Osteopaths in Bristol such as myself can indeed help patients with hip arthritis.
The first steps is to identify and recognize the condition during a patient consultation, as well as giving advice and guidance on managing it daily.
As one of many Osteopaths in Bristol who can help patients with this condition, I aim to assure patients visiting my Henleaze-based Osteopathic clinic that appropriate treatment can be helpful in alleviating some of the symptoms of hip arthritis.
What is hip arthritis?
Simply, Hip arthritis is the wearing of the cartilage in the hip that usually allows smooth movement of the joint.
Hip arthritis can be a very painful and highly debilitating condition.
Furthermore, it is not something only experienced by elderly women, either. Hip arthritis can occur in younger age groups, and has different levels of severity.
Those severely affected by hip arthritis can be unable to walk very far or stand up for extended periods of time.
Hip replacement surgery may ultimately be the only solution for the worse cases.
On a positive note, surgery is highly successful and effectively gives patients their lives back in terms of daily mobility levels and pain reduction.
Less severely affected patients I see, suffer with varying degrees of discomfort and disability.
Can hip arthritis be cured?
Osteopaths in Bristol cannot cure hip arthritis - or, indeed, any arthritis condition.
But Osteopathic treatments at my Henleaze clinic can help to improve joint mobility, muscular function and assist local circulation.
This will improve the mobility and health of an affected area and often reduce pain for patients.
My Osteopathic treatments in Bristol can also target other areas of the body, which can aid in offloading an arthritic joint for a patient, and easing mechanical stress.
I advise specific exercises to help strengthen and mobilize an area affected by arthritis, such as a hip, which can provide a stronger base if surgery is required in the future.
Case study: patient with hip arthritis
I had a patient with a family history of arthritis who visited my Henleaze clinic.
She was a 52-year-old ex-hockey player who had reduced her activity levels when bringing up her children. She said she had also gained more weight.
Her left hip developed pain over the course of a three-year period and she came to see me six months ago for advice, help and treatment.
She was experiencing pain when engaging in sporting activities, and running and walking was becoming more difficult.
An x-ray revealed mild to moderate arthritis in her left hip.
She was given Osteopathic treatment over a two month period to improve mobility and reduce discomfort.
She is now able to walk freely, and can handle some load-bearing exercise to give more strength to her hips. She utilizes low-impact sporting activities including swimming, cycling and aqua-aerobics.
She now returns to my Henleaze Osteopathy clinic every three weeks for Maintenance Osteopathic Treatments which keeps her mobility levels up and reduces hip pain.
Her feedback last week was that her quality of life is so much better now.
This patient will eventually require a hip replacement but until that time she is keeping active and utilizing maintenance treatments at my clinic.
To find out more about how Bristol Osteopaths can help with arthritic conditions in general, please visit here.
I also recommend that you read my recent News post on Autumn joint care in Bristol to provide useful hints and tips on keeping yourself fit and healthy during colder months.
If you are suffering from hip arthritis, please book a treatment rapidly and easily with me online here.
My Bristol osteopath clinic is fully open so if you’re looking for Covid-safe treatments, please read this news post to find out about the measures in place at my Henleaze osteopathy clinic for all patients.
To find out more about the full range of Covid-secure osteopathic treatments that I provide in Bristol, please visit here for details.