4 Strengthening Exercises for Hip Osteoarthritis

Osteoarthritis (OA) is one of the most common ailments affecting nearly 3 million people in the United States each year.

It’s a chronic condition involving the bones and cartilage within a joint. OA is the breakdown of the cartilage within a joint that results in exposed bone. When this condition occurs, it causes bone on bone friction, resulting in pain, stiffness, loss of motion, decreased stability and/or the formation of bone spurs.

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The hip is a ball and socket joint that consists of the thigh bone (femur) and it’s articulation on the pelvis known as the acetabulum. The hip joint provides a high range of motion allowing the femur to move freely through a 360° circle. It also allows a 90° rotation around its axis giving it high level of mobility. Despite its high level of mobility, the hip is stabilized by many large muscles surrounding the joint. The hip is capable of supporting your body’s weight as well as extra forces created by walking, running, jumping, etc. When we have an injured hip, the hips lose the ability to support the force placed on it. We feel this as pain, stiffness or instability.

Related: Natural Ways to Relieve Arthritis Pain

In this post, I’d like to talk about OA of the hip. In hip osteoarthritis, the cartilage that lines the acetabulum and/or covers the surface of the femoral head breaks down causing the bones to rub against each other. Pain from this condition is most commonly felt in the front part of the groin area. It may feel stiffer after long periods of inactivity or rest such as sleeping or sitting down. When we are up and moving around we may feel like our hip will occasionally “give out” or feel unstable. If left untreated, this condition may require surgical intervention. Arthroscopy or hip replacement may be necessary.

Related: How to Stop Arthritis Pain

I’d like to show you a few exercises to help strengthen and stabilize the hip so you can stay away from the operating table. In order to stabilize the hips and pelvis, we need to have strong glute muscles and a stable core.

The first exercise I will show you involves a muscle called the Transverse Abdominis (TA). This exercise is going to be used during all the exercises I’m going to show you in this post. The TA’s job is to support and stabilize the lumbar spine. It’s important to know how to correctly contract this muscle as it is used in everything that we do.

Transverse Abdominal Brace

4 Strengthening Exercises for Hip Osteoarthritis 4 Strengthening Exercises for Hip Osteoarthritis

  • Begin lying on your back with your knees bent, feet resting on the floor, and your fingers resting on your stomach just above your hip bones.

 

  • Tighten your abdominals, pulling your navel in toward your spine and up. You should feel your muscles contract under your fingers. Hold this position 10-15sec, then relax and repeat 2-3 sets of 10 reps.

 

  • Make sure to keep the natural arch in your back. Do not flatten your back against the floor and do not hold your breath as you tighten your muscles.

 

The next series of exercises is a progression for your gluteal muscles.

First are the glut sets. Secondly, are the bridges. These exercises put emphasis on the Gluteus Maximus. The glut max is responsible for extending your hip. This muscle is the primary power muscle when ascending stairs and propelling you forward when walking.

 

Glute Set

4 Strengthening Exercises for Hip Osteoarthritis 4 Strengthening Exercises for Hip Osteoarthritis

 

  • Begin in a standing upright position.

 

  • Tighten your buttock muscles, then relax and repeat.

 

  • Make sure not to hold your breath as you tighten your muscles during the exercise.

 

Bridge

4 Strengthening Exercises for Hip Osteoarthritis 4 Strengthening Exercises for Hip Osteoarthritis

  • Begin lying on your back with your arms resting at your sides, your legs bent at the knees and your feet flat on the ground.

 

  • Tighten your abdominals and slowly lift your hips off the floor into a bridge position, keeping your back straight. Perform 2-3 sets of 10 reps.

 

  • Make sure to keep your trunk stiff and core tight throughout the exercise and your arms flat on the floor.

 

The last exercise will focus on the Gluteus Medius. The glut med is responsible for laterally lifting the leg (abduction). It also assists with hip rotation. It is also one of the primary lateral stabilizing muscles for the pelvis.

 

Fire Hydrant

4 Strengthening Exercises for Hip Osteoarthritis 4 Strengthening Exercises for Hip Osteoarthritis

 

  • Begin on all fours with your hands under your shoulders and your knees under your hips.

 

  • Lift your leg out to your side, keeping your knee bent, then return to the starting position and repeat. Perform 2-3 set of 10 reps.

 

  • Make sure to engage your core and do not let your hips rotate or drop to either side.

 

I hope that these exercises will help give you some relief if you are having any hip pain or discomfort. If your pain is affecting any part of your daily routine, please don’t hesitate to give us a call and set up a free pain consultation with one of our skilled physical therapists and they can head you in the right direction for getting rid of your pain and getting you back in motion.

4 Strengthening Exercises for Hip OsteoarthritisBy Andy Broomhall, PTA

Back in Motion® Physical Therapy – Portland, Maine

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