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Can Losing Weight Help You Avoid Hip Replacement Surgery?

Hip replacement surgery involves replacing a damaged hip joint with an artificial prosthesis. Tumors, fractures and other injuries are all causes of joint damage. However, osteoarthritis is the most common cause of damage to the hip joint, the National Institutes of Health Senior Health notes. Losing weight is a viable way to reduce osteoarthritis and can help you avoid hip replacement surgery.

  1. Osteoarthritis

    • In the United States, 27 million Americans ages 25 years or older are affected by osteoarthritis. The condition occurs when the cartilage around the hip joint is damaged or lost and the bones are forced to rub against each other. As the osteoarthritis worsens, bone damage increases and you may feel intense hip pain and notice a reduction in the range of motion of your hip. Eventually, you will need to undergo hip replacement surgery to alleviate the pain and restore normal movement.

    Obesity

    • Obesity significantly increases your chances of eventually needing hip replacement surgery, according to a 2009 article in the journal “Arthritis Research and Therapy.” The hips are tasked with bearing much of the weight from the upper body. The more weight you place upon the hip joints the greater the chances that the cartilage will wear away and joint damage will occur. Severe joint damage is often irreversible, and you will require hip replacement.

    Weight Loss

    • If you are obese or overweight, weight loss helps you avoid total hip replacement. Even losing just 5 percent of your body weight can significantly reduce any pain or disability associated with osteoarthritis of the hip, according to The New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene. As you reduce the weight placed on your hip joint, you lessen the stress. Less stress corresponds to less cartilage and bone damage and a more stable joint.

    Exercise

    • Lack of exercise contributes to the development of osteoarthritis. Though certain exercises, such as running or jumping, increase the stress placed on your knees, other exercises help treat osteoarthritis and can postpone the need for hip replacement surgery, according to The Harvard Medical School Family Health Guide. Range of motion exercises and low-impact aerobic exercises, like swimming or walking, help treat osteoarthritis before surgery is required. By strengthening the muscles around the hip, you can reduce the stress placed on the joint.

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