Physical Therapy for Avascular Necrosis
Most living tissues have blood vessels that come from many directions into the tissue. Bones are living tissue, and like all living tissues they rely on blood vessels to bring blood to keep them alive. If one blood vessel is damaged it may not cause problems, since there may be a backup blood supply coming in from a different direction. Certain joints of the body, however, have only a few blood vessels that bring in blood. One of these joints is the hip.
Avascular necrosis is a disease resulting from the loss of blood supply to the bones. The bone tissue dies and the structure of bone begins to collapse when the blood supply is affected. This disease most often affects the thigh bone (Femur), causing pain in the groin, and the pain may extend down the thigh. Avascular necrosis is a serious condition as it causes bone destruction, pain and loss of joint function.
It’s imperative to visit an expert physiotherapist in case you’re experiencing the below given symptoms:
Symptoms
When weight is placed on the hip, pain is experienced which is the first symptom. Pain can also be felt in the groin region, the buttock area and down the front of the thigh. The symptoms include development of a limp when walking as the problem progresses, which causes stiffness in the hip joint. If not treated or looked upon, pain may eventually be present at rest and may even interfere with sleep.
Diagnosis
Your physiotherapist will ask questions about where precisely your pain is, when did it began, what do you think could’ve possibly made this happen, and what movements aggravate or ease you pain. They will also ask for your medical history, occupation, other medical problems if you have, if you’re using any medication. Additionally, if avascular necrosis is suspected, they may inquire about whether you drink alcohol or smoke.
Your physical therapist will do a physical examination to determine exactly where your pain is, to assess how much stiffness you have in your hip joint, to determine if your hip is weak, and to assess whether or not you are walking with a limp. Physiotherapists will also move your hip into different positions to determine which motions cause or ease your discomfort. They will finally take a look at your foot position and alignment when you stand, and may ask to walk or squat so alignment can be determined during these activities as well. If symptoms of avascular necrosis is suspected, then your physiotherapist will encourage X-rays to be done.
Non-surgical Treatment
If avascular necrosis is caught up early, non-surgical treatment may be an option. Nonsurgical treatment involves using medication as well as doing Physical Therapy at home with our expert physiotherapists. All you have to do is give us a call or book an appointment with us and our physiotherapists may visit your home in case you have difficulties coming over to our physiotherapy center.
Physical therapy can be very effective in treating avascular necrosis of the femoral head if it’s detected early. It can help ease your pain and prevent further damage but again, treatment is not aimed to reverse the problem. Early detection and treatment with physical therapy is the key to nonsurgical management of avascular necrosis.
You can work with our expert physiotherapists in Edmonton, who will show you ways to safely move and stretch your hip. The goal is to keep your hip mobile and to avoid losing range of motion. They can provide proper exercises to help increase the strength of the muscles around the affected area (which will eventually help decreasing the weight of the joint). They also use modalities such as electrical stimulation, ultrasound, joint mobilization, and heat in attempt to increase blood supply to the area and help decrease pain. Contact our team of expert physiotherapists today and book your appointment!
