Three tips you need to know for managing hip arthritis pain

Waking up to pain and stiffness in your hip. Feeling pain in the hip when walking or climbing stairs. Hip pain after sitting for a while. All these issues are ones people with hip arthritis can face on a daily basis. 

It’s estimated that more than 54 million adults in the U.S. have some form of arthritis. Hip arthritis is more common in older people, and one medical study reveals that about 25% of people who live to age 85 will develop hip arthritis. Physical therapists can help you find tips for managing the pain and other symptoms of hip arthritis. 

Three tips our therapists recommend for managing hip arthritis pain

For many patients, pain is the most common symptom of hip arthritis. In fact, a medical study reveals that 50% of adults with arthritis have pain on most or all days during a three-month period. Pain of this duration is known as persistent pain. 

Our physical therapy specialists can offer hip arthritis patients a number of tips for managing their pain. Three of the most effective are: 

1. Pay attention to your body — Many people, including arthritis patients, have gotten out of the habit of listening to their body. However, paying attention to what your hips are telling you can have many advantages for hip arthritis patients. It can help you learn your activity limits. This can help keep you from overdoing it and increasing your pain. Being attentive to your body can help you learn the best positioning for your arthritic hip. In turn, better positioning can make walking, sitting and standing up less painful. 

2. Manage your weight — Researchers estimate that about 39 million arthritis patients are also overweight or obese. Most patients don’t realize how important managing their weight can be for reducing their pain. Medical studies show that just one pound of additional body weight can add four pounds of pressure to your joints. Conversely, every pound of weight lost reduces joint pressure by four pounds. In turn, the reduction in joint load can help decrease your arthritis pain. 

3. Quit smoking — Smoking is known to cause issues like chronic lung diseases and cancer. But it can also cause your hip arthritis to worsen. A medical study reveals that people who smoke are more than twice as likely to have significant joint cartilage loss than nonsmokers. Additionally, this study reports that smokers had higher pain scores. 

Advent Physical Therapy can help you manage your hip arthritis pain

Are you looking for help in managing your hip arthritis pain? Our Advent Physical Therapy team offers just the type of help you’re searching for. Our clinics offer free screenings that can reveal how hip arthritis is affecting you. With this information, our therapy specialists can build you a personalized treatment plan designed to manage or even reduce your arthritis symptoms. 

Don’t wait to start getting our help with your arthritis. Contact our team today for more information or to schedule a free screening.