If you knew that a problem was lurking just below the surface, whether it be with your house, your car or your health, you would take steps to mitigate the issue before it spirals out of control. This is part of the reason why “hip replacement early signs” is one of the most searched terms on Google for patients looking for more information about symptoms they are experiencing in their hip joint.
If you’re dealing with specific hip symptoms, don’t just grit your teeth and hope they go away on their own. Not only are they unlikely to resolve on their own, they usually get worse, and when this happens, surgical intervention may be the only way to address the issues. However, if you are cognizant of the early warning signs and act on these symptoms, you may be able to prevent the need for an eventual joint replacement surgery. With that in mind, we want to use today’s blog to spotlight some of the early signs that suggest you may need hip replacement in the future unless you act quickly.
Early Intervention Can Address These Hip Symptoms
Here’s a look at some of the most common symptoms we hear about from patients who are set to undergo hip replacement surgery. The presence of these symptoms does not mean that hip replacement is absolutely in your future, but you will want to take proactive steps to try and resolve these symptoms so that they don’t worsen and force you to seek out joint replacement surgery.
- Persistent Pain – Nobody deserves to go through life with chronic hip pain. Even if your discomfort is mild or dull, it’s not something you should just accept as normal. Oftentimes you can resolve or at least decrease your pain through a targeted treatment plan that involves physical therapy or other active interventions, so long as you don’t wait too long to pursue treatment. If your hip is always causing you discomfort, act on it.
- Stiffness/Decreased Flexibility – There’s a good chance that you’re no longer as flexible and limber as you were when you were 25, but that doesn’t mean that hip stiffness is normal. If your hip is feeling very stiff or you’ve lost a fair amount of flexibility in your hip joint, work to restore mobility with some targeted stretching and physical therapy exercises. It can be difficult to restore motion once the muscles and supported tissues have significantly weakened, so dive into some movement-based exercises sooner rather than later.
- Difficulty With Stairs – Many patients say they first really noticed their hip issue when they were attempting to navigate stairs around their house. If going up or down stairs is painful, uncomfortable or dangerous, talk with your doctor and see what type of strengthening exercises can help to restore confidence and function in your affected hip.
- Altered Gait – If your gait has been altered, it’s a sign of an issue somewhere in your body. If you’re limping or walking with a hitch in your step, it could be a sign of a problem in your back, your hip, your knees or your feet. Consider setting up a consultation with your primary care provider to figure out what’s causing your gait issues, and then transitioning to specialty care once you pinpoint the source of the problem.
- Difficulty Sleeping – A lot of patients mention that their hip pain is making it difficult to fall asleep and stay asleep. Others mention that they are forced to always sleep on one side because of hip pain on their other side. If hip pain is making it hard to achieve restful sleep, connect with a specialist who can help you develop a treatment plan. Inadequate sleep can affect your health in many ways, so don’t let your hip issue contribute to other health problems tied to poor sleep.
- Decreased Quality Of Life – Finally, if hip discomfort is negatively affecting your quality of life, it’s time to address the issue head on. Don’t live life on the sidelines or shy away from your favorite activities because of hip pain or a loss of confidence in your hip. Again, the issue won’t magically go away on its own, but you can make major strides with some targeted exercises and small tweaks to your diet and exercise habits. Let’s stop a small problem in its tracks and get you back to all the activities you love.
If you’re dealing with any of the above issues, consider syncing up with Dr. Botero and his team. While he can perform a replacement surgery, he can also develop a comprehensive non-invasive treatment program to try and prevent the need for an operation in the future. Let us find the right solution for your unique needs. For more information, or to connect with his office, give the team a call today at (865) 558-4444.
