What does it feel like to have arthritis in your hip?

There is some evidence that certain forms of arthritis can run in families, and this means that you could have an increased risk of arthritis if your parents or siblings have this inflammatory condition. Arthritis also affects more than 50 million adults in the U.S. 

If your family has a history of arthritis, you might be wondering what it feels like to have arthritis in your hip. Hip osteoarthritis is one of the most common types of hip arthritis, and it’s estimated that 27% of the U.S. population has signs of this form of arthritis. There are three feelings in particular that are common to patients with hip osteoarthritis.

Three common feelings caused by hip osteoarthritis

Physical therapists see many patients with hip osteoarthritis; and this means they’re uniquely qualified to help you learn what having hip arthritis feels like. Additionally, these specialists can help people with a family history of arthritis delay the onset of this condition. For those who already have hip osteoarthritis, a physical therapist can help you find ways to treat and decrease your arthritis symptoms. 

Three of the most common ways arthritis makes patients feel are: 

1. Painful — Osteoarthritis involves the natural breakdown of hip joint cartilage. As the cartilage wears away, extra friction is created when your hip joint moves. This friction can lead to increased hip joint inflammation and pain. In fact, research shows that 25% of arthritis patients experience severe joint pain. It’s also reported that about 50% of patients must deal with persistent pain. 

2. Stiff — Hip osteoarthritis can also make your hip joint feel stiff. Your stiffness is likely to be worse when you first wake up in the morning. Additionally, it might increase after you walk or sit for long periods of time. 

3. Like you can’t move as well — Inflammation in an arthritic hip joint can make it feel like you can’t move it normally. This is because swollen joint tissue leads to increased friction in your joint, and friction makes it physically harder for the joint to move. In addition, not moving around as much is a common reaction of patients with hip osteoarthritis. The lack of movement can decrease the amount of lubricating fluid in the joint, which also makes it harder to move. However, studies show that getting moving again can increase lubricating fluid production in joints by as much as 27%. 

Peak Performance can help treat your hip osteoarthritis symptoms

Have you already found out what arthritis in your hip feels like? Our team of physical therapists at Peak Performance can help treat your symptoms. We offer free screenings at our clinics that can help reveal how hip arthritis is affecting you. This information can then be used by our team to build you a personalized treatment plan. Your plan will be designed to reduce the hip arthritis symptoms you’re dealing with.

Take the next step to start getting our help for your hip arthritis. Contact us today for more information or to schedule your free screening.