Osteoarthritis of the hip is caused by the breakdown of the cartilage of the joint. Along with the hip joint osteoarthritis can also affects other weight bearing joints such as knees, Spine and hands. It is often called a degenerative disease. There is no cure for osteoarthritis.

You can not cure the disease; you can only manage the disease.
Treatment options for osteoarthritis of the hip should be individualized. Each patient has different condition. The doctor treats each patient differently. There are two types of treatments for managing the disease are available. One is nonsurgical treatment and the other is surgical treatment.

You have to give enough rest to your hip joint. The exercise or a physical therapy should be followed. The gentle exercise like swimming or cycling will help to keep your joint functioning. By doing regular exercise the strength of the joint and muscles increases hence the mobility also increases. If you are over weight you need to lose weight as it puts more pressure on your hip joint.

You can take painkiller pills to manage the pain in the hip. However, use of NSAIDs can lead to certain side effects. The pain medication should be taken under supervision of the doctor.

Osteoarthritis of the hip generally makes it difficult to maintain a daily routine. Going up the stairs or just walking becomes difficult. Because of the pain if you do not exercise then the muscles around the joint become weak and it becomes more difficult to manage daily activities.

As there is no cure for osteoarthritis of the hip you have to get enough information about the disease and learn to manage the pain. Take the pain killers or NSAIDs with consultation of the doctor. It is best to lose weight if you are obese. Start regular exercise which you can do. Eat healthy and balanced food. Get the help of some assistive devices such as put a wall bar for your bath. Learn relaxation techniques. Do not forget to stretch before you exercise. Apply ice to reduce the pain in the hip joint.

If you have a severe condition then hip replacement is the only way out for you. After the surgery you will need to take help of a walker or a stick for a few days.

Taking your medication, noting any changes in your pain, eating healthy and balanced diet and going in for regular check up to the physician theses are proper follow up procedure for managing your osteoarthritis of the hip.