Arthrosis of the hip joint, or referred to as coxarthrosis, is one of the most serious diseases for modern people, often causing disability. Its first manifestation - mild groin pain - is usually ignored. Patients seek qualified medical help, as a rule, when drug treatment is no longer effective and arthroplasty is required.
Reason
Arthrosis of the hip joint occurs due to a combination of various unfavorable conditions. Microtraumas and full injuries account for about one-fifth of the total number of cases (average 10-20%).
Other causes of hip arthrosis include:
- Overload.
- Heart attack or aseptic necrosis of the hip joint.
- Prolonged stress, prolonged depression.
- Overweight.
- Descendants.
- Congenital and underdeveloped anomalies.
- Inflammatory process in joints.
- Hormonal background failure.
Overload
Until recently, it was believed that excessive physical activity, walking for hours, hard work (as a loader) was a major cause of arthrosis. But not so.
A healthy joint, which has never been injured, can withstand stress perfectly, especially at a young age, and nothing happens to it.
But if once, even in childhood, there are microtraumas, such joints are a candidate for the development of coxarthrosis. For this reason, the disease occurs in 20-30% of cases.
Heart attack
This is a violation of blood flow to the joints. In other words, the disease is called aseptic necrosis of the hip joint, which usually occurs after injury.
In addition to injuries, the causes of heart attacks are:
- Excessive alcohol intake.
- Frequent injections of corticosteroids.
- Unexpected shock (severe stress).
- Excessive, once fit when someone is not ready for it.
Heart attacks are one of the most common causes of coxarthrosis morbidity - in 10-30% of cases.
Prolonged Pressure
Not many people believe in psychosomatics. However, prolonged experience, depression, lack of understanding in the family and various phobias that arise based on this background are direct paths to problems in the joints, and not just with the hips. The incidence of arthrosis for this reason is very high - up to 50.
The mechanism of disease triggering in this condition is simple. During prolonged depression, the patient's body produces stress hormones that belong to the corticosteroid group. The longer a person is in this condition, the higher their concentration in the blood. Corticosteroids inhibit the production of hyaluronic acid, which is a major component of joint fluid. If not enough is produced or the composition is altered, the cartilage is poorly moistened, dried, covered with small cracked nets.
Stress hormones reduce capillary permeability and damage blood circulation in the joints.
Overweight
Is an additional factor among the causes of hip joint arthrosis (coxarthrosis).
Overweight people put strong pressure on their joints, especially the ankles, knees and hips.
As long as they are young, everything seems to work within normal limits. But with age, with the same weight, joint problems will grow like snowballs.
Descendants
If one of your relatives suffers from arthrosis, you do not have to be sick. However, the occurrence of "wounds" is influenced by metabolic characteristics, cartilage structure, and they can be inherited. This also includes the weakness of the muscular apparatus. For this reason, coxarthrosis can only be acquired in 10% of cases. And far from the fact that this will happen. The main thing is to have regular checkups and monitor the condition of your joints.
Congenital anomalies
This is usually treated in early childhood, which allows the child to grow and use the limbs normally. However, the presence of an anomaly is always at risk of getting coxarthrosis, especially if you do not monitor the condition of your joints. The incidence rate is small - only 5. It should not be ignored that only a combination of several causes that cause arthrosis of the hip joint.
Inflammation of the joints
This process is commonly referred to as arthritis. The disease provokes the occurrence of secondary coxarthrosis in 2-3% of cases. The inflammatory process alters the quality of intra-articular fluid. It becomes more viscous and no longer works directly. As a result, the cartilage rubs the cartilage, gradually collapsing.
Among other causes, which directly or indirectly affect the occurrence of coxarthrosis, a person can name hormonal changes during menopause, metabolic diseases (diabetes), neurological diseases (in which the sensitivity of the lower limbs disappears), osteoporosis.
Symptoms
Arthrosis of the hip joint manifests in different ways. In the first stage of the pathological development of the patient, there is almost nothing disturbing, except for the unpleasant, sometimes painful weakness, passing through the sensation.
Symptoms of arthrosis of the hip joint are specific and allow the initial conclusion (to make a diagnosis) already at the stage of examination:
- Pain in the groin. This is the main symptom of the disease. If you feel on the move that something is wrong in this area, try to see a doctor as soon as possible. Pain from the groin usually moves to the front or side of the thigh, and can radiate to the back or knees. Very rarely pain in arthrosis of the hip joint reaches the middle part of the calf muscles. The patient feels uncomfortable while sinking in a chair or getting up, or after a long walk.
- Limited mobility. These symptoms indicate that arthrosis of the hip joint (coxarthrosis) has developed. If you ask such a patient to sit "on a chair, " that is, backwards, he or she may not be able to do this.
- Fractures of the hip joint while walking. It does not appear immediately, but as arthrosis progresses and cartilage destruction. The difference from a healthy joint disorder is a relatively dry sound and pain syndrome with weak or moderate intensity.
- Shortens diseased limbs. Occurs when the disease is advanced enough.
- Paralyzed, falling on a sore leg due to the fact that there is partial or total destruction of cartilage.
- Muscle atrophy of the affected leg. Visually it looks dry and unhealthy.
- Pain in the knee joint due to muscle atrophy.
Diagnostics
This moment is not too long for the patient. After a visual examination and examination of the patient, the doctor prescribes a referral for blood donation - general analysis, biochemistry and rheumatic tests. This is done to exclude the inflammatory process in the body. With arthrosis, all indications are almost normal.
The next step is the instrumental check:
- X-rays and / or CT.Computed tomography shows better joints.
- MRI. Appointed in advance. Such a review is as simple as that.
- Ultrasound of the joints.The sign of coxarthrosis in this study is obvious cartilage thinning. However, the accuracy of the results is highly dependent on the qualifications of the experts who parse the data obtained. Therefore, to prescribe the disease, it is prescribed in rare cases.
As a result
If arthrosis of the hip joint is left untreated, in the hope that "it may go away on its own", the disease will develop actively. The consequences of indifference to oneself are expressed in muscle atrophy and the obvious shortening and drying of the aching limb, at some point one will not be able to move freely. Pain syndrome will be the companion of such patients; even strong painkillers cannot relieve it. The only way out of this situation is a joint replacement operation - endoprosthetics.
If coxarthrosis is diagnosed in elderly patients, treatment should be started immediately. An unstable lifestyle, which often occurs in patients due to severe persistent pain, significantly shortens life.
Traditional Treatment
It can be divided into medical and surgical. The latter is used in cases when the first does not bring significant improvement with prolonged use.
Coxarthrosis at an early stage is quite curable:
- Medicine.
- Manual therapy.
- Attraction on a special table.
- With PIR (post-measurement relaxation).
- Therapeutic massage.
- Hirudotherapy.
- Recovery gymnastics.
Medicine
The task of medicine is various aspects. Not only tablets are used, but also ointments, intra-articular injections. Tablets (capsules, sachets) are prescribed to relieve pain (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs), improve cartilage nutrition and improve the quality of intra-articular lubrication (chondroprotectors), relieve muscle spasms (muscle relaxation).
Ointments and creams have the weakest effects and are used to warm the body and irritate. The effect is close to placebo. At the time of rubbing, the patient's body produces endorphins - pleasure hormones, and they effectively relieve pain.
Intra-articular injections for hip joint arthrosis are extremely rare. This is due to the narrow joint space, which is quite difficult to enter, even with the use of special additional equipment. The procedure is performed through the groin and is so complicated that ninety-nine percent of doctors prefer to inject the drug into the periarticular sac by puncturing the side of the thigh.
With injection:
- Relieves high intensity pain syndrome (corticosteroids).
- They nourish the cartilage (chondroprotectors).
- Improves the quality of lubricant (hyaluronic acid substitute - injected through the groin).
Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs are given orally for mild to moderate pain. They also effectively kill the inflammatory process.
Manual therapy
Treatment by an experienced specialist can put patients with mild coxarthrosis in their legs. The doctor's job is to restore mobility in the joints, relieving pain. Manual therapy is divided into manipulation (one effect on the joints) and mobilization (4 courses a year, 3 - 4 sessions each).
Mobilization allows you to stretch the affected limb with minimal pain. Enlarges joint space, relaxes tight muscles. Manipulation is only allowed in the early stages of the disease.
The attraction to a special table also gives certain results, but significantly loses manual therapy. The machine (tool), in contrast to the doctor's hand, does not feel the patient and, if used improperly, can cause harm.
PIR
Post-isometric relaxation involves active interaction between the patient and the treating physician. The meaning of the method is that the patient relaxes / stretches certain muscle groups as directed by the specialist. At this point, the doctor stretches the ligaments and joints.
This treatment for coxarthrosis helps relieve muscle spasms. This method is effective for grade I and II coxarthrosis.
Sort
If you decide to use this method, you need to find a qualified specialist. Otherwise, instead of reducing the situation, you can make it worse. This method is effective for I and II degree coxarthrosis as an adjunct.
Massage for coxarthrosis should not cause pain. Sensation during the procedure is pleasant, relaxation and comfort should be felt.
Please note that there are contraindications to massage. Do not self-medicate.
Hirudotherapy
Treatment with leeches helps in the early stages of hip joint arthrosis. This worm saliva improves blood circulation, cartilage elasticity, and it itself contains many useful substances. It acts like a chondroprotector, only softer.
Leeches are placed not only on the sore thighs, but also on the sacrum, lower abdomen, lower back. You need to take 2 courses 10 sessions per year.
Recovery gymnastics
No disease can be cured or overcome without physical exercise. Arthrosis of the hip joint is no exception. If you do not strengthen the muscles, their atrophy is inevitable, while the condition of the cartilage will deteriorate at a double rate.
It is best to study in special groups under expert supervision. The medical complex is selected by the doctor based on the examination, the degree of coxarthrosis and the physical ability of the patient.
Endoprosthetics
Surgical intervention is performed at stages of coxarthrosis III and IV, when conservative treatment gives minimal or completely ineffective results. The surgeon's job is to replace the articular head itself and the acetabulum with an artificial implant through a small incision in the thigh.
Operations like this are currently underway. To imagine what awaits you if you ignore the first signs of coxarthrosis, imagine the course of the operation (in short):
- The patient is anesthetized.
- The incision is made in the thigh, the soft tissue is excised, the nerve is pulled back.
- The joint was removed from his bed. In simple words, the doctor made an artificial dislocation to get his head.
- The head joint with the bone part is removed.
- The acetabulum is cleared.
- Endoprosthesis, an artificial articular head, is inserted into the bone, or rather, "clogged".
- Artificial assets are included.
- Joints are repositioned. The doctor examines his movements by moving the limbs in different directions.
- Wounds are disinfected and stitched.
After the operation, a period of recovery and compliance with certain regimes is relatively long.
Traditional methods
For lovers of medicines themselves, it should be noted that coxarthrosis is a disease that should only be treated by a doctor. All folk methods in the form of scrubs, lotions and other "unusual things" will not lead to good.
However, some traditional medicine recipes can be used in addition to the first stage of the disease:
- Cabbage leaves.Used to relieve pain without taking analgesics and relieve "torsion" from joint pain. At night, tie a few cabbage leaves to your thighs, after rubbing pure honey into the skin. Wrap the top with plastic wrap and something warm. In the morning, lift, rinse the remaining honey with cold water and repeat the compress. Repeat until the pain subsides.
- Honey and radish ointment.Similar to cabbage leaves. You just have to play to cook it. The ratio of carrot and honey is 1/1. Whisk the root vegetables in a meat grinder, add honey, stir. Pour 50 ml of vodka or alcohol. Stir again. Rub into the affected joint until the pain disappears.
- Healing bath.For cooking, you will need pine (several large branches), turpentine turpentine (1 tsp), bath salt (1 kg), and shredded Jerusalem artichoke tubers (3-4 pieces). Pour with hot water and bring to a boil. When the water is pleasant to bathe, lift the branches and artichokes of Jerusalem and begin the procedure. When done, apply iodine nets to sore thighs or rub honey, put something warm and sleep.
Arthrosis of the hip joint is a serious disease that occurs when a number of causes are combined.
In order not to be deformed, do not wait for the consequences, undergo an annual examination, at the first moment feel uncomfortable in the groin area, see a doctor.