The most used treatments today are already considered less invasive. The initial consists of physical exercises to strengthen the abdominal, paravertebral (spine) and muscles around the hip.

Initially, physical activity is done through physical therapy and later with the help of exercises suitable for the worn-out hip. The training aims to relieve stress on the hip joint. Therefore, it is important that physical activity is low-impact, such as walking on flat terrain, or even light weight training, respecting the limit of joint movement.

Associated with this initial rehabilitation, medications can be used to relieve pain, such as analgesics or even opioids (morphine derivatives). In addition, behavioural measures, such as weight loss, are also important in the initial treatment.

If these therapies do not present the expected decrease in pain and the wear on the joint is less pronounced, there is the possibility of performing infiltrations (injections into the joint) with hyaluronic acid or corticosteroids. In the first case, with acid, the objective is to restore the normal characteristics of the synovial fluid, which is the joint lubricant, which can help relieve inflammation in the region and reduce pain. Corticosteroids decrease the inflammation that is occurring in the joint, which helps to reduce pain.

It is important to note that infiltrations are less invasive, but must be performed with the aid of imaging tests, such as ultrasound or radioscopy. Therefore, the procedure needs to be performed in operating theatres to ensure that the drug is correctly applied within the joint.

Another widely used treatment is the prescription of so-called chondroprotectors. These medications help in the formation of substances that support the articular cartilage, which favours the healing of injuries that may exist at the site.

What is hip osteoarthritis?
It is a problem that develops due to wear on the hip joint, which is between the femur and the pelvis, in the groin region.

There are basically two types of hip arthrosis: primary and secondary. While the primary can be related to genetics or age, the secondary occurs due to a specific cause, such as a fracture in the region, a deformity that the patient has or a surgical manipulation. Therefore, it is important to know that therapy may vary depending on the diagnosis of the problem.

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