Osteoarthritis of the hip

What is it?  

Osteoarthritis is a wear and repair process and a commonly affected joint is the hip. It can lead to joint pain with limitation of movement, which can affect daily activities.  Osteoarthritis is the most common type of arthritis, affecting approximately 9 million people in the UK.

Versus arthritis have produced a summary of ‘What is Osteoarthritis?’ which you can view in the video below.

In osteoarthritis we see changes to the cartilage of the joint as well as other secondary changes such as inflammation. Cartilage helps our joints move freely. Changes to the cartilage can lead to pain, stiffness, and loss of movement. This can in time lead to weakness around the muscles of the joint.

It most commonly affects people older than 45 and is more common if you are overweight, have a family history of it, or have previously injured the joint in question. Osteoarthritis has varying degrees on functional limitation and effect on quality of life. Contrary to popular belief does not affect everyone as you get older and does not necessarily get worse with age.

What are the common symptoms of Osteoarthritis of the hip?

With osteoarthritis of the hip you’re likely to have pain mainly in the front of your groin, around the front of your thigh, sometimes down to and including your knee and occasionally into your buttock. Morning stiffness lasting less than 30 minutes is also very common. Other symptoms can include difficultly walking, going up and downstairs, standing for long periods. A reduction in movement, bending over to put on your shoes and socks can be difficult.

How to manage it?

If you think you have, or have been diagnosed with osteoarthritis of the hip by a healthcare professional there are several things you can do to help manage your symptoms and stop it from worsening

Exercise

Exercise has been shown to be beneficial in osteoarthritis. Try to increase your activity levels and consider taking up exercise. Walking, swimming and cycling are often well tolerated but choose something you enjoy. It is important when starting exercise to start easy and build up slowly. A small increase in your pain when you start is okay.

Strengthening

Osteoarthritis can lead to weakness. Strengthening the muscles around your hip will allow you to do things more easily such as standing up; getting in and out of bed; getting around, and any exercise you choose to do. Some pain when starting exercise is okay provided it is tolerable. Start with simple exercises and build up.

Try the simple exercises below. If you are having difficulty with them please speak to a physiotherapist for advice.

Exercises

Weight control

If you are overweight, try to lose some weight. Even a modest weight loss can make quite a difference to your symptoms

Using a walking aid such as a stick or walking pole in the opposite hand to the affected hip can also help to take pressure off the painful joint.

Simple painkillers

Painkillers like paracetamol will ease the pain, but need to be taken regularly in order to control the pain. Always follow the instructions on the packet.

Anti-inflammatories like ibuprofen can help with swelling, and therefore help you move more freely. Follow the instructions on the packet and discuss using them safely with a pharmacist, especially if you have any underlying health conditions

However, you should not take ibuprofen for 48 hours after an initial injury as it may slow down healing.

Up to date guidelines can be found on the NHS website:

Ibuprofen

Paracetamol

Other medicines can help to reduce inflammation, swelling and pain. You should discuss this with your GP if the simple pain relief advice does not help or if you are needing to take ibuprofen for more than 10 days.

Ice or heat therapy 

Heat may be helpful in the form of a hot water bottle, wheat pack or hot shower. This can help to relax the muscles around your hip and may allow exercises to be more effective.

For ice therapy use a damp cloth containing an icepack (or bag of frozen peas) over the top of the painful area to help numb the pain. Leave it on for up to 20 minutes and use up to 3 times a day.

• You should be cautious using these treatments if you have altered skin sensation or circulatory problems.
• Check the skin regularly during and after the ice pack application
• Stop if there is excessive pain, numbness or tingling
• Do not put ice directly on to the skin as this may cause a burn.

Physiotherapy 

If you find that you are not improving, some advice or treatment from a physiotherapist can be helpful in managing hip pain. Click here to self-refer to a physiotherapist.

Your GP or physiotherapist may refer you to an ESCAPE Pain class.

This is an evidence based programme of 12x one hour sessions over the course of 6 weeks which comprise a 15-20 minute education/discussion element and a 30-45 minute exercise programme.

The aims of the course are to help you better manage your symptoms; carry out normal activities, become more active and to continue to exercise.

The classes are being run in a number of physiotherapy departments. There is also an online programme to follow and escape pain app available to download. Please click here for more information.

Important information to know: 

Being overprotective and doing less can mean that you will get weaker and stiffer and eventually have more symptoms.

It is safe to exercise, and exercise doesn’t speed up the osteoarthritic process.

Many people have signs of osteoarthritis on x–rays but no symptoms. These changes are best thought of as normal age–related changes.

Many people have signs of osteoarthritis on x–rays but no symptoms. We often find that the changes seen on x-rays do not always correlate to the level of pain a person will report. These changes are best thought of as normal age related changes. The pain is believed to be as a result of a flare up of your osteoarthritis. This often settles as the body repairs itself. This is the wear and repair cycle.