Want to Avoid a Hip Replacement? Follow These Tips for Healthy Hips

We all want to enjoy healthy, active lives well into our golden years, ideally with all our original joints intact. With hip pain being such a common concern, taking steps to keep your hips healthy today can go a long way in helping you avoid a hip replacement when you’re older.

Read More: Having a Total Hip Replacement? Here’s What to Expect

How to Keep Your Hips Healthy

Your best strategy for healthy hips when you’re older is to take good care of your body now.

“Many different conditions, especially those related to our joints and bones, develop over time,” says Andrea Sadler, orthopedic care coordinator and physical therapist at the Beaufort Memorial Joint Replacement Center. “Repetitive stress on your hips can lead to osteoarthritis, which affects cartilage and tissues in the hip joints, causing discomfort and other symptoms.”

Establish good hip health habits by starting with these basics:

• Exercise regularly. Physical activity helps strengthen the muscles around your joints, providing them with support. Aim for at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise each week — that’s about 30 minutes a day, five days a week.
• Choose your activity wisely. If you’re experiencing hip pain, choose low-impact activities that don’t put excessive pressure on your joints. Swimming and water aerobics can be good options. Incorporate strength training and balance movements into your exercise routine to help you stay steady on your feet.
• Stretch your way to healthy hips. It’s common for hips to feel tight in your 30s and 40s and beyond, because the muscles around your joints become less flexible. Gentle stretches can help you loosen up your hips and improve your range of motion, which will reduce strain on weight-bearing joints like your hips. Pay attention to your form when performing stretches and other exercises, since overextending your hips can stress the joints and cause injury.
• Eat a healthy diet. Filling your plate with fruits and vegetables is good practice for overall health, but eating certain foods may benefit your joints. Fatty fish, such as tuna and salmon, contain omega-3 fatty acids that have been linked to reduced pain and stiffness in people with rheumatoid arthritis. Nuts and avocado contain vitamin E, which has anti-inflammatory properties. Blueberries and other colorful fruits are packed with joint-healthy antioxidants.
• Lighten the load. Losing even a few pounds can make a big difference when it comes to your hips. When you’re overweight or obese, the excess weight puts pressure on your joints, which can cause them to degenerate. Staying active and eating a healthy diet can help you get to and maintain a healthy weight.
• Practice good posture. Maintaining good posture when you’re standing and sitting can lessen the pressure placed on your hips.
• Quit smoking. Smoking increases the risk of fractures, osteoporosis and osteoarthritis, all common causes of hip pain.

Read More: Why Your Hips Hurt: The Answer May Surprise You

What to Do When You Experience Hip Pain

Despite your best efforts at maintaining healthy hips, you may still experience hip pain and other symptoms related to your hip joints. If you’re feeling persistent discomfort, check in with your primary care provider, who may refer you to an orthopedic specialist.

Other signs you should see your provider include:

• A grinding sensation in the hips
• Decreased range of motion and mobility
• Increased pain in the joints with activity
• Pain in the groin or thigh
• Stiffness in the hip joint

Your medical provider will conduct a thorough examination and may order imaging scans, which can confirm the source of your discomfort. Sometimes, hip pain isn’t related to the hips at all, which is why an accurate diagnosis is important.

“With progressive conditions, such as osteoarthritis, it’s best to seek medical care early,” Sadler says. “Treatment can help you prevent further degeneration in the joints, reducing the condition’s impact on your health and lifestyle.”

Hip pain treatment varies depending on the specific symptoms you’re experiencing and the severity of your discomfort. Initial treatment options may include oral or injected medications, visits with physical therapists, or assistive devices, such as a cane. If these options don’t alleviate discomfort or provide only temporary relief, hip resurfacing or a total hip replacement may be the next step.

Hips in pain? Register for an upcoming Solving Hip and Knee Pain seminar or discuss your options with a hip pain specialist.