How to combat osteoarthritis of the hip and knee, the leading cause of disability in those over 70 years of age

Nearly 30% of the Spanish population over the age of 40 suffers from osteoarthritis, a chronic degenerative disease that causes the progressive wear of cartilage. One of the most common typologies is the one that affects the hip: in this case, the loss of tissue hinders joint movement and correct engagement between the femur and pelvis. “This affects any movement that involves displacement, so the main symptom for the patient suffering from hip osteoarthritis is painwhich can become disabling, and limits us to lead a normal life, affecting our quality of life”, explains Dr. Carlos Jarabo, medical director of Clínicas Cres, a medical center specializing in the treatment of this ailment.

hip osteoarthritis can be due to different causes, “from congenital to traumatic issues, as well as a discrepancy or inequality in the length of the lower limbs,” says Dr. Elena Guallar, a specialist in this same clinic. “It is also worth mentioning age and being overweight as other triggering factors for this disease.”

Before the symptoms, which are usually pain in the groin area, in the front of the thigh and in the buttock, as well as joint stiffness when getting up and lameness in the most serious cases, Dr. Jarabo points out the importance of go to an experienced doctor to make a good diagnosis“which is essential for the treatment to be successful.”

What treatments exist

Once the diagnosis has been made, the most frequent treatment to alleviate the symptoms of this ailment is taking analgesics and anti-inflammatories, especially in the early stages of the disease. However, “prolonged use can produce adverse side effects and as the disease progresses they become less effective,” explains Dr. Jarabo.

Before reaching more advanced stages of the disease, osteoarthritis can be treated with Regenerative Medicine techniques, “which are very safe, since they is performed with the patient’s own biological material, and significantly reduce recovery time”. The objective of these treatments is none other than to relieve pain and restore the functional capacity of the joint, which implies an improvement in the quality of life of the patient, both physical and mental. In addition to hip osteoarthritis, regenerative medicine treatments can be a good alternative to combat the symptoms of hip osteoarthritis, as well as osteoarthritis of other joints such as the knee or shoulder, as well as in injuries caused by the practice of sport.

Another fundamental issue in the approach to the disease is weight control: “It is an important factor to control the progression of the disease, since being a load-bearing joint, being overweight is an unfavorable factor for the good evolution of the treatment”, clarifies Dr. Guallar.

Both specialists recall that, if not remedied, the degeneration in the joint can end with the implantation of a hip replacement, a more invasive technique with surgery and which entails subsequent convalescence.