Relieving Hip Pain Without Surgery
If your doctor is not recommending surgery for your hip joint at this time, there are some other ways to alleviate pain and improve mobility.
Medications
Pain relievers are usually the first choice of therapy for osteoarthritis of the hip. Simple pain relievers, such as acetaminophen (Tylenol), are available without a prescription and can be effective in reducing pain. Non-steroidal, anti-inflammatory medications include other over-the- counter medications such as aspirin, ibuprofen (Motrin or Advil), or naproxen (Aleve) to help reduce pain and swelling in the joint. More potent types of pain relievers are prescription-strength, non- steroidal, anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) that can be prescribed by your doctor.
Injections
Cortisone injections can provide you with pain relief and reduce inflammation. They can be very useful if there is significant swelling but are not very helpful if the arthritis affects the movement of your joint. These injections are usually a mixture of a numbing medication, such as lidocaine, to give you immediate pain relief. How long the injection works before it wears off is variable, and there is a limit to how many your doctor can give you per year.
Weight Loss
Many people with osteoarthritis are overweight. Simple weight loss can reduce stress on your weight-bearing joints, such as the hip. Based upon the physics of the hip joint, you put three to five times your body weight across the joint throughout the day – especially during stair climbing and getting in and out of a chair.
Every ten pounds of extra weight that you carry can result in fifty pounds of weight-bearing pressure across your hips. Losing weight can result in reduced pain and increased function, particularly in walking.
Exercise
An exercise routine can help increase your range of motion and flexibility as well as help strengthen the muscles in your legs. Exercise is often effective in reducing pain and improving function.
Unfortunately, in the setting of advanced arthritis (bone-on-bone), exercise can sometimes increase pain in your hip joint. Your physician or a physical therapist can help develop an individualized exercise program that meets your needs and lifestyle.
Physical Therapy
Physical therapy to strengthen the muscles around your joint may help absorb some of the shock imparted to the joint. Physical therapy can help to reduce the pain, swelling, and stiffness of osteoarthritis, and it can help improve joint function. It can also make it easier for you to walk, bend, kneel, squat, and sit.
Alternative Therapies
Examples of alternative therapies include the use of acupuncture and magnetic pulse therapy. Acupuncture uses fine needles to stimulate specific body areas to relieve pain or temporarily numb an area. It is used in many parts of the world, and evidence suggests that it can help ease the pain of arthritis. Magnetic pulse therapy is painless and works by applying a pulsed signal to the hip, which is placed in an electromagnetic field. Data on this is somewhat inconclusive.
Biologic Therapies
It’s our position/prp-for-the-management-of-osteoarthritis-of-the-hip-and-knee/ that biologic therapies, including stem cell and PRP injections, cannot currently be recommended for the treatment of advanced hip arthritis. Please see our article specifically addressing PRP injections.
