Can You Avoid or Delay Hip Replacement?

According to the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, more than 285,000 total hip replacements are performed each year in the United States. Are you experiencing hip pain or loss of mobility, yet want to avoid being a part of this statistic? Although a total hip replacement may be inevitable for some, there are things you can do to either stave off such a major surgery or avoid it all together.

Before you give up on your efforts to reduce the pain from your hip osteoarthritis, try some lifestyle changes first. This can be your best and first line of defense against hip replacement.

The hip is one of the body’s largest joints. It is a ball-and-socket joint that is part of the large pelvis bone. By losing weight, strengthening your muscles around this joint and increasing your flexibility, your hip joint suffers less damage and strain on a daily basis.

Strengthening

Physical therapy to strengthen the muscles surrounding your hip joint can make a profound difference in the discomfort you feel. This will include specific exercises that are designed to build your quadriceps and hamstring muscles. In doing so, these muscles are better equipped to absorb the shock of walking and running, which means less load transferred to your hip joint. Strengthening the buttocks and hip flexors should also be a key component to your physical therapy regime.

Flexibility

Stretching is important to keep the muscles flexible around the hip joint. This is best performed after exercising, when there is extra blood flow in your muscles.

Weight loss

Did you know that the force you place on your joints can be up to six times your weight? Consider shedding those extra pounds to relieve your hip joint of this undue pressure. For the most sustainable results, talk to your physician about a healthy weight loss plan.

Nutrition and Supplements

Don’t underestimate the power of fueling your body with the nutrients it needs to support healthier bones and joints. Chondroitin and glucosamine supplements have been used to try to help protect hip cartilage. Take a close look at your vitamin intake before you resort to surgery.

At the office of Dr. Daniel Banhuri, we take a proactive approach to helping patients avoid joint replacement whenever possible. As your trusted physician, we can suggest conservative therapies as well as help you establish healthy lifestyle habits that protect your joints. In many cases, this can help aging adults avoid or delay a hip replacement.