An artificial joint can be the solution, but luckily there are also other ways to tackle a hip joint arthritis! Medicine has made great progress in the past few years.
She used to enjoy hiking. But back then, Silvia Z. hardly ever had time for it. Ever since the former telephone operator retired and now has the time, it is her hip joint that spoils her enjoyment of alpine hiking tours.
“At first there was just an occasional stabbing pain in the groin area, but now I sometimes have pain in my hip even when I get up in the morning,” the 66-year-old remarked. “When I hike it doesn’t hurt at first, but over time the pain becomes unbearable. It’s probably arthritis. But exercise should be good for that!”
“That is only partially correct,” explained Dr. Markus C. Michel, chief surgeon at the Orthopedic Center Münsingen OZM. “Regular exercise – especially hiking, bicycling and swimming – is good at an early stage to prevent arthritis. When your joint already hurts, it’s different! Pain is a warning sign — it indicates excessive weby ar and inflammation in the joint.
Therefore, it is a good idea to have the problem looked at by a general practitioner or specialist early on.”
Depending on the situation, pain medication is allowed but should only be used over a longer period of time when joint replacement has become inevitable. «Especially with anti-inflammatory medication», said Dr. Michel, «It is best to take prophylactically – before the pain occirs – because the painful imflammatory processes also attacks cartilage.»
Cartilage is the lifeblood of healthy, pain-free joints. If it is thinned due to wear and tear or inappropriate load, bone will grind on bone and it will hurt a lot! “When cartilage is missing, you cannot magically replace it,” Dr. Michel explains. “Our goals are, therefore, to prevent pain and to slow down negative developments in the joint.
