The aging process eventually causes bones and joints to become weakened and/or worn down. This makes adults more susceptible to joint pain and hip injury than when they were younger. Injured hips can require extended healing time since they are used for even the most mundane of daily activities such as sitting, standing or even rolling over in bed. This is why hip health and fitness is so important. The more adults consciously take care of their bones and joints, via diet, exercise and minor modifications, the healthier their bones and joints will be.
The number of hip replacement surgeries continues to rise year after year. While these surgeries can be extremely successful at returning normal hip function to adults with severe injuries, overprescribing of surgical intervention can be dangerous. For example, some people have received faulty or defective hip implants that have required additional interventions, often surgical, in order to deal with accompanying health complications.
By maintaining overall health and fitness, and diligently using physical therapy and exercise to naturally heal hip injuries, many adults will be able to avoid hip surgery.
Hip Health and Fitness
Nutrition, exercise and modifications to daily activities can help prevent hip injury from falls or accelerated osteoarthritis damage.
- Nutrition. Eating a well-balanced diet, rich in vitamins and minerals, helps to make sure the body gets what it needs to repair injured tissues and keep bones and joints healthy. Supplements can also be used to ensure the body is getting what it needs to promote healthy bone growth and support joint movement. Adults can speak with their doctor about calcium, vitamin D and magnesium supplements. Glucosamine and Chondroitin Sulfate are also known for maintaining strong joints, relieving joint inflammation and pain, and slowing down osteoarthritis.
- Exercise. Adults, especially older adults, should focus on daily exercises that involve both weight-bearing activities — which are known to help increase bone density — and movement-based exercises — which keep the joints moving and flexible. Just 30 minutes of exercise per day can help to slow down muscle loss, increase bone strength, and improve dexterity and balance, all of which reduce one’s chances of falling and suffering a traumatic hip injury.
- Modifications. Something as simple as custom foot orthotics, like ezWalker® Performance Insoles, can make a tremendous difference in wear and tear on joints. In fact, custom foot orthotics not only relieve knee and hip pain, they have also been shown to slow down the effects of osteoarthritis due to subtle adjustments in how muscles and bones move together when orthotics are used regularly. Other examples of lifestyle modifications can be as simple as sitting up in bed for a moment before getting up each morning, using hand rails when ascending/descending stairways, or installing hand rails for climbing in and out of the shower. These modifications can prevent people from falling, which is the most common way that people incur hip injuries that require surgical intervention.
The sooner adults begin to prioritize hip health and fitness, the longer they can enjoy an active lifestyle with as little medical intervention as possible.
Today’s guest blog post is by Elizabeth Carrollton. Elizabeth writes about defective medical devices and dangerous drugs for Drugwatch.com.
For more information on ezWalker® Performance Insoles, visit our website.
