Arthritis of The Hip Joint – Diagnosing Arthritis of the Hip Joint
Arthritis of the hip joint can be devastating. Not only are people who have arthritis of the hip joint often in pain, but they eventually become disabled where they are forced to live out their lives in a wheelchair. Diagnosing and treating arthritis of the hip joint involves a doctor doing tests as well as looking at any symptoms of arthritis of the hip joint someone may have. Some people diagnose themselves and try to treat their arthritis of the hip joint alone which is not always a very good idea.
How do you know that you have arthritis of the hip joint and not just an injury? If you have arthritis of the hip joint the pain does not always go away. You may have good days and bad days where the symptoms are not as bad. However, you will often feel stiffness, especially in the early morning, and a dull pain that sometimes become a burning sensation. Some people who have arthritis of the hip joint feel a grinding sensation or may feel their hip is loose. All of these signs point to having arthritis and not just an injury.
Even if you are one hundred percent certain you have arthritis of the hip joint, you should not just diagnose yourself. There are several reasons for this. For one thing, you will not know whether you have degenerative or inflammatory arthritis of the hip joint and the two conditions are very different. In degenerative arthritis the cartilage wears away, leaving exposed bone, and in inflammatory the joint becomes inflamed and painful. Another reason you should not self diagnose your arthritis of the hip joint is that you will not know how much damage may be there and could accidentally do more.
A doctor will listen to your suspicions of arthritis of the hip joint and do a physical examination. Usually x-rays will be ordered so your doctor can get a better look at what is happening and whether you really have arthritis of the hip joint. The x-rays will also help the doctor identify if there is any damage to the joint, whether you have an old injury, and give an idea about treatment. You doctor will use the x-rays as a baseline for later on to see if the condition is getting worse so that he or she will be able to give you the best treatment.
