How Does Long Axis Traction Help? Long axis traction is one of the key manual therapies that physical therapists use to relieve the pain and improve mobility of patients with hip osteoarthritis. Long axis traction has been in use for more than 100 years, and multiple studies over the last twenty years have documented its efficacy. They also suggest that higher traction forces up to 800N are superior for improvements in pain and mobility. However, those higher traction forces can be difficult to maintain and exhausting for the therapist. They can be effectively delivered through HipTrac, which uses a pneumatic cylinder and hand pump that can easily and comfortably provide over 100 PSI to get above 800N of force when...
Like most physical therapists, I’m constantly playing the role of educator and advocate. This oftentimes occurs while working with patients diagnosed with early-onset hip osteoarthritis. Individuals may not realize how much modern conservative care can help them during the months and years they may have to wait until they are candidates for THR surgery. Every day in this country thousands of individuals visit their physicians to find answers to their hip pain. Many of these individuals are referred to a surgeon, and an increasing number of them are relatively young and active individuals. During the visit with the surgeon, many patients find out that they have hip osteoarthritis and will likely need a hip replacement. However, oftentimes the patient is...
Leveraging independent LAT to help more patients Clinicians are finding additional ways to leverage independent long axis traction with HipTrac to assist a wider range of patients facing or experiencing tightness and capsular restrictions, pre-and post-surgery, including: Hip Arthroscopy with microfracture, post-op rehabilitation Hip Arthroscopy without microfracture, post-op rehabilitation Pre-habilitation, before surgery for hip arthroscopy or THR Hip OA, FAI, and labral tears Other conditions resulting in pain, tightness, and/or capsular restrictions HipTrac's original genesis centered around patients with hip osteoarthritis, as HipTrac directly targets the capsular restrictions of the affected hip, mobilizing it, and improving mobility while reducing pain. The patient-controlled, independent long axis traction can be used in the clinic or at home to provide traction forces of...
A recent study from the Queensland University of Technology (QUT) identified a high-fat diet, and specifically, saturated fats as a prime suspect in the onset of osteoarthritis. QUT scientists found that a diet containing 20% saturated fats changed the composition of cartilage in the weight-bearing joints of the hip and knee. The modified cartilage displayed osteoarthritic changes. In addition, the diet resulted in changes to the bone under the cartilage. The team of researchers from QUT and the University of Southern Queensland in Australia, led by professors Yin Xiao and Lindsay Brown, investigated the potential connection between dietary fat and development of osteoarthritis. They looked specifically at the effects of a diet rich in saturated fatty acids and simple carbohydrates...
And guess what, he doesn’t have any hip problems! Landen Lucas is a former member of the University of Kansas Jayhawks Basketball Program. He graduated in 2017 and is now embarking on his professional career. After playing with the Boston Celtics in the 2017 NBA Summer League, he signed a 3-year contract with Alvark Tokyo in Japan. As a 6’10” and 240 lb. forward, Landen’s body is constantly taking a pounding. He's running up and down the floor, hitting other big bodies, diving on the ground for loose balls, taking charges, setting big screens and training intensively day in and day out. Athletes like Landen require proper rest, recovery and restoration to succeed - and to keep doing it for...
