Arthritis is a condition involving the inflammation of one or more joints, and it afflicts almost 60 million Americans or about 25% of the population. Any of your joints can be affected by any type of arthritis – the most common types are osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis.
The hip, which is the largest ball-and-socket joint in the human body, is a common location for developing arthritis. The telltale signs of hip arthritis include pain in or near the joint, stiffness, weakness, and audible clicking sounds in the hip when moving.
While hip arthritis usually progresses slowly – especially when gradual wear-and-tear causes osteoarthritis – some factors can aggravate it. That also means that avoiding or changing these aggravating factors can help you to avoid arthritis from developing or worsening.
Let’s talk about some of the things that tend to cause hip arthritis flare-ups, and where you can go across North Dakota for outstanding arthritis treatment and orthopedic care.
Things that Can Aggravate Hip Arthritis
Hip arthritis can be caused by many different types of joint inflammation, and each type has its own triggers that tend to aggravate it. Let’s highlight the two most common types, which are osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis:
Osteoarthritis and Its Triggers
Because hip osteoarthritis tends to get worse over time, it’s hard to differentiate between disease progression and a flare-up, but not impossible.
The most common factors that aggravate a flare-up of hip osteoarthritis are:
- Sudden trauma to the hip
- Bone spur in the hip
In contrast, the things that can speed up actual disease progression of osteoarthritis, and which are reversible or treatable, are:
- Repetitive motions
- Weight gain
- Stress
- Chilly weather
- A change in barometric pressure (which is the weight of air around us)
- Infections
When you experience signs like increased joint pain, stiffness, swelling, and reduced range of motion, see your orthopedic doctor to identify your trigger and keep it under control.
Rheumatoid Arthritis and Its Triggers
Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is actually an autoimmune condition in which your immune system attacks the synovial fluid and tissue in the joints and organs throughout the body. Any factor that causes inflammation in the body can aggravate rheumatoid arthritis in the hip.
Indeed, if you have RA and you stop or taper your RA-prescribed treatments/medications, this can aggravate your rheumatoid arthritis and cause a flare-up. Because RA is not due to wear-and-tear, it is not caused or aggravated by repeated activity or motion of the hip joint.
The key is to keep taking your RA prescription medication to help keep it tamped down and to help prevent inflammation. Factors that may contribute to RA flare-ups include overall overexertion of your body, poor sleep, stress, and infection.
Thankfully, flare-ups of RA are reversible, if treated promptly. So, if you notice a rheumatoid arthritis flare-up, act immediately – talk to your orthopedic doctor about your medications, do NOT overexert yourself, and keep your stress levels low.
Hip Arthritis Treatment in North Dakota
If you have hip arthritis or hip pain, speak with one of our hip arthritis specialists for an evaluation and treatment. Our highly skilled, board-certified, and fellowship-trained orthopedic physicians are dedicated to providing individualized, expert care.
Our providers will thoroughly evaluate your symptoms, figure out the cause of your arthritis or joint pain, and devise a plan to treat your hip arthritis or whatever the underlying cause is. If you need treatment for your hip arthritis or hip pain, call our friendly staff today to schedule an appointment at (800) 424-2663 or fill out our appointment request form online now. We look forward to helping you tamp down your hip arthritis!
