An orthopedic surgeon who performs hundreds of joint replacements each year says that the next generation of treatments will be nonsurgical. He gives his advice on how to talk with your doctor, along with a basic 4-step action plan.
Renowned surgeon on surgical avoidance
In The Tragical History of the Life and Death of Doctor Faustus, a play by Christopher Marlowe that was first performed in 1592, a popular expression first appeared: “Misery loves company.”
Many would say that the expression applies to arthritis, at least for those who have not had success relieving hip pain. After all, some projections suggest that up to 1 in 5 people will experience hip arthritis.
Mount Sinai orthopedic surgeon Dr. Darwin Chen performs 200-300 hip and knee replacements each year. He explains the basic physical problem of arthritic hips: The hip is a ball-and-socket joint, and cushioning of both the ball and the socket is provided by cartilage. When someone is suffering from arthritis, wear-and-tear has caused cartilage deterioration that leads to direct friction between the bones.
Although Dr. Chen is a renowned and extremely active surgeon, he recognizes that his patients are looking for ways to avoid surgery. He himself is excited about the advent of biologics.
“The next generation of treatments will probably be geared more toward biologic therapy — in which biologic agents will be injected into the hip to cause the cartilage to regenerate,” says Dr. Chen. “That is still a ways away, though it might happen within our lifetime.”
Talking with your physician
When you get diagnosed with arthritis, the main thing that you should want to know is how to keep your hip functional as long as possible so you don’t have to consider joint replacement. Here are possible approaches you can discuss with your doctor to reduce arthritic symptoms:
· Weight-loss programs
· General fitness routines
· Additional ways that you can treat your body and recover (such as chiropractic care and a diverse range of physical therapy strategies).
4-step action plan
You don’t have to respond to arthritis passively. Instead, use this 4-step action plan:
1. Do your own research. Talk to your doctor about your findings.
2. Acknowledge your own pain. Don’t think you can avoid surgery by pretending that the hip pain isn’t there. Dr. Chen explains why that acknowledgment is important: “You may have a structural problem,” he says. “[K]nowing that and taking preventives measures can potentially delay the onset of arthritis.”
3. Get up and be active. Work out and try to maintain your flexibility.
4. Talk to a professional. The chronic pain of arthritis is complex. You can’t get the treatment you need with self-diagnosis. Seek guidance from professionals.
Although misery may love company, Dr. Chen is right that you don’t have to live your life in pain. If you are experiencing hip arthritis, you can stop suffering and get help from our team at Health Star Clinic. Get your free consultation.