Osteoarthritis of the hip joint is the general name of a group of diseases, which includes all diseases of the degenerative system of the hip joint, which destroy cartilage tissue, are progressive in nature. This disease has another name - coxarthrosis. The disease is characterized by pain in the above area, difficult to treat and diagnose.
Causes and mechanism of development of hip joints
Arthropathy of the hip joint is divided into primary and secondary. Primary is a disease that has developed independently, independent of other factors, for example, as a side effect of the natural aging process. Secondary arthropathy is the result of a complication of a disease of a different nature.
With a healthy pelvis, the distance between the femoral head and the acetabulum is clearly visible on X-ray. This indicates the optimal condition of the cartilage that covers the thigh, at the same time being a sign of absence of joints. If the distance is not felt, the cartilage is damaged, which means that there is every reason to assume the presence of the disease described above. This form of articulation is not genetic, ie it is usually not inherited. However, factors such as cartilage weakness, bone fragility, and metabolic disorders can be passed down from generation to generation and trigger the development of arthritis.
However, the main causes of this disease are various diseases of infectious, traumatic nature. For example:
- Hip dislocation, hip dysplasia are congenital diseases that are most often diagnosed in early childhood using ultrasound diagnostics. It is very important to diagnose this pathology, which is present in ten percent of newborns, as early as possible, because the correction of dysplasia is possible only in the first two years of the child's life.
- Infectious and chronic inflammatory diseases such as tuberculosis of the hip joint. This disease is particularly dangerous due to the very difficult diagnosis. Often the symptoms are so mild that they are confused with another disease. Even an x-ray sometimes helps diagnose tuberculosis only at an advanced stage, when complete recovery is no longer possible. All this is exacerbated by the fact that there is a shortage of specialists in the country who can diagnose and treat this disease properly.
- Metabolic and thyroid disorders, such as diabetes.
- Perthes disease, which most often affects boys. With this disease, the head of the femur suffers, the blood circulation is disturbed, as a result of which the cartilage tissue suffers.
- Various mechanical injuries, such as injuries and dislocations of the hip joint.
Symptoms
Arthropathy is an extremely dangerous disease, as at first it can be completely asymptomatic. Often, just by chance, an x-ray reveals the presence of this condition in a patient who found no sign of himself.
Hip arthritis can be first, second or third degree, depending on the severity of the disease. First-degree arthritis is characterized by pain only during exercise, for example, walking, and only the joint itself hurts. On X-ray, the distance between the femoral head and the cavity is about half the normal distance. In a second-degree disease, the pain intensifies, radiates to the groin and may be present even at rest, lameness may occur. The third degree is the most severe, when the patient can not move independently without aids, the pain is permanent. A person is forced to lean to one side when walking due to shortening of the leg.
Diagnostics
When diagnosing, it is important to have a proper medical history. In this case, first of all, attention is drawn to the nature and duration of the pain, the location of the pain points, the atrophy of the muscles and the nerve endings, the characteristics of the patient's gait and the state of blood circulation inextremities.
With all this, the X-ray is crucial for the diagnosis of the hip joint, however additional tests may be needed such as: MRI of the thigh, puncture of the painful area, CT scan of the limbs, ultrasound.
Treatment of the disease
First of all, in the treatment of arthritis, it is necessary to remove the pain or at least reduce it to a level tolerated by the patient. For this, NSAIDs are used, which not only fight pain, but also relieve inflammation.
Then, drugs are prescribed that provide nutrition to the cartilage tissue, which are able to restore it, but only in the early stages of the disease. Hormone injections are also prescribed if necessary. However, only a doctor can prescribe all of the above medications!
There is the use of physiotherapy (although many experts consider such a treatment a waste of time). These are special massages, laser therapy, manual therapy, physiotherapy exercises. However, these procedures require a lot of time as well as the patient's money, and are not the definitive method of treatment.
However, with grade 3 joints, doctors usually insist on surgery while replacing the damaged joint with a prosthesis.
Folk methods of treating arthropathy
Traditional medicine also does not stand apart from the treatment of a serious illness. For these purposes are used various ointments and compresses made from birch leaves, burdock, cabbage. They are pounded into porridge and then tied to the point of pain.
A mixture of honey, alcohol, iodine and glycerin is used as compresses. Traditional medicine confirms the effectiveness of nettle decoction baths. Also, treatment with bee stings has become very popular for getting rid of the disease. The tincture of honey, carrots, beets, radishes and aloe juice should be poured with vodka and infused for a week, after which the tincture can drink once a day, 20 grams each.
Prevention of coxarthrosis
As a rule, preventive measures include strict weight control (as being overweight puts a lot of pressure on the hip joints), the correct distribution of physical activity so that the joints are not overloaded and timely, at the slightest suspicion, communication with a specialist.
Hip arthropathy is an extremely unpleasant and serious disease that threatens with serious complications, but timely consultation with a specialized doctor will help to avoid the terrible consequences of the disease.