Pain in the hip?
Are you suffering from pain in groin or thigh?
Have difficulty in walking, climbing stairs, squatting?
Had an injury to the hip?
Or been diagnosed with arthritis?
Been advised hip surgery?
…read on for more information…
Dr. Jayateerth Kulkarni
Hip Replacement Surgeon, Bangalore
Hip Replacement: Your questions answered…
“I am getting pain in the groin and thigh. What could it be”
- Pain in front of the hip and thigh can be due to many reasons:
- Muscle pull (groin sprain), inflammation of tendons (psoas), ligament sprain (pain at anterior superior iliac spine), etc.
- Surgical, Urological or Gynecological conditions: hernia, varicocele, infections, lymph node swelling, etc.
- Referred pain from spine (lumbar disc prolapse) or nerve compression (meralgia)
- Hip disorder: previous injury, avascular necrosis, inflammatory arthritis, congenital deformity, infection, tumour, etc.
- It is very common to see patients who have been to multiple specialists before getting a proper diagnosis
- A thorough clinical examination is required
- In addition X-rays, scans and other investigations will be necessary
“I have been diagnosed with arthritis of the hip. What is this?”
Arthritis is a condition in which the smooth surfaces of the joint become rough as a result of wearing away. Damage to the cartilage can be caused by degenerative process (osteoarthritis), inflammatory process (rheumatiod arthritis, ankylosing spondylarthropathy, connective tissue diseases, etc.) or incongruity of joint surfaces (post-traumatic arthritis, avascular necrosis, developmental dysplasia, etc.). This leads to pain, stiffness, deformity and limping. Read more about arthritis.
“What is the treatment?”
You should avoid activities that cause pain, lose weight and do gentle exercises (to keep muscles working and maintain mobility). Physiotherapy will help if there is stiffness or muscle weakness. When pain is severe, a period of rest and analgesics is advised. A stick or walker may be useful. Patients with inflammatory arthritis will benefit from anti-inflammatory medications, low-dose steroids, immuno-modulatory medications (DMARDs) or biologic agents. These are usually given under the supervision of a rheumatologist. Alternative modalities like yoga, acupressure, etc. can be tried but they do not give lasting relief. Read more about treatment principles.
“I have tried all these, but my pain has become worse. What else is there?“
If your hip pain is persistent and disabling you need hip replacement
“What is hip replacement?”
Hip replacement is an operation in which the damaged ball and socket are replaced by artificial device called prosthesis. This relieves the pain, restores movements and corrects the deformity at the hip.
Read more about hip replacement operation
“When should I consider hip replacement?”
You should think of hip replacement in these circumstances:
- Pain has been getting worse, occurring more frequently and lasting longer
- Your pain causes significant restriction of activities
- You have difficulty sitting on the floor, reaching your toes or wearing socks or shoes
- Climbing stairs is very difficult
- You have difficulty in getting into a car
- You try to avoid going to social functions, or going out of the house
- A slight jerk or sudden movement causes severe pain in the hip
- You have sustained a fall because your leg was not steady
- You are not independent
- You are not able to go to your job
- You need help for your bath and toilet needs or daily activities
- You get pain at night which disturbs your sleep
Indications for hip replacement
“What are the benefits of hip replacement?”
- Relieves the pain completely
- Restores the movements of the hip
- Corrects the deformity at the hip
- Cures the painful limp
- Improves the level of activity and function
“How will hip replacement help me?”
- Provides complete and lasting relief of pain
- Improves quality of life
- Abolishes the need for painkillers
- Restores movement to the hip
- Enables activities of daily living without help
- Restores independence
- Enables outdoor activities like travelling, shopping, attending social functions, etc.
- Enables gainful employment
- Improves walking ability which has a positive impact on control of diabetes, hypertension, ischemic heart disease and obesity
- Improves participation in social activities and mental outlook
“I have read about stem cell treatment, cartilage grafting and magnetic therapy. Will they help?”
Stem cell therapy and cartilage grafting procedures are appropriate for small cartilage defects. In addition, there should be no overloading (excessive contact pressure) at the articular surface and the underlying bony support should be intact. These conditions are not present in advanced arthritis. These procedures are not useful for inflammatory arthritis.The results of these procedures are not guaranteed and therefore they cannot be universally recommended.
There are no good quality studies to show that Magnetic therapy is beneficial in the long run. It may provide short term relief of pain. It is not applicable for inflammatory arthritis or advanced collapse of the femoral head. For this reason it is not covered by insurance companies and it is not available in western countries where there is universal health coverage. It is considered as an experimental treatment.
HIP REPLACEMENT LINKS:
Call +91 9900236845