Dr. Jose Manuel Felices has put the focus on osteoarthritis hipa fairly common pain that affects the mobility and quality of life of thousands of people.
“Hip osteoarthritis is like a hinge without oil: it hurts, it creaks and it stops you”, he stated in one of his latest publications, where he detailed the symptoms, the diagnosis and the recommended steps to treat this disease.
The expert points out that the diagnosis is made through clinical history, physical examination and x-ray. “Look at what a normal hip looks like versus a hip with completely impinged osteoarthritis,” he explained.
Given this situation, the initial treatment (what he calls “plan A”) is based on conservative measures: “Plan A it’s always exercise to strengthen the gluteuslose five to ten percent of body weight and anti-inflammatories if your doctor considers it.”
However, when these measures are not enough, “plan B” is resorted to: a infiltration with hyaluronic acid. The procedure involves locating the joint using ultrasound and administering the treatment to the neck of the femur.
“First we introduce anesthesia to make sure we are in the joint and then we inject the acid. We see how the joint It is filling up,” he described.
This substance acts as a lubricant and, to a lesser extent, as anti-inflammatorywhich contributes to reduce pain and improve mobility.
“Infiltration helps the patient to have less pain and better mobility. It is time for me to take the opportunity to do rehabilitation,” he concluded.
Alejandro Diaz
