Chiropractic Gets Hip Osteoarthritis Patients Moving
By Chris Brown
Amongst the difficulties of aging, losing mobility is one of the most demoralizing. Mobility is key to maintaining both physical and mental health but, commonly, joints that experienced a lot of impact, stress, or injury throughout life start to deteriorate. This is often the case with the body's largest joint, the hip. Hip osteoarthritis (HOA) is a common wear disease of aging that can be minimized with early chiropractic intervention.
Hip Osteoarthritis: "The 'Wear and Tear" Arthritis
Hip osteoarthritis can develop in anyone (although it is more likely for those with a history of hip injury or disfunction) typically after 45 years old. It is nicknamed the "wear and tear" arthritis because it is caused from exactly that, a lifetime of joint movement wearing away the hip joint's cartilage. Once the cartilage wears too much, the bone is unable to move freely in the joint, causing stiffness and pain. Since the hip is integral in all movement, HOA means that a sufferer has severely limited mobility and quality of life.
Mainstream medicine categorizes treatment into two categories: surgical and nonsurgical. Surgical interventions can mean anything from resurfacing the head of the femur to completely replacing the hip joint with an artificial device. Non-surgically, primary care doctors usually point patients to physical therapy, lifestyle adjustments, or a barrage of anti-inflammatory medications.
Chiropractic Brings Movement to Arthritic Hips
Chiropractic is particularly useful in treating HOA because, as opposed to mainstream medicine, it approaches hip osteoarthritis holistically. Rather than focusing on the hip alone, chiropractors correct joint dysfunction along a patient's entire kinetic chain. This is because one kinetic injury (for example the hip) often causes the other joints (like the knee and ankle) to incorrectly compensate. This compensation works against any progress in the hip region and serves to limit the patient's ability to recover movement long-term.
This kinetic chain approach to treatment gives chiropractic amazing results with HOA. In the case of a 70-year-old woman with HOA and related balance issues, chiropractic manipulation heavily improved range of motion, balance, and gait speed after only 12 weeks of treatment. Similarly, a 49-year-old avid golfer with HOA was not only relieved of pain, but given enough range of motion (alongside golf-specific rehabilitation) to return to the course the following season. These are just a couple of the many successes of chiropractic that have made it a leading treatment for HOA.
If hip osteoarthritis is keeping you or a loved one sedentary, don't hesitate to visit your local chiropractic clinic, The Joint Chiropractic. The Joint offers affordable walk-in sessions without the hassle of an appointment or insurance card. Stop by The Joint to release your hips and get you moving again.
To learn more about your health, wellness and fitness, see your local chiropractor at The Joint Chiropractic in Nashville, Tenn.