Osteoarthritis in the hips, how do I get rid of it?

Question

Without a hip replacement, as I'm in my thirties!!!

Answer 1

To date, no one has figured out a way to get rid of osteoarthritis. Some people have managed to cope and live with it for many years before finally having the hip replaced. You have received many practical suggestions and some of them are worth trying. Another suggestion to buy some time is to use walking aids where possible to take some of the weight off the joint - by this I mean cane or crutches.

I managed to put off total hip replacements for 10 years until things finally caught up with me. By the time I could get my mind wrapped around the concept of having the hips replaced (both of them) I was months away from a wheel-chair-bound existence. In retrospect, I waited too long to get the hips fixed.

There is a new device recently approved by FDA for fixing arthritic hips.
The surgical procedure is called hip resurfacing and the device is the Birmingham hip. While this procedure has been performed abroad for many years, it still has it's proponents and detractors in the US. And, since it is new in the US, all ortho surgeons don't do it. However, it's worth investigation especially at your young age.
Two quick links for you to look at, one commercial and one from FDA:
http://www.birminghamhipresurfacing.com/
http://www.fda.gov/cdrh/mda/docs/p040033.html

Answer 2

Osteoarthritis means that permanent structural changes have already happened in the joints, so unfortunately you can't get rid of it.

That doesn't mean you can't help it, though.

You can watch your diet and general lifestyle, excessive drinking doesn't help it, and if you smoke, now's a good time to seriously consider quitting. Glucosamine, chondroitin, cod liver oil, evening primrose oil, multivitamin supplements are all a good idea too, but can take many months to show an improvement - so stick with them even if they don't seem to be doing any good.

Try to avoid static positioning for any prolonged period, i.e. don't sit, stand or stay walking for too long at a time.

Make sure the hip joints aren't getting stiff - loss of movement is your biggest enemy, and will cause more pain. Lie on your back, pull one knee onto your chest, keeping the back of the other knee flat on the bed, hold for 30 seconds, and repeat with the other leg.
Lie on your tummy and do a push up, but leave your pelvis on the bed to extend your hips. Hold for 30 secs, then relax.
Lie on your tummy, bend your knees to a right angle, call that twelve o'clock, then drop your feet out to the sides to ten to and ten past, if you know what I mean, to internally rotate your hips fully.
Lie on your back, rest the sole of your right foot against the inside of your left knee, then drop your right knee down towards the bed. Hold for 30 seconds and repeat with the other leg.
Sit 'backwards' on a kitchen chair - straddle it, to enourage your hips to abduct.

Get swimming - the easiest way to start strengthening your muscles, and avoid road walking - stick to field, packed dirt or beach walking. Avoid treadmills for the same reason - too much impact is going to accelerate the erosion of the joint cartilage.

Good luck, you might get away with your own hips for a while yet!

Answer 3

Make sure you take Glucosamine & Chondrotin to help with the joint function as well as calcium.
You can't get rid of Osteoarthritis, you can only take care of yourself so it doesn't get any worse. Exercise does help - painful at first but you still need to keep the hip loosened up. Swimming is a good exercise as well as it takes the weight off the joint while you mobilize it. Check into arthritis swim classes as they are held in "warm" pools and the exercises are developed for those with arthritis. You will probably be one of the youngest ones there but the benefits will be worth it.

Answer 4

Oh how I wish. No, you dont get rid of it unless you have a hip replacement and thats only when the pain becomes unbearable and then a 2 year wait on the NHS. You take pills to combat the pain but they are notoriously unhelpful. Sorry to be the bearer of such bad news. I have the same so I know

Answer 5

Unfortunately it is not get rid able try rxercise and diet, a friend of mine has it and sometime s she is good other times bad but she has learnt to live with it over the last 10 years or so and she will be thirty this year bless her.

Answer 6

You don't get rid of it! However your doctor may prescribe a medication that will help to relieve your symptoms.

You may also want to do some light exercising, swimming is good as it doesn't put any stress on the joints and may help you feel better. Walking may help you as well.

But again the main thing is it won't go away, talk with your doctor and get his/her help with this.

Good luck..

Answer 7

You can't. To ease it, take calcium 1200 mg daily, you can buy
"Liquid Flex Care" in a healthfood store, it has chondroitin and glucosamine in it which helps the joints. One man said to me his hip and knee joints were so bad after he took it, he could feel the difference in two days.It's made by naka and is called Nutri -Flex.
It's worth a try.

Answer 8

You DO NOT get rid of it. Simple as that. You can try exercise like walking if possible. Take anti inflammatories as directed by your doctor. Watch your weight, extra pounds makes a big difference.

Answer 9

My wife suffers mostly in the cooler weather.
Doctors advised reduce carbohydrate, fat and dairy intake,
don't over exercise "approx 30 mins a day".
grill all your meat, eat steamed vegies and plenty of salads.
It's working for my wife, but of cource see your doc and get a full blood test done concentrating on your colesterol and calcium levels. Of cource there is no cure, but there are ways of managing the problem.
"GOOD LUCK".

Answer 10

I don't think you can get rid of it without surgery, but exercise and medication should help alleviate the symptoms. talk to a doctor.