You stand up and ouch… You sit down and oof… As we age, this seems to be a common situation for the joints that are most susceptible to pain and swelling—particularly joints that support a lot of weight or movement, such as the knee, hip, spine, and neck. Most commonly, though, it’s the knees and hip, which are regularly subjected to pressure and are responsible for supporting our body weight while standing, walking, running, sitting, or lying down. Through all this use, wear and tear on these joints may occur.

Symptoms of osteoarthritis

The most common symptoms of osteoarthritis are pain in the affected joints, such as neck, shoulders, back, hips, arms, hands, knees, or feet; cracking sounds or pain when moving the joints; swelling or a hot sensation around the joint; a grating sensation, stiffness, or pain when changing postures after being in a particular position, such as kneeling or cross-legged, for a long time; or having joint stiffness. These symptoms can be consistent or intermittent. In cases of severe osteoarthritis in the knees, it can cause people walk with a limp or in an unusual way. It is not uncommon to hear popping and cracking sounds while moving, too.

The main cause of osteoarthritis is wear and tear, which causes the cartilage within a joint to break down and the underlying bone begins to change. Thus, it is a disease that occurs with increasing age and use of the joint. It is commonly found in older-aged adults, but the joint pain often begins earlier while still working aged. Generally, osteoarthritis occurs as a result of everyday actions, but certain things can increase your risk of developing the condition, including injuries or playing certain sports that repeatedly stress the joint, as well as excessive alcohol consumption and large doses of steroid medication.

Symptoms of osteoarthritis in the hip

Osteoarthritis in the hip can be caused by many factors, including heavy use, genetics, and older age—all of which result in wear and tear on the cartilage and subsequent degeneration of the hip joint. A key issue, however, is that it can sometimes be difficult to differentiate the hip osteoarthritis pain from back pain. If patients are unaware that the source of pain is hip osteoarthritis, it can result in inadequate treatment. If left untreated long enough, the condition becomes chronic and more difficult to treat. In fact, it is not uncommon to identify hip fractures in the elderly, which in many cases were the result of a fall many years ago and has subsequently resulted in hip osteoarthritis. This problem is even more common among those that excessively consume alcohol or have taken high doses of steroid drugs, both of which can result in poor blood circulation. With inadequate blood flow, the top of hip bone that connects into the hip joint can actually die.

Pain in the hip area is not necessarily the result of osteoarthritis. For example, some people are unable to walk very far because of the pain in their buttocks and backside of their thighs. This pain, though, may be the result of narrowing of the pathways for the spinal nerves causing the blood vessels and nerves to be constricted. As such, the pain is not the result of hip problems. This type of pain is usually in the front groin area and is usually only on one side at a time. Hip pain, however, usually causes pain on both sides simultaneously. Importantly, osteoarthritis in the hip can cause pain in your groin or thigh that radiates to your buttocks or your knee. If you’re experiencing pain in the hips or legs, observe where the pain is occurring and when. If you suspect osteoarthritis, see a doctor right away in order to receive a proper diagnosis and treatment.

Guidelines for treating hip osteoarthritis

Surgery is one way to treat osteoarthritis in both the hip and knee. Technology for these surgeries has advanced substantially and has been widely adopted. Generally, a patient’s symptoms improve following surgery. However, some patients have continued to experience pain following either hip or knee surgery, which they have misinterpreted as resulting from the surgery.

If there is any pain following orthopedic surgery, the first thing to do is to identify whether the symptoms are caused by the operated joint or by another condition near the area of the operation. For example, if spinal degeneration has resulted in compressed nerves, the pain from the spinal area can radiate down the hip and leg. Dr. Wallob Samranvedhya, an orthopedic surgeon at Bangkok Hospital, offered another possible explanation. He said that our nervous system is interconnected throughout the body. A hip condition can cause pain that runs down to the knee. Therefore, after knee surgery, pain may be felt in the knee, but the source is actually the hip. Another possibility is that inflammation has occurred in the tendons near the surgery site, while not actually having any problems in the joint itself. Early identification of these problems, though, can reduce any pain or discomfort felt by the patient.

Following orthopedic knee surgery, some discomfort will be experienced, including some swelling, tightness, and warmth around the joint. Some pain may also be experienced for the first 3-6 months, but most of the swelling will subside within 2-3 months. However, there should be a noticeable improvement in your ability to walk without pain and in the flexibility of your knee. For patients that follow the recommended rehabilitation plan, the recovery will happen faster.

For those that receive orthopedic hip surgery, some extra care is needed. It’s important not to move your hip joint too much, otherwise it is possible to cause the hip to dislocate. Some movements are risker than others. For example, sitting too low, bending your hip or knees more than 90 degrees, or twisting your knees or feet too far inward or outward should all be avoided following surgery. During recovery, it is best to lie in bed and twist your upper body from side to side, which will help reduce pain and facilitate recovery.

Nevertheless, they key is to pay attention to your body and don’t ignore joint pain, especially in your knees and hip, which are critical to supporting and balancing your body. Once you start experiencing pain or any other abnormalities, consult a doctor immediately. Doing so may help prolong the life of your knees and hip.