 |
Easy Steps You Can Take Today to Erase Hip Pain
...and one of these tips you can get from a sewing class! "More than 100,000 Americans are unable to get from their bed to the bathroom without assistance because of problems related to their hip or knee." So says Dr. Nathan Wei, Clinical Director of the Arthritis and Osteoporosis Center of Maryland. He adds, "Too many people put up with pain when there are so many treatments available." The hip joint plays a major role in weight-bearing and walking. It's a ball-and-socket joint that combines great stability and a wide range of motion. This joint is comprised of the head of the thigh bone (femur) which is shaped like a ball. This sits inside a cup-like area of the pelvis called the acetabulum ("socket"). It is surrounded by powerful muscles that help maintain the body in an upright posture and also help with walking. Many ligaments also help support the structure of the hip. The most common symptom with hip problems is pain Pain due to hip problems may be felt in the groin, on the outside of the hip region, the buttock, inner part of the thigh, the front of the thigh, and even the knee. In fact, there have been patients who've had knee surgery... when the problem was really in the hip. NOT a good thing! Pain coming from the hip joint also needs to be distinguished from low back disorders as well as knee disorders. Activities of daily living that are affected by hip pain include going up and down stairs, getting out of chairs, getting out of bed, getting shoes and socks off and on, and sexual intercourse. Hip pain is often aggravated by weight-bearing. Besides arthritis, hip pain can be due to bursitis. The most common is trochanteric bursitis. Trochanteric bursitis is inflammation of the large bursa that sits on the side of the hip. It tends to come on in middle-aged people. The major symptom is a deep aching pain over the upper outer thigh. It is made worse by walking. It is often bad at night and is aggravated by lying on the affected side. The treatment consists of anti-inflammatory medication, physical therapy, steroid injection, and stretching exercises. Another potentially serious condition is avascular necrosis of the hip. Here, a patient will have severe pain- usually in the groin. Weight-bearing is excruciating and the pain may also be present at night. Avascular necrosis is a condition where the blood supply to the head of the femur ("the ball") is interrupted... ...and the head of the femur actually dies! The bone collapses. Remember the great athlete, Bo Jackson... he had avascular necrosis. The diagnosis is confirmed by MRI scanning and the treatment involves surgical procedures. In patient with an arthritis condition, treatment modalities should include anti-inflammatory medication, physical therapy, exercises, and weight reduction, if necessary. Specific stretching exercises are helpful. Dr. Wei says, "One of my favorite is called thread-the-needle. You cross one leg across the thigh of the other. Reach down through the hole formed by this crossing over maneuver with the same side hand as the leg you're using to cross over. Clasp fingers with the other hand behind the thigh and gently pull. You'll feel the stretch! Hold for 10 seconds. Repeat with the other side." Joint replacement- known as hip arthroplasty- is still the resort of choice in patients with end-stage arthritis. Indications for arthroplasty include: ?pain that hasn't responded to more conservative measures and...?loss of function in the hip. In the past, the limiting problem was that the replaced hip was only good for 10 to 15 years with "normal" use. Problems that limit the lifespan of hip replacements are?wear and... ?inflammatory response to particles that eventually cause loosening in some patients. Dr. Wei (pronounced "way") is a board-certified rheumatologist and Clinical Director of the nationally respected Arthritis and Osteoporosis Center of Maryland. He is a Clinical Assistant Professor of Medicine at the University of Maryland School of Medicine and has served as a consultant to the Arthritis Branch of the National Institutes of Health. He is a Fellow of the American College of Rheumatology and the American College of Physicians. For more information on arthritis and related conditions, go to: http://www.arthritis-treatment-and-relief.com
MORE RESOURCES:
Soy foods aid bone densitySouth Bend Tribune, IN - 34 minutes agoDrs. Kay Judge and Maxine Barish-Wreden are medical directors of Sutter's Downtown Integrative Medicine program. Have a question related to alternative ... |
Natural medicine school expandingBizjournals.com, NC - Oct 1, 2008He realized that so little scientific research has been done into alternative medicine that a relatively small amount of money could be parlayed into ... |
Applying Science to Alternative MedicineNew York Times, United States - Sep 29, 2008By WILLIAM J. BROAD More than 80 million adults in the United States are estimated to use some form of alternative medicine, from herbs and megavitamins to ... |
 PR Web (press release) |
Prescriptions for StressPR Web (press release), WA - 13 hours agoWith winter approaching, licensed chiropractor Dr. Richard A. Huntoon of Advanced Alternative Medicine Center advises Americans that now is the time to plan ... |
Alternative medicine - Google News
|
 |
 |
 |
RELATED ARTICLES
Reflexology Therapy
Reflexology therapy, (an ancient art practiced by early Egyptians), is also a science founded on the basis that areas of the feet, hands and ears are comprised of zones and reflex areas that correspond to all glands, organs, and bodily systems.Reflexology therapy is a technique whereby pressure is applied to these areas resulting in stress reduction by using thumb, finger and hand methods.
Back Pain and Pain in Other Extremities: If Nothing Else Has Worked, Try Doing Visualizations
(*In this group are included pain in the back, neck, shoulder, arm, elbow, wrist, hand, hip, leg, knee, ankle, foot, and other extremities.)If you've had back pain or pain in an extremity for more than 90 days and haven't seen a doctor, you need to do so right away.
Good Vibrations
Esoteric vibrational remedies are really hot right now, especally in Hollywood -- the next step beyond aromatherapy. I Natural Health magazine says that even Julia Roberts is spraying herself with a Petaltone product to "clear her aura.
How to Benefit from The Mind-Body Connection
Dr. Bernie Siegel, author of "Love, Medicine and Miracles" was once a distraught surgeon who fretted over his inability to effectively serve his cancer patients.
Myofascial Release
What is MYOFACSCIAL RELEASE? Myofascial release is a tender mixture of stretches and massage techniques. A bodywork therapy whereby a therapist directs hands-on touch and maneuvers to the entire body, myofascial release promotes healing and relieves pain.
Acupressure
Developed in Asia over 5,000 years ago, acupressure is an ancient healing therapy that utilizes fingers to depress key locations on the skin's surface to prompt healing withing the body. Similar to acupuncture, acupressure uses the same reference points on the body that release muscular stress; thus encouraging better blood circulation.
Neuro Emotional Technique
NET or Neuro Emotional Technique is one of the newer "power therapies" and stress reduction techniques that along with TFT (Thought Field Therapy), and EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) have become popular in the last ten years. These therapies seem to work quicker than traditional talk therapies.
Feeling Helpless in the Face of Pain?
Here Are 4 Ways That Visualization May Be Able to Ease You Back into ControlUsing visualizations to reduce pain may be unlike anything else you've tried. It not only gives you the chance to feel better, but does so in a way that may be able to relieve your sense of helplessness.
Pendulum Dowsing: Easy To Learn Techniques
Pendulum Dowsing is a very fun and simple way to begin to measure energy fields. Since we all live in a world that is comprised of energy, and since we all have energy in and around our physical bodies, the ability to recognize and measure energy can be valuable and useful.
Using Pain To Institute Change In Your Life!
Why do you do something that harms you? Why do you do something that has an overall negative effect in your life? Why do you do something that will make you unhappy later?The answers to those questions are not easy. When you are overeating, or eating unhealthy foods you are happy and content during the time that you are eating them.
An Udderly Ricidulous Home Remedy
Home Remedies - Facts or Quacks?That's what I recently asked myself. Myths and legends often have their basis in a grain of truth.
Stammering Or Stuttering
Stammering or as it is sometimes known as stuttering is a form of speech impediment.My name is Stephen Hill and I had a stammer for eighteen years.
Tips for Staying Young Eternally
What is something that goes up but never comes down? Your age!Aging is something that humans would love to conquer. Everyone seems to be obsessed in staying young.
How to Use a Footbath with Herbs
Recently I read a book by William L. Fischer called "Hidden Secrets of Super Perfect Health at Any Age", Book II, 1986.
Essential Oils Blends and Uses
Better Living With Essential OilsPractical formulas you can use in Personal Care and Your EnvironmentPersonal Care - What Essential Oils can do for Your Skin:l Penetrate lower skin layers to work on moisturizing and healing.l Stimulate and regenerate skin cells, to heal skin damaged by sun, burns, wrinkles, or injury.
When Humor Hurts, When Humor Heals
For some, it's a familiar scenario. You've been sitting for hours already in the stuffy boardroom.
What are the Best Roles for Western and Alternative Medicine?
I think it's very confusing for patients to decide what the best roles are for Western medicine and alternative medicine.In this article, I'll try to clear some of that confusion with a few simple principles.
At-Home Relief For Ingrown Hairs
#1 Use Antibiotic SoapAntibiotic soap helps to clear up and prevent the infections caused by ingrown hairs. There are a number you can purchase on-line or at the drugstore, two are PanOxyl (with 10% hydrogen peroxide) and Reviva (which makes a whole line of hydrogen peroxide products).
Healing and Transformation
Every symptom has a certain way of being with which it is associated. In order to release a symptom, one must release the way of being associated with it.
Suffering from Osteoarthritis? Acupuncture to the Rescue
Keeping in tune with our commitment to providing the latest, medical breakthroughs, I recently had the rare pleasure of speaking with Professor Jorge Vas Ruiz, (Subdirector of the Master University of Acupuncture, ACMAS Huangdi located in Sevilla, Spain) regarding acupuncture's effectiveness on osteoarthritis of the knee.For over 8 years, Professor Ruiz and his team of elite professors have investigated the effectiveness of Acupuncture treatment.
|