A Brief Guide to Hip Osteoarthritis

Hip Osteoarthritis | THSOC

Osteoarthritis is one of the most common types of arthritis. Often known as degenerative disease, osteoarthritis is more common in senior citizens and is caused due to regular wear and tear of joints. Other risk factors that may result in osteoarthritis are obesity, stress injuries, and structural problems with the hip joint. Osteoarthritis, impacts different body parts such as fingers, thumbs, spine, knees, and hips. Among these parts, hips are at a considerably higher risk as they support the body, exposing the joints to intensive wear and tear and cartilage thinning. Hip osteoarthritis can impact the hip’s flexibility, often limiting its range of motions. For immediate relief, patients must visit a hip pain treatment in Plano or any other part of the country. To help understand hip osteoarthritis better, the post lists some vital info about the health condition. Take a look.  

Hip Arthritis Symptoms

• Stiffness in the joints.
• Pain or tenderness in the hip joints.
• Crunching sound of the bones rubbing against each other.
• Mobility issues with the hip joint.

Diagnosis    

To test the hip’s functionality in patients suspected to suffer from hip osteoarthritis, hip pain treatment clinics in Plano and other parts of the country perform a number of physical examinations and will also study the patient’s medical history. The expert can also recommend a number of tests including X-ray and MRI. In patients suffering from the health issue, the X-ray report reveals abnormal characteristics such as narrowing of the joints and spurring of the joint margins.

Prevention

Hip osteoarthritis is more common in senior citizens. Obese people, too, are at a high risk. Many health experts believe the key to avoiding the health condition is maintaining a healthy body weight. To minimize their risk of hip osteoarthritis, it is advisable that adults exercise regularly. Exercising also strengthens the muscles around the hip joints and can help keep a tab on the rate of wear and tear on cartilage.

Related Read : Hip Osteoarthritis: Causes, Symptoms, Diagnosis, and Treatment

Treatment

To help alleviate pain, hip pain treatment experts in Plano first explore non-surgical treatment methods and may ask their patients to reduce their weight (in obese patients), or modify their activity and take periodic rest. They may also recommend analgesics, NSAIDs, and steroid injections.  Patients can also benefit from using a cane, walker or cushioning shoe inserts for stability. If, however, these methods do not produce any significant results, the doctor may recommend exploring surgical options such as Arthroscopy, Osteotomy, or Arthroplasty.

Conclusion

Hip osteoarthritis can severely impact a person’s quality of life. Though more prevalent among senior citizens, even young adults can be a target, which is why it is important to discuss the issue with their doctor. If a friend or family member is suffering from hip pain or joint stiffness for a long time, consult an expert immediately. Early diagnosis and treatment can help improve the quality of life considerably.

A Comprehensive Guide to Spinal Fusion Surgery

Spinal fusion surgery is performed to provide relief from pain and improve mobility in patients. The orthopedic spine surgeon permanently connects two or more vertebra in the spine to avoid any abnormal movement, which could cause pain in leg, back or arm. If you or a loved one is soon to undergo spinal fusion surgery in Plano or anywhere else, the blog post gives an overview of the procedure, recovery and prevention tips that would help in leading a better life. Read on.

Why is Spinal Fusion Surgery Performed?

The orthopedic spine surgeon may recommend a spinal fusion surgery to treat following problems:

Spinal Deformities

Patient with spinal deformities such as kyphosis (an abnormal rounding of upper spine) or scoliosis (curve in the sideways of spine) might need to undergo the spinal fusion surgery.

Broken Vertebra

Some broken vertebra heal without treatment, but if they are making the spinal column unstable, a surgery might be the only option to repair the vertebra.

Spondylolisthesis

Spondylolisthesis is a spinal disorder in which a vertebra slips forward onto another vertebra below it. If the condition is causing severe pain in the back or numbness or pain in leg, a spinal fusion surgery might be necessary.

The Procedure

The fusion is done between two vertebra, using:

• Natural healing process of the body
• Bone from another place in body
• Bone from a bone bank
• Metal devices

The surgeon removes the outer cortical bone and immobilizes the bone graft and vertebra. In most cases, the fusion area is also immobilized and rods, hooks, screws, metal plates or cages are used to hold it together. Once the natural healing process of the body starts, a new bone grows around the metal implant in 3 to 6 months.

Recovery and Prevention

The patient needs to visit the orthopedic spine specialist two weeks after the surgery. Making light stretching exercises a part of the routine helps in faster and better recovery. Regular visits to the doctor and physiotherapist should begin six weeks after the procedure. The therapist is likely to suggest low impact aerobics, swimming or walking to strengthen the back.

Modifications to sitting, standing and sleeping habits, could also make a lot of difference to the effectiveness of the surgery. To prevent the recurrence of back pain, the patient needs to:

• Follow proper lifting techniques
• Maintain a good posture during sleeping, standing or sitting
• Exercise regularly
• Sit on ergonomically design furniture
• Quit smoking
• Watch out weight and lean body mass

Last Few Words

The patient has to usually stay in the hospital for two to three days after the spinal fusion surgery. There could be some pain and discomfort, which is controlled with medications. The affected bones in the spine may take several months to heal and fuse together. A healthy lifestyle, regular exercise, and physical therapy would ensure a speedy and effective recovery.

Are You a Candidate for Total Shoulder Replacement? Here's All You Need to Know

A majority of orthopaedic patients complain about shoulder injuries or deformities. The non-surgical treatment is effective if your shoulder arthritis or other related problems are at an initial stage. When the first course of treatment fails to provide any relief to the patient, the doctor might recommend total shoulder replacement. There are, however, a few criteria based on which it is determined if a patient needs to undergo the surgery. If you face severe shoulder-related problems and are planning to undergo a total or partial shoulder replacement surgery, read this post to learn about four factors that determine if you are right candidate to go under the knife.

1. Age and Weight

Patients aged around 85 whose general health condition is not good can undergo shoulder replacement surgery. Similarly, there is no weight limit for people who can have the surgery. Obesity and higher age, however, increase the chances of post-surgical complications such as infection. 

2. Nicotine Use

Patients who consume tobacco products or smoke have higher complication rates after the surgery. Though, they can lower the post-surgical risks by cutting back on use of tobacco or quitting prior to surgery. The total shoulder replacement surgery involves cutting and repairing of the rotator cuff tendon, and nicotine could inhibit healing after the rotator cuff repair.

3. Osteoporosis

Osteoporosis might make bones brittle and less capable to provide proper support to the body. Moderate osteoporosis, on the other hand, can simply affect that how a doctor plans for the surgery. For instance -

• The surgeon might decide to use bone cement to fix the new socket to natural bone, instead of opting for cementing fixation method
• The surgeon may ask a patient to improve bone density pre and post surgery to increase the lifespan of shoulder replacement

4. Infections

Infection could be a serious complication, so a patient might need to consider non-surgical treatment options or postpone surgery, in case of:

• Predisposition to infection
• Systemic infection
• Skin problems that increase the chances of infection

5. Wrapping Up

The above-mentioned factors could help you in determining if you are eligible for total shoulder replacement surgery or not. If yes, there are reputable orthopedic centers in Plano who have a team of experienced doctors to perform shoulder joint replacement surgery. So, wait no more, consult an orthopedician today and take a step towards a less painful and more active lifestyle.