Hip Arthritis

What is Arthritis:

  • progressive wearing down of the cartilage in the joint.
  • cartilage provides a protective layer of cushioning between the bones.
  • also called degenerative joint disease or wear-and-tear arthritis.
  • means “inflammation of a joint”
  • often begins as a feeling of stiffness or discomfort which progressively gets worse over time.
  • pain may be worse in the morning or with activity and diminish with rest.

 

Risk Factors:

  • Over the age of 50
  • Being overweight (losing weight tends to reduce the symptoms)
  • Muscle weakness or imbalances
  • Family history
  • Previous joint injuries

Journal of Aging Research: Treatment and Prevention of Osteoarthritis through Exercise and Sports

“As there is no known cure for OA, current research focuses on prevention and symptomatic treatment of the disorder. Recent research has indicated that muscle weakness precedes the onset of OA symptoms. Furthermore, several studies show a beneficial effect of land-based aerobic and strengthening exercises on pain relief and joint function. Therefore, current research focuses on the possibility to employ exercise and sports in the prevention and treatment of OA.”

Victor Valderrabano1, 2 and Christina Steiger1, 2, Volume 2011, Article ID 374653, 6 pages
1Orthopaedic Department, University of Basel, Spitalstr. 21, 4031 Basel, Switzerland
2 Osteoarthritis Research Group, University of Basel, 4003 Basel, Switzerland

Myth: Exercise Causes Arthritis

There is no evidence that exercise of any kind, including running, causes hip arthritis.

Now, excessive exercise, especially when involved with injury, joint mal-alignment, muscle weakness or nerve damage does pose a greater risk of causing arthritis.

The Bottom Line

  • Use your joints wisely, i.e. Not When Injured.
  • Using your joints does not cause arthritis: Improper use causes arthritis.
  • Exercise using correct movement patterns and muscle firing sequences.
  • Do not ignore pain! Pain is a sign that something is wrong in your body. Pain leads to injury, which leads to compensation, which leads to more injury. It’s a bad cycle which always produces negative, destructive forces on the joints, ligaments and tendons within the body.

 

Exercises to help strengthen the muscles surrounding the hip joint and prevent arthritis:

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