How to Deal with Hip Pain in Old Age

Old age is a time when a person is totally free of work and other responsibilities. So, one can enjoy every moment with their grandchildren and old friends without worries, to the fullest.

However, chronic hip pain can ruin everything and fill life with physical disability, discomfort and gloominess. Dealing with hip pain depends on its root cause. Some conditions can be treated with rest while others need more than that.

Thus, the best and only way to deal with hip pain in old age effectively is to first consult a hip specialist. They will make an accurate diagnosis and then ensure the best treatment afterwards.

Causes

There are multiple causes of hip pain. Some of the major and most common ones are discussed below.

Sprains & Strains: Overuse can cause micro-injuries to soft tissues that are subsumed into sprains and strains. Exercising more than current capacity can result in such problems or in old age, even too much walking can cause sprains and strains.

Soft tissues are joint parts like tendons, ligaments, bursae, muscles, etc.

Fractures: External injuries can cause bad bone breaks, which can lead to immobility and severe pain. Sometimes, a fracture doesnt heal properly and it causes problems and complications later in the long run.

Dislocation: The hip is a ball-and-socket joint. Thus, intense trauma can cause dislocation. When the ball part is forced off the socket, it results in anatomical disruption, causing damage to the surrounding injuries, pain and immobility issues. Hip dislocation leads to total disability when not treated on time.

Osteoarthritis: Cartilage is a soft-tissue continuous layer on bone ends in a joint. Its main function is to allow for smooth joint movements. However, aging gradually damages this part. Damaged cartilage causes bone spurs to develop. While walking, bones rub against each other, making it difficult to walk pain-free. This condition can affect all joints in the body, especially, the hip and the knee.

Post-Traumatic Arthritis: Sometimes, an injury can cause damage to the hip cartilage. If the so-caused cartilage defect isnt detected and treated on time, it will lead to full cartilage damage and the development of osteoarthritic conditions.

Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA): It is an autoimmune condition that causes chronic joint inflammation. The joint lining gets inflamed and produces too much synovial fluid or lubricant. Often, people ignore RA initially and thus, over time, suffer from bad hip pain.

Osteonecrosis: This is the condition of the death of bone tissues due to a lack of blood supply. It often affects the ball part of the hip, resulting in deformities and chronic inflammation.

Osteoporosis: Often, poor lifestyle choices and nutrient deficiency during growth years contribute to osteoporosis later in life. It is a condition of weak bones and joints.

Pinched Nerves: Humans have nerves throughout the body. These are specialised tissues meant to establish communication between the brain and the rest of the body through the spinal cord. Sometimes, these nerves get compressed due to a primary condition in the spine and cause radiating pain in the hip and legs. The condition is often known as sciatica or pinched nerves.

Symptoms

Various conditions can impact hip health. The affected person might face all or some of the following symptoms.

? Swelling

? Tenderness

? Hip Pain (achy or severe in nature)

? Radiating Pain (travelling from either buttock down the leg)

? Tingling

? Numbness

? Discomfort

? Immobility

Diagnosis

A doctor can examine the hip physically and perform imaging tests to make an exact diagnosis.

X-rays, MRIs and CT scans are three major imaging tests that can be used to see what is wrong inside the hip joint. An X-ray test helps diagnose hip bone conditions. For soft-tissue, an MRI or CT scan is utilised.

Treatment

Trauma or an injury to the hip can cause considerable physical discomfort if proper care isnt ensured. If you have fallen down somewhere while walking or any way, provide the following first aid immediately afterwards.

Rest: Dont move the hip unnecessarily. Keep it immobile as much as possible so that the injury does not worsen. In addition, one should use a walking aid to take the stress, while walking, off the injured hip in case of needs or essential activities.

Ice: As soon as possible, take an ice pack and apply it to the injured part. Ice helps reduce swelling by limiting blood flow. Apply for 10-12 minutes at a time and then leave it for 1-2 hours. Do it frequently 24 hours after injury.

Compression: Wrap the compression bandage around the site of injury. Dont compress it too tight or too loose. Try to achieve a perfect balance. Compression also constricts the blood flow and reduces swelling.

Elevation: Lie down somewhere comfortably and raise the injured hip and the related body parts above the level of the heart. Use pillows or cushions to support yourself.

If this doesnt help and pain and discomfort in the hip persists, consult a hip specialist. They will make an accurate diagnosis and then provide the most suitable treatment. Generally, treatment for hip pain includes the following.

Medications: Painkillers and injections are used for the management of pain and other inflammatory symptoms.

Physiotherapy: If the hip condition can be improved with physiotherapy, the doctor will prescribe the same. Treatment under physiotherapy involves special exercises, massages (manually by hands or specialised devices) and prevention education, how to prevent injuries in old age.

Biologic Therapy: To promote or stimulate healing responses in damaged tissues of the hip, biologics are utilised. It is a type of drug or medicine that is made out of living tissues. PRP and Stem Cell Therapy are two widely used examples of biologic therapies or biologics.

Arthroscopy: It is a less invasive surgical intervention, also known as keyhole surgery. An arthroscope is inserted into the hip through small holes, which is a pencil-thin instrument with a camera and light source.

It helps view the internal damage of the hip without making large incisions. Along with the arthroscope, other similarly thin instruments are also used to provide treatment.

Hip arthroscopy is often used to treat conditions like labrum tear, chronic synovitis due to RA to name a few.

Hip Replacement Surgery: This surgery is only prescribed when the hip has totally damaged and cannot be cured with non-surgical treatment options like rest, physiotherapy, medicines, etc.

In hip replacement surgery, only damaged parts of the hip are removed and then resurfaced with implant components. Visit the following link to learn more and connect with the best hip replacement surgeon in India.

Conclusion

No matter what your age is, if the hip pain is chronic and isnt going away with painkillers, ensure you stop choosing treatment on your own. Consuming too many painkillers or receiving the wrong treatment will make the situation worse instead of providing any lasting relief at all.

Consult a hip specialist and get the right diagnosis done as soon as possible so proper treatment can be ensured. If you need hip replacement surgery for hip pain, dont delay. To learn about the recovery timeline, refer to the following link: hip replacement surgery recovery time.