How to Effectively Manage Hip Arthritis and Improve Hip Function and Range of Motion

The hip joint, like all joints in the human body, is susceptible to wear and tear arthritis, otherwise known as osteoarthritis, or degenerative joint disease. Osteoarthritis, which is a disease that causes joint cartilage degradation and, in advanced cases, bone deformity, is a common affliction of the adult hip joint. The hips are the main weight-bearing centers of the human body; thus, they are subjected to a tremendous amount of stress and wear and tear over the course of a lifetime. Hip osteoarthritis can vary in terms of severity and the level of disability it causes, but it can be effectively managed and/or contained in many cases to allow for satisfactory hip joint function. Outlined below are some simple, yet effective, strategies for managing the pain and disability caused by an arthritic hip joint.

Low-Impact Exercise

Low-impact exercises, such as cycling swimming, and even yoga, can offer tremendous pain-relieving as well as joint-strengthening benefits to an achy, arthritic hip joint. Contrary to widespread belief, inactivity and protecting and arthritic hip joint from exercise and use will actually speed up the arthritic process and allow for greater degrees of pain and disability. Disuse allows the muscles and tendons surrounding an arthritic hip joint to atrophy and weaken, further limiting joint range of motion and functionality and increasing the stresses applied across the hip joint. Low-impact exercise promotes hip joint stability, strength, and range of motion increases, all of which enable greater degrees of functionality. The key with exercising an arthritic hip joint is to avoid overdoing it and engaging in repetitive pounding movements that can further aggravate and inflame the hip joint.

Applied Stretching/Range of Motion Exercises

Regularly stretching the muscles and soft tissues surrounding an arthritic hip joint can drastically reduce pain levels and increase range of motion and functionality. It's common for arthritic hips, especially in advanced cases, to develop tight, stiff, rigid muscles and soft tissues, mainly due to pain and disuse. By regularly stretching the muscles in and around an arthritic hip, as well as the supporting muscles in the lower back and trunk area, greater flexibility, reduced pain, and increased function can result. The key is to practice diligence and gentle but progressive stretching movements to expand range of motion and to keep an arthritic hip joint as flexible and supple as possible.

Water Exercises

The weightless environment of a swimming pool offers tremendous benefit to any arthritis sufferer, especially one with hip arthritis. By suspending and nearly eliminating total body weight, water exercise enables a hip arthritis sufferer to move his/her hip and leg in a wide array of motions and positions, positions that would be next to impossible to implement outside the weightless environment of the water. Gentle kicking, leg lifts, side lifts, and circular leg movements - these are examples of the many hip-specific and torso-specific movements that a hip arthritis sufferer can effect in a swimming pool to further expand and maintain hip range of motion and flexibility.

Lower Body Strength Training

Keeping the leg muscles and the muscles of the buttocks as strong and conditioned as possible goes a long way towards stabilizing and balancing an arthritic hip joint. Muscles act as shock absorbers for the body's joints; the muscles of the lower leg(hamstrings, quadriceps) and lower torso(gluteals) absorb much of the impact and force from everyday walking and moving around that would otherwise be transmitted directly to the hip joints. Regularly engaging in a sensible lower body strength training regimen - leg curls, leg presses, leg lifts, modified squats and lunges, etc - will improve the function and integrity of an arthritic hip joint and may significantly delay the progression of arthritis.