Hip replacement! Is it always necessary?

Here at the Chiropractic Clinic we see a lot of patients who come to us for a second opinion as to whether they actually need to undergo hip replacement surgery. Nearly all patients who ask this question are very unsure and often worried about such an undertaking. Surgical intervention should always be the last resort if all other avenues have been exhausted. There will be times when surgery is the only option and following an orthopaedic consultants' advice is the best bet and it is highly unlikely that we would intervene in such cases.

However, if you have been told that you have osteo-arthritis (OA) in the hip and that nothing can be done for you apart from surgery, I would strongly recommend that you seek a second opinion first. Conservative care can be just as productive and a lot less intrusive. I regularly treat patients with painful hip restrictions due to OA and they usually respond very well. A combination of treatments such as soft tissue work to the musculature of the hip joint, buttocks and upper legs along with heat therapy, manipulation, distraction techniques and home exercises can have a profound effect in restoring movement back into the area. A process a lot of patients find much more acceptable.

For example, a friend's Aunt spoke with me (just on a casual basis) regarding her hip problem saying that she had been advised by her GP that she would need replacement surgery to fix the problem. She then showed me her x-ray findings which simply showed there to be some moderate degeneration (OA) in the hip in question. However, she said she had days when she could walk without any pain and after talking to her more it became clear to me that surgery was a route she did not really need to take. This was later confirmed by her orthopaedic consultant (actually the following day).

I believe she is now seeing a local osteopath for her care and I wish her all the best for a speedy recovery. If you have any further questions about how we might be able to help, why not book in for a £5 consult with us.