Mobilization with Movement for Home
As May is Arthritis Awareness month, it's worth remembering that 1 out of 5 people in the United States will suffer from hip osteoarthritis during their lifetimes. Hip osteoarthritis is one of the most common chronic illnesses in the US today. Unfortunately, our healthcare system has historically only prescribed pain medications and NSAIDs, use of a cane, weight loss, and independent exercise alone while waiting for it to get bad enough for surgery. The period between diagnosis and hip surgery can be, on average, three to six years. As the OA progresses, pain increases, activity decreases, and patients are increasingly at risk for other co-morbidities related to inactivity such as heart disease, obesity, diabetes, depression, addiction, and cancer.
But there is a more effective way to treat the signs and symptoms of hip osteoarthritis which includes specific physical therapy, using a combination of education, manual therapies and therapeutic exercise that relieves the pain and improves joint mobility. This starts in a clinic, and patients can continue selected exercises, and manual therapy at home. With this approach, patients can stay active and be in better physical condition if and when they do go in for surgery. Result: better patient outcomes and less cost to our healthcare system. At OPTA 2016, Dr. Tony Rocklin, a passionate advocate for this more effective treatment of hip OA, reviewed a number of the mobilization with movement exercises that patients can do at home. Check out this video.