Under the guidance of a health care professional, lose weight if you are overweight. Shift to activities that cause less pain and avoid activities that are most aggravating.Įxercise is one of the most effective interventions for hip and knee pain, but it may require you to modify prior routines and seek out lower-impact activities. The first-tier conservative regimens that have received the strongest evidence include: The American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons publishes clinical practice guidelines for hip and knee osteoarthritis, as well as many other conditions. A three-tier framework can be helpful to understand the treatment ladder orthopedic surgeons use to manage osteoarthritis Generally, it is best to treat painful osteoarthritis with the most conservative and least invasive measures first, and then escalate as necessary to achieve tolerable pain and function. Once your health care professional diagnoses osteoarthritis and confirms the degree of severity, you and your health care team can discuss an appropriate treatment plan. This needs to be differentiated from other potential sources of hip and knee pain, such as referred pain from the back soft tissue pain, like tendinitis or bursitis and other joint pathologies, including osteonecrosis or inflammatory arthritis, such as rheumatoid arthritis.
Through an appointment with primary care, or with a specialist such as an orthopedic surgeon, your doctor can perform a careful history, physical examination and obtain X-rays to confirm if you have osteoarthritis. An estimated 20%-30% of adults older than 45 have evidence of hip or knee osteoarthritis on X-rays.Īs a first step, it is important to establish a diagnosis for hip and knee pain. This condition occurs when the protective cartilage lining the joints is lost, resulting in pain and impaired function. What are my treatment options?ĪNSWER: Osteoarthritis, also known as mechanical arthritis or "wear-and-tear" arthritis, is the most common joint disorder in the U.S. Recently, I started having more aches and pains, especially in my knees and hips. DEAR MAYO CLINIC: I am 50 years old and live an active lifestyle.