One of the ways modern medicine can treat hip pain is through total hip replacement surgery. Also known as hip arthroplasty, this procedure aims to replace the damaged ball and socket in your hip joint with an artificial joint.
Total hip replacement is primarily used to treat hip joints that are damaged by arthritis. The damage to the cartilage caused by arthritis is painful and limits the mobility of your hip. There are several types of arthritis that can affect your hip, but usually, the cause of hip pain is rheumatoid arthritis or osteoarthritis.
Signs you need a total hip replacement for arthritis
Typically, your doctor will attempt to treat arthritis in your hip using conservative methods. These methods may include physical therapy, medication, injections, chiropractic care, diet, and weight loss. However, if your hip pain persists despite these treatments or is too severe for these treatments to be an option, you may need a total hip replacement for arthritis.
Modern methods reduce the risks involved in the surgery, but total hip replacement is still a last resort for many people with arthritis of the hip. Doctors consider a number of factors before recommending total hip replacement surgery, including:
- Are medications ineffective? Medications for hip pain may be ineffective for a few different reasons. They may simply not be strong enough to relieve your kind of pain, or they may be too addictive. The side effects caused by many strong medications can have a negative impact on your quality of life.
- Is it hard to sit or lie down? Hip arthritis makes it difficult to do physical activities like walking, running, and jumping. This kind of pain may not necessarily need to be treated with total hip replacement. However, when your hips still hurt while trying to sit or lie down and rest, total hip replacement surgery may be the best option.
- Is your entire leg stiff? You may need total hip replacement surgery if your hip pain inhibits your ability to use the other joints in your leg without making the pain worse.
- Does your hip pain affect your quality of life? For many people, total hip replacement surgery is an elective procedure. If your hip pain is inhibiting your ability to do what you want to do in life, replacing the hip joint may be an effective way to gain the quality of life you desire.
Visit the iRISE Spine and Joint Institute for total hip replacement surgery
Do you have arthritis in your hips that aren’t responding to conservative treatments? Do you want to improve your quality of life by reducing hip pain and improving your mobility? Our orthopedic surgeons at the iRISE Spine and Joint Institute are ready to help you. Contact our team today to learn more about total hip replacement surgery or to schedule an initial appointment.
