Abating Hip Pain without Invasive Surgery
Because we’re on our feet so much, and our hips take the brunt of most of our body weight, arthritis or other hip pain is a common medical complaint. With the wonders of modern medicine, there are surgical procedures that can give many a new lease on life, but those options can be extremely complicated, with varying success rates and often extensive convalescence. If you’re suffering from hip pain, whether from an accident or because of a degenerative condition, there are a number of non-surgical options that can help minimize the impact on your daily life.
Meaningful Weight Loss
Experts estimate that, because of the physics of our bodies, our hips are often exposed to loads that are as much as five times our body weight. Think about that—if you lose 20 pounds, your hips will have to support a hundred pounds less of weight-bearing pressure. The weight loss will also provide significant relief to your knees.
Ask Us about Specialized Bracing for Your Hip
Specialized bracing can help unload your hip joint, preventing further damage and facilitating healing. We can fit you with an unloading brace that provides extra support and puts your hips in a position that improves mobility and function as you undergo physical therapy. These specialized braces alleviate some of the weight-bearing pressure on your hips, slowing the progression of arthritis and minimizing the risk of further deterioration of your hip joint. You can also expect some pain relief when you use an unloading brace.
Reap the Benefits of Physical Therapy
Physical therapy offers a wide range of benefits, strengthening your muscles, improving joint function and flexibility, and minimizing stiffness. A physical therapist will use a range of tools, from simple stretches to resistance bands to light weights, to help increase strength and stability in your hips.
Medications Can Provide Temporary Relief
Prescription and over-the-counter pharmaceutical products can alleviate pain or inflammation, and help relax muscles. As a general rule, though, drugs should be a short-term solution to minimize pain or discomfort as you use other forms of treatment to heal from your injuries.
Injections Can Help Regenerate and Preserve Joint Integrity
Cortisone shots are typically the common approach in symptom-based models of medical treatment. Though they may relieve some of your pain, they don’t treat the underlying causes of your discomfort. Furthermore, they can actually increase damage to the hip joint and contribute to the advance of arthritis.
Injections of platelet-rich plasma and hyaluronic acid are a better approach, as they can regenerate and restore joint function, turning back the clock without damaging tissue, enhancing the longevity of your hip joint and potentially helping you avoid surgical options. Steroid injections can be helpful, but must be used on a limited basis.
Schedule an Appointment with Core Medical Center Today
Take action today to minimize your pain. At Core Medical Center, with offices in Blue Springs, Missouri, we take the time to get to the source of your pain, offering treatment with a long-term approach. To schedule an appointment, contact us online or call our offices at (816) 427-0201.
