorie foods.
Treatment of arthrosis of the hip joint with folk remedies can relieve pain and reduce some of the unfavorable processes associated with this disease.However, any prescription of traditional medicine must be agreed with the doctor before use and used only with his consent.Here are some methods used in coxarthrosis:
- Cut a cabbage leaf with a knife, smear it with honey and apply it to the painful joint all night, wrap it in cellophane and a woolen bandage.
- Rub the joint with celandine tincture in olive oil.To prepare it, pour 7-8 tablespoons of plant stem into a liter of oil and leave for two weeks.
- Mix aloe juice with eucalyptus and mint leaves and apply this composition to the painful joint several times a day.
- It is also common to treat arthrosis of the hip joint with salt, as dry heat has a positive effect on relieving inflammation and pain.Pour preheated salt in a pan or oven into a bag made of thick fabric and apply it to the painful area.