Osteoarthritis of the hip joint (coxarthrosis) is a disease that leads to the destruction of the cartilage tissue of the joints and their deformation. Despite the fact that modern medicine has stepped far forward, there is still no way to completely recover from this disease until today. However, there are methods by which you can significantly improve your he alth and prevent further destruction of the joints. It all depends on how early the disease was discovered and when its treatment began.
Some statistics
Among other joint diseases, deforming osteoarthritis (DOA) is very common. It can be called the most common disease of large joints. From 20 to 40% (the figure depends on the region) of the inhabitants of our planet suffer from the symptoms of this disease. Women suffer from osteoarthritis twice as often as men. With the achievement of a certain age, the number of cases is compared. The disease can also occur in very young people, but inolder it happens much more often. For example, almost half of people who have reached the age of 50 have signs of osteoarthritis of the hip joint, and at the age of 70, the disease is already diagnosed in 80-90% of patients.
The disease most often affects large joints. Almost 43% of all cases are DOA of the hip joint, 34% of the knee and 22% of the shoulder joint. All other joints account for only 12%.
Characteristic symptoms
The symptoms of coxarthrosis depend on the stage of the disease. It should also take into account the individual characteristics of each person and the severity of the disease. But in any case, the disease begins with a slight pain in the hip joint, which becomes stronger over time, then a restriction in movements joins. This significantly impairs the quality of life of a sick person.
Main symptoms of the disease:
- pain in the thigh and groin area;
- during movement, a crunch may be heard in the sore joint;
- pain when walking (especially difficult to take the first steps), when getting out of bed or from a chair;
- there is atrophy of the thigh muscles, the person limps when walking;
- limitation of the mobility of the diseased joint.
Typically, the pain gets worse with physical activity.
Causes of coxarthrosis
The disease has two forms: primary and secondary.
For what reason arthrosis of the primary form develops is not established. It is more common in older people(after 50-60 years). Its characteristic feature is the symmetrical lesion of both hip joints. It is impossible to completely cure the disease.
The cause of secondary DOA is the presence of other diseases. The disease usually affects the joints of young people. The disease develops slowly and only on one joint. If a person immediately went to the doctor and treatment was started on time, then coxarthrosis in this case has a favorable outcome.
Causes of osteoarthritis of the hip can be as follows.
Injuries and microtraumas of the joint
According to statistics, approximately 30% of cases of coxarthrosis are associated with some kind of injury, and not necessarily very severe. A person can stumble, twist his leg and not even pay attention to it. But, under a combination of adverse circumstances, this can lead to the development of arthrosis. It is especially dangerous when injuries often recur. This applies to people who have traumatic professions, and athletes.
Often DOA occurs in patients as a result of injuries sustained in a car accident. Injuries can be very severe, with complex bone fractures and joint crushing. They cause severe arthritis. At the same time, if a person is young, then usually after treatment, the joints and bones are restored. A completely different picture - in older people, post-traumatic coxarthrosis is treated very hard.
Excessive stress on joints
Some people believe that if you constantly load the joints, this will certainly lead to earlythe development of arthritis. But this is not entirely true. If a person has completely he althy joints, then excessive loads very rarely cause disease. Therefore, an athlete who has never had an injury, or a person who has worked successfully for many years in hard physical work, does not face arthrosis. But this can happen if there are other prerequisites for the disease.
It is very dangerous to load a joint that has been injured and has not yet fully recovered. Also, large loads on defective joints with congenital defects or genetically underdeveloped cartilaginous tissues can result in deforming arthrosis of the hip joint. Joints that have recently suffered arthritis should not be overloaded. This also applies to older people, as their joints are already undergoing age-related changes and cannot bear heavy loads.
Physical stress is especially bad for joints that already have the initial stage of arthrosis. Even walking long distances or running can cause further rapid progression of the disease and destruction of the joint.
From this we can conclude that excessive loads are harmful to joints that have damage and defects.
Congenital anomalies and heredity
Specialists came to the conclusion that coxarthrosis itself is not inherited. But the features of the structure of cartilage tissue, metabolism and other things can be genetically transmitted, which can further provoke the onset of the disease. Therefore, if parents suffer from coxarthrosis, then children also havea chance to get this disease.
If a child was born with underdeveloped joints, then this risk increases several times. Even if the pathology was detected and treated in time, the possibility of developing DOA at an older age is very high.
But it is impossible to say that an anomaly in the development of the joint must eventually lead to arthrosis. Millions of inhabitants of our planet live with congenital joint defects, but do not suffer from arthrosis. The disease begins to develop if it is provoked by other damaging circumstances.
Overweight
Clinical studies do not give a clear answer to the question of whether there is a link between weight gain and the disease that has arisen. It is clear that only excess weight itself cannot cause arthrosis, but if there are any disorders in the joints, then a large load on them can really provoke this disease.
The same goes for older people. Since the elasticity of cartilage at this age is significantly reduced, it is very difficult for the joints to endure increased pressure on them.
The conclusion is as follows: extra pounds can cause the development of DOA in the elderly and in those who have congenital weakness of the skeleton, circulatory disorders, and metabolism. But overweight is most dangerous for people who already have coxarthrosis.
Inflammatory process in the joints (arthritis)
Often the cause of secondary arthrosis is arthritis. Inflammation in the joints leads to a change in the joint fluid, destroys cartilage tissue, blood circulation in the joints is disturbed,changes occur in the synovium. All this can subsequently provoke the occurrence of DOA.
Prolonged stress condition
Chronic stress and prolonged nervous tension often cause many diseases, and they are no exception in such a disease as coxarthrosis.
If a stressful state lasts for a long time, then the level of corticosteroid "stress" hormones rises in the blood. Their excess slows down the production of hyaluronic acid, which is included in the joint fluid. If the amount of this fluid is significantly reduced or there is not enough hyaluronic acid in it, then the articular cartilage begins to dry out, thin and crack. All this eventually leads to arthrosis.
Hormonal changes
The provoking factor in the development of DOA are hormonal changes that occur in the body during age-related changes (menopause), diabetes mellitus, nervous diseases that cause loss of sensation in the lower extremities, osteoporosis, congenital "looseness" of the ligaments.
Stages of disease
There are four stages of osteoarthritis of the hip.
1. First stage. At this stage of the development of the disease, the symptoms are minor. Pain in the hip joint, radiating to the groin, is not severe and appears only after exertion (stops after rest), movements are not limited. The joint space is not yet narrowed. If you seek help from a doctor in time, then conservative treatment gives a positive result.result.
2. Second stage. There is further progression of the disease. Pain intensifies, can occur even with a slight load. Often at the end of the working day, in order to relieve pain, you have to take painkillers. Pain can also appear at night, when the person is at rest.
On the x-ray, you can see the narrowing of the joint space, a slight destruction of cartilage. At this stage, treatment is prescribed that slows down the destruction of cartilage and the progression of the disease.
3. Third stage. More cartilage is being destroyed. X-ray shows necrosis of the femoral head and iliac bones, significant narrowing of the joint space, proliferation of osteophytes.
A sick person develops lameness, it is difficult for him to bend his leg. There are problems with putting on socks and shoes. If a person stopped for a while while walking, it is very difficult for him to take the first steps again (starting pain).
The sore leg becomes shorter, the muscles of the buttocks and thighs decrease in volume. This is due to the fact that a person tries to spare the injured leg while walking, and the muscles begin to gradually atrophy.
Prescribing drugs to slow the progression of the disease or suggesting joint replacement surgery.
4. Fourth stage. On the X-ray, severe destruction of cartilaginous tissues, osteophytes of large sizes are noticeable. There is a noticeable shortening of the limb.
It's very hard for the sickto move around, so they often use a cane. Treatment of deforming osteoarthritis of the hip joint of the fourth stage is carried out only by the surgical method.
Treatment of coxarthrosis
Treatment of this disease can be conservative and surgical. It all depends on the degree of damage to the joint, the age of the patient, concomitant diseases and much more.
The conservative method includes the following measures.
- Drug treatment. Drug treatment is carried out in the early stages of the disease. To relieve pain and inflammation, the doctor usually prescribes non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), chondoprotectors are used to maintain the normal state of the cartilage. Special ointments, gels, and compresses help relieve pain and improve blood supply to diseased joints.
- Physiotherapy treatments. This method is well combined with drug treatment. The use of magnetotherapy, ultrasound, electrotherapy, laser treatment and other procedures gives good results.
- Gymnastics for osteoarthritis of the hip joint. Special exercises help to develop joints, improve blood circulation. Therapeutic exercise should be carried out under the supervision of a physician.
- Massage. With osteoarthritis of the hip joint, massage helps relieve muscle spasms, improve blood circulation in the sore leg. Massage can be manual and hardware.
The surgical method is used in the later stagesailment, when conservative treatment no longer brings the desired result. As a rule, this occurs at the 3rd and 4th stages of coxarthrosis. During the operation, the damaged joint is completely replaced with an artificial prosthesis (arthroplasty).
Today, such a replacement of a diseased joint is the most effective method for treating coxarthrosis. Endoprostheses are made from materials that can last quite a long time and are compatible with the tissues of the human body.
Treatment with traditional medicine
Folk treatment for osteoarthritis of the hip joint includes the use of various ointments and compresses based on medicinal plants and natural products.
- The step. This plant is quite poisonous, so the dosage must be strictly observed. Pour 200 g of crushed root of this plant into the pan, then add 300 g of pork fat to it. Put on fire and cook for 6-7 minutes. Smear the joints at night for 30 days. Then take a break for 7 days and repeat the course again.
- Juniper and nettle. Take 50 g of juniper berries and nettle leaves. Mix them with 20 g of pork fat (pre-melt). Apply to the affected area three times a day.
- Honey. Has an analgesic effect. Take the same amount of honey, glycerin, iodine and medical alcohol, mix everything well. Lubricate the affected area three times a day.
- Celandine. Measure out 4 tablespoons of the crushed plant,add 0.5 liters of olive oil. Insist in a warm place for 2 weeks. Strain and rub into the joints 3 times a day for 30 days.
Treatment of coxarthrosis with folk methods will bring a positive result only if the disease was detected early.
Deforming osteoarthritis of the hip joint according to ICD 10 has code M16 - a disease of bone, muscle and connective tissues that leads to joint deformity. Thanks to the distribution of diseases in ICD 10, the doctor, without even opening the patient's card, already knows what he is sick with.
