Our Chiropractic Partners' Raleigh Chiropractor, Dr. Daniel Keadle, recently published an article in Chiropractic Economics titled  "Preventing arthroscopic hip surgery or replacement"  where he discusses  tips and info regarding hip surgery. Here's some highlights of what he had to say!

• Appropriate exercises combined with specific chiropractic care, may drastically improve your function and mobility, reduce your pain level, and may delay or avoid the need for surgery!
• In the United States, 3-7% of older adults will deal with some form of hip osteoarthritis during their lifetime! While there are other types of hip problems such as fractures or soft-tissue injuries, the majority of people will be diagnosed with and seek care for the degenerative type, attempting to in the end avoid arthroscopic hip surgery. These degenerative hip problems result in almost 200,000 hip replacements each year in our country! There are many other options when it comes to degenerative hip issues.
• Exercise and physical activity are widely known to have a positive effect on the health and condition of our joints.  

Check out these 2 studies regarding treatments and exercise below:

1) A 2004 study compared “manual therapy” to “exercise therapy” in 109 individuals who were previously diagnosed with hip osteoarthritis. The exercise group focused on active exercises to improve muscle function and joint motion. The manual treatments (aka chiropractic care) included: identifying and stretching the short/tight muscles within the hip complex, traction of the hip joint, and manipulation of the joint in “each appropriate limited position.”

The participants were split into two groups and treated over a five-week period, and the results were very impressive:

• Primary outcome success rates were 81% for manual therapy compared to just 50% for exercise therapy.
• The manual therapy group had significantly better outcomes for improved range of motion, hip function, stiffness and pain;
• The positive outcomes experienced by the manual therapy group endured after 29 weeks.

2) A study from 2015, which measured how much load our hips experience when moving, showed that when walking, an average adult will experience hip contact forces of approximately 4 to 5.5 times their body weight. That load may increase up to 10 times our body weight when running 12 km/h (approximately the pace of an 8-minute mile).

• What does this mean for patients? While we can’t make specific recommendations for cardiovascular exercise, we do know that extremely high mileage combined with a fast running pace could put you at a higher risk for degenerative hip problems, and the more degeneration there is, the more likely you are to encounter problems. In the context of hip health, this means a regular walking routine may benefit patients greatly, while running must be carefully managed.
• If you want to engage in more vigorous cardio, try something like swimming or an elliptical that takes some of the load off your joints.  While we can’t make specific recommendations for cardiovascular exercise, we do know that extremely high mileage combined with a fast running pace could put you at a higher risk for degenerative hip problems, and the more degeneration there is, the more likely you are to encounter problems. In the context of hip health, this means a regular walking routine may benefit patients greatly, while running must be carefully managed.

To read this article in it's entirety please visit the July 2021 issue at chiroeco.com.  If you'd like to learn more about chiropractic care and have additional questions about your specific concerns, please visit Dr. Keadle at our North Raleigh office today!