What Age-Related Issues Can PRP Treat?
Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) is a revolutionary treatment for many issues, including age-related joint pain and injuries. Read on to learn what other issues PRP can treat as you age.
Am I Too Young for Hip Replacement Surgery?
Severe hip pain severely inhibits your ability to perform everyday activities, including walking and getting dressed. If your life has changed due to pain in your hip, you should consider hip replacement surgery; but are you too young?
If you’re struggling with hip pain, Dr. Brian Snow and Dr. Jon Thompson at Alpha Orthopedics & Sports Medicine offer conservative treatments and surgical intervention to get you back on your feet.
Dr. Snow and Dr. Thompson are both skilled orthopedic surgeons with years of experience in specialized treatments for hip pain. They assess your joint to determine if a hip replacement suits you, no matter how old.
When is hip pain too much?
Hip pain affects both young and old, male and female. It’s often due to an acute injury or degeneration of the protective tissue within your joints.
If you have hip pain, it can range from mild discomfort to severe and debilitating pain. If your hip pain doesn’t go away with home treatment, you should seek professional help.
But when is hip pain too much for simple conservative treatments? You may be a candidate for more invasive procedures if you meet any of the following criteria:
- Your pain continues at rest
- Difficulty walking or climbing stairs
- Conservative measures haven’t worked
- You can’t perform normal activities
- Your hip pain is affecting your mental health
Osteoarthritis is one of the most common causes of chronic hip pain without injury. This form of arthritis causes damage within your joint, wearing away the cartilage, which protects the joint from harm.
Severe osteoarthritis often leads to severe disability and permanent damage to the hip joint. Without treatment, the condition continues to get worse and causes severe pain in your hip.
Understanding a hip replacement
A hip replacement is a surgical treatment for damage in your hip joint resistant to other, more conservative measures. We typically offer you hip replacement surgery if you meet any of the following criteria:
- Joint degeneration
- Hip fracture
- Severe pain that limits activity
- Pain unrelieved by physical therapy and medications
- Trouble walking
- Decreased range of motion
We can provide information on hip replacement surgery if you meet these criteria.
During the procedure, our team makes an incision on the affected hip. We then carefully remove the damaged areas of tissue and bone, allowing room for the new prosthetic.
Our team measures the area inside your joint to customize the fit of the prosthetic devices. We then attach the prosthetics to your pelvis and femur to provide you with a new, fully functioning hip joint.
Once we finish the procedure, we stitch up the area and transfer you to the recovery area. You may need to spend a night or two in the hospital for pain control and early physical therapy.
Are you too young for surgery?
There’s no right or wrong age to have a hip replacement. You can have this surgery if your bones have finished growing and you're healthy enough to undergo surgery.
However, it’s not the first treatment option because it’s invasive and requires months of commitment to the recovery process.
If you suffer from severe hip pain from an injury or degenerative condition in your joint and other conservative measures are unsuccessful in managing your pain, you can inquire about a hip replacement.
Ultimately, our team determines whether or not a hip replacement is suitable for you. But understand the younger you are when you have surgery, the more likely you’ll need repeat surgery to replace old prosthetics as you age.
Other options to consider
You have a few options if you’re not entirely sold on surgery but tired of dealing with hip pain. Surgery is a big step and isn’t for everyone right away.
Our team offers several more conservative options to control your pain and improve your mobility until a hip replacement is an option. A few of the treatments to consider include the following:
- Physical therapy
- Activity modifications
- Anti-inflammatory medications
- Corticosteroid injections
- Regenerative medicine injections
Losing weight, resting, and getting regular exercise may also help your pain by keeping your joint mobile and keeping it from stiffening up.
However, if these treatments aren’t enough to keep your pain under control, you should consider surgery to provide you with long-term pain relief.
To find out what treatment is right for your hip pain, call us at one of our three locations in McKinney, Prosper, and Sherman, Texas, to schedule a consultation. You may also request an appointment on the website.
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