Helpful tips to avoid Hip Injuries

Helpful Tips to Avoid Hip Injuries

The hip joint is used for so many movements that the smallest injury can have a large impact. Taking steps to prevent a fall is very important in maintain healthy hips, as well as other joints in the body. As adults age — especially adults with osteoarthritis — hip injuries are usually more severe due to bone and muscle tissue loss. Unfortunately, the more severe the hip injury is, the more likely a doctor is to prescribe hip replacement surgery. While these surgeries have helped thousands of adults, they also come with certain risks. Some patients are forced to deal with faulty implants and serious health complications, many of which require additional surgery.

Avoiding hip injuries is the most important step toward keeping hip joints healthy and strong, and reducing the risk of future hip replacement surgery.

Avoiding Hip Injuries

There are three basic tenets to avoiding hip injury: keep bones, muscles and joints strong, have good balance, and avoid situations that can lead to injury. With those methods in mind, here are some good tips to help avoid hip injury:

·       Nutrition. Part of keeping muscles, bones and joints healthy involves providing them with the nutrients they need to perform optimally, repair damaged tissue and promote new growth to maintain adequate strength. The only way they can get the nutrients they need is through a person's diet. Eating foods rich in vitamins and minerals is essential to overall well-being. Supplements such as calcium, magnesium, Vitamin D, Glucosamine and Chondroitin sulfate are especially beneficial for bones and joints. Always speak with a medical professional or a pharmacist before changing or adding any vitamin or mineral supplements.

·       Exercise. Exercise provides several benefits. It keeps muscles and bones strong, prevents limbs from becoming stiff, enhances flexibility, improves balance and enhances mood. Exercises should be varied between weight-bearing and non-weight-bearing exercises.

Weight-bearing exercises are beneficial because they cause tension between the muscles and bones, which triggers bone growth for added density and strength.  Examples include walking, running and weight-lifting.

Non-weight-bearing exercises put less emphasis on strength and more emphasis on movement, balance and posture. Examples are gentle water exercise, low-impact bicycling, yoga, dancing and Tai Chi.

It's important to note that depending on the intensity of the workout, many non-weight bearing exercises can slip into the weight-bearing category as long as there is enough tension between muscles and bones to trigger bone density increase.

·       Balance. Balance is very important. When adults have good balance, the occasional stumble or trip will not result in a fall. As stability weakens, even small amounts of uneven ground can cause a fall and result in hip injury. Dancing, regular exercise and stretches from a standing position can all help to maintain good balance.

·       Modifications. Consider small changes such as using handrails regularly and holding on to something stable when transferring from a lying or seated position to standing in order to let the body adjust. Install handrails in bathrooms and showers.

Good nutrition, remaining fit and making small modifications to daily activities can help prevent falls and hip injuries that could potentially result in surgical intervention.

Elizabeth Carrollton writes for Drugwatch.com about exercise and health tips to avoid hip injuries, as well as providing helpful information about joint replacements and hip recall lawsuits.