Hi everyone, last week I talked about the latest treatment recommendations by the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners for people suffering osteoarthritis (OA) of the knee. This week I will take a look at the recommendations for OA of the hip. They are very similar but worth going over. The hip, unlike the knee is a ball and socket joint and is very close to the lower back. If the hip is stiff and painful with tight muscles surrounding it, the function of the lower back is affected and will often lead to lower back pain.
It is highly recommended that people with OA of the hip regardless of their age, severity of the OA, functional status and pain levels, take part in a land-based exercise program to strengthen the muscles around the hip and lumbopelvic region. The program should be individually tailored by a clinician and progressed to suit the persons capacity, what they like to do and other medical conditions they may have.
Activities such as walking, Tai Chi, stationary cycling, hydrotherapy, and yoga are also recommended. Heat and massage can also be helpful. The other strong recommendation was weight management achieved through dietary modification and exercises.
So, in summary if you have osteoarthritis of the hip, try the following:
1. Seek advice on a land- based exercise program to improve strength of the muscles supporting the hip. This should include strengthening and stretching exercises
2. Try walking regularly, cycling, hydrotherapy classes, Yoga or Tai Chi
3. Try a short course of massage around the hip and lower back.
4. Use a heat pack or hot water bottle to help relieve the pain
5. If you are carrying a little too much weight, try dietary modifications to help
I hope you find this useful, Deb
