Patient’s Guide: All You Need to Know about Hip Arthritis

Hip arthritis is a painful condition that usually affects people over fifty years of age. Several types of arthritis can affect the hip joint, but they all leave the sufferer with similar symptoms that can have a major impact on their daily lives.

Luckily, help is on hand, and there are many things to do to minimize the impact of this condition. In this post, we will take a quick look at what causes hip arthritis and what can be done to provide relief if you develop symptoms.

Causes

Hip arthritis usually occurs when there is wear and tear on the cartilage of the joint. Unsurprisingly, this means that older people are more likely to suffer from it. However, age is just one of the causes of hip arthritis. It can sometimes be caused by your lifestyle. Other causes include:

• Being overweight or obese
• History of hip injuries
• Muscle weakness or imbalances
• Defects in the joints due to growth or genetic factors
• Excessive strain from playing sports over a prolonged period
• Autoimmune disorders

Symptoms

The first symptom will be a pain, but this may be present in other areas such as the knee or the groin. Therefore, if you notice any pain, you should rest and get checked out. The pain will come and go, but if you notice that it continues for a prolonged period and is accompanied by some of the symptoms listed below, you should get checked out immediately.

Other symptoms include:

• Hip stiffness that is worse in the morning
• Problems with the range of movement within the hip joint
• Swelling
• Weakness (especially after performing certain movements like squats or climbing the stairs)

Diagnosis

At the initial appointment, your physician will take a detailed history and then carry out an examination of the affected joint. They will test your range of motion and check for any pain associated with specific movements. If your physician suspects arthritis, they will order a scan to confirm their initial suspicions.

Treatment Options

If you are diagnosed with arthritis, the initial goal of any treatment will be to reduce your pain and increase your range of movement. Your doctor will advise you on your diet—especially if you are overweight, as less weight will put less strain on the hips.

You are likely to spend some time in physical therapy to help with your movement. The therapist will provide you with stretches and ways to strengthen the joint. They may also suggest activity modifications so that you are able to remain as active as possible.

Anti-inflammatory medicine and supplements may be prescribed, as they can help to reduce the pain. Generally, these conservative methods will help you maintain an active lifestyle, but if your symptoms get worse, your doctor may recommend surgical intervention.

Treatments such as hip replacements or hip resurfacing can significantly help improve a patient’s quality of life, but these are only considered if all other potential treatments have failed.

A Patient’s Guide: What Is Tennis Elbow?

Tennis elbow is a painful condition that can affect the elbow of anyone who does any activity that puts the elbow joint under repeated stress. It is very common, and contrary to its name, it doesn’t just affect tennis players. In fact, playing instruments like the violin can cause symptoms of tennis elbow.

Although the condition usually affects more people in their forties and fifties, it can come on at any time—especially if you don’t take adequate rest after exercising or practicing. In this short article, we will take a closer look at what tennis elbow is and what to do if you start noticing symptoms.

Causes

Tennis elbow usually comes on in an arm that you use a lot for serving in tennis, for playing an instrument, and even for painting. Overuse is the primary cause, as the continued strain you put your muscles and tendons through can lead to tears and inflammation. As mentioned above, it isn’t just tennis players who suffer from this condition. Any activity that requires repetitive movements can lead to symptoms, such as:

• Throwing sports
• Using gardening shears
• Using paintbrushes or rollers
• Manual labor
• Typing
• Playing the violin

Symptoms

Tennis elbow usually affects the dominant arm, with pain and tenderness in the outer side of the elbow. The pain often gets worse if you continue doing the activity once symptoms start. Twisting the wrist and gripping can also cause sharp pain. Other symptoms include:

• Pain on the outside of the forearm
• Stiffness in the joint, especially when fully extending the arm

The level of pain varies from person to person but usually gets better over time.

Diagnosis

If you think that you have tennis elbow, you should stop performing repetitive movements, and you should rest. It would be advisable to get checked out as soon as possible to get an accurate diagnosis and to avoid causing any more severe damage. If your symptoms are mild, however, you can visit the local pharmacist, and they will advise you accordingly.

If your symptoms are causing you a lot of pain, a thorough check-up is advised. Your doctor will usually be able to make the diagnosis by examining the affected elbow, testing your range of motion, and determining if any movements cause you pain. In some cases, your doctor may order a scan to rule out other conditions, but this usually isn’t necessary.

Treatment

In the majority of cases, simple self-care will help alleviate the pain. Rest is the best treatment, alongside cold compresses and over-the-counter painkillers. You should notice an improvement pretty quickly. Your doctor may advise you to modify certain activities to better protect the elbow joint.

For more severe cases, your doctor may recommend a course of physical therapy to help reduce the pain and stiffness. In some cases, they may offer steroid injections to help with inflammation. Rarely, surgery may be an option, but in most cases, the pain gets better over the course of a few weeks or months.