Your hips are a big part of everything you do in your daily life. If you've participated in a lot of "punishing" activities throughout your life, then you will notice that your hips, legs and feet have changed. These changes may cause your hip joint to wear out and cause pain and mobility issues. Eventually, you may need surgery to restore its function and reduce pain. However, if you're not at that point yet, then there are things to do to delay or prevent the surgery.
Strengthen your hip and leg muscles:
At the first sign of hip problems, try doing exercises that target the hips, legs, and lower back. Ask an orthopedic surgeon, physical therapist, or personal trainer to show you how to do the exercises correctly. Not all of these exercises require you to work with weights, though gentle weight training with the correct machines and positions can be extremely beneficial. Any time you feel pain or excess strain, stop the exercise. Doing exercises that cause you pain may actually make things worse rather than better.
Eat healthy and take supplements:
This advice pretty much goes all around for any type of health issue, but eating healthy and maintaining a healthy weight is critical to hip-joint health, especially as you age. You can also take calcium supplements, but if you do that, make sure you're either getting plenty of sunshine or taking vitamin D supplements, as the two work together. Other supplements to consider are glucosamine and chondroitin, which support healthy cartilage. Eat a wide range of fruits, vegetables, and protein sources.
Take care of your feet and knees:
Natural changes in your hip joints may also mean changes in the angles in your legs and feet. If you haven't had foot problems before, then you may notice that your feet pronate differently than when you were younger, or your arches have collapsed. If you injure your feet and you can't walk properly, then this can also put strain on your hip. You may want to consider adding orthotics or other supportive devices so that your feet and knees stay aligned properly. If you're doing a lot of high-impact exercises and experiencing pain, then consider changing them to lower-impact exercise to reduce wear and tear on your joints.
If your hip issues are still in the mild-to-moderate phase and you want to delay or prevent surgery, then you'll need to take care of this major joint. Make sure you're doing all your exercises correctly so as not to make the problem worse. Talk to your doctor about what exercises, supplements, and supportive devices are best for your case.
Share29 September 2016
My name is Katie Langer. For a long time, I was bed ridden and I felt like I had no control over my life. I simply went along with what was instructed by my doctor and I didn't ask questions. It wasn't that my doctor wasn't willing to work with me, but I preferred to simply not think about the illness I was suffering from. I didn't realize that some of the symptoms I was suffering from were side effects of my medication and were not normal. After communicating more with my doctor, I was able to alleviate my symptoms. Since then, I've taken an interest in patient-doctor relationships and how to improve them.
