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Hip Osteoarthritis – New Clinical Practice Guideline

Hip Osteoarthritis

Physical Therapy utilizes art and science to create a specific program for restoration of each patient’s physical function.  Later blog articles will focus on the ART while this article is focusing on the SCIENCE.  Physical Therapists are passionate about finding, confirming, and using optimal treatment strategies for their patients.  We are greatly indebted to the researchers who dedicate their lives to helping us in that pursuit.

The Journal of Orthopaedic and Sports Physical Therapy (JOSPT) is one of my “go to” journals for good, sound research.  In June 2017 they published a new Clinical Practice Guideline for Hip Osteoarthritis.  What does that mean for you, the person living with hip osteoarthritis?  That means that a bunch of really smart people combed through all the research and made recommendations for people like me to use when helping the most important people involved – our patients!  And, here is what they said…

How do we diagnose Hip Osteoarthritis?  Adults over the age of 50 with moderate anterior or lateral hip pain during weight-bearing activities, morning stiffness less than 1 hour duration after waking, hip internal rotation (IR) range of motion less than 24 degrees or IR and flexion 15 degrees less than non-painful side, and/or increased hip pain associated with passive hip internal rotation.  What is hip internal rotation?  Lie on your back with one knee and same hip bent to 90 degrees.  While maintaining this hip and knee position, try to bring your foot out to the side.  Compare the motion to the other side.

What tests and measures should be included in the evaluation?  You should be assessed for physical function measures, balance performance/risk of falls assessment, active range of motion for the hip, and muscle strength.

How should we treat Hip Osteoarthritis?  Manual therapy should be used to improve hip mobility.  This should be followed up with flexibility, strengthening, and endurance exercises to address impairments in hip range of motion, specific muscle weakness, and limited muscle flexibility.  Patients should receive education on activity modification, exercise, weight reduction when overweight, and methods of unloading the arthritic joints.  Bracing should be used as a last resort if these forms of treatment are not effective.

If you have any questions regarding these recommendations, please feel free to contact us here at Physical Therapy for everyBODY – amykonvalinpt@gmail.com or (425)658-4944.  If you would like to read the complete article:

http://www.jospt.org/doi/full/10.2519/jospt.2017.0301

Dr. Amy Konvalin

Dr. Amy Konvalin

Struggling with pain and dysfunction can impact every part of our lives — it drains our energy, distracts us from our goals, and keeps us from the people and activities we love. As an Orthopedic Clinical Specialist, Dr. Amy Konvalin understands how frustrating those limitations can be — and she knows how to help get you back to the life you want to live! Beginning with a focused evaluation, Dr. Amy works to determine the root causes of your pain, as well as understanding how it affects the way you move through your world. Dysfunctional patterns of movement often grow worse with time and cause further damage if left untreated — so it’s important to address these issues as soon as possible. Dr. Amy knows there is no one-size-fits-all plan for success, and she partners with patients to identify their unique treatment goals and personal values. Using these goals as a guide, Amy uses her doctorate training in manual (hands-on) therapy and exercise prescription to treat patients with a wide variety of medical challenges and histories throughout the Maple Valley, Black Diamond and Covington areas. Dr. Amy is also a wife to a Boeing superstar/former C-130 navigator. While they lived in Germany, Dr. Amy was able to volunteer with the US Army to treat military personnel and civilians on base. She has two beautiful teenage ballerinas who keep her on her toes and educate her on all things ballet! Bailey, the princess pup, is her running partner and her napping partner. In the spare moments in between, Amy enjoys reading, yoga, wine with friends, Pilates, and walking on the beach.
Dr. Amy Konvalin

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