Hip dysplasia is an instability or looseness of the hip joint. This condition affects thousands of children each year. According to the International Hip Dysplasia Institute, the severity ranges from mild instability to complete dislocation. If untreated, this condition can cause arthritis in adults. Although exercise alone will not cure hip dysplasia, there are exercises that will help you regain range of motion, either instead of, or after, surgery.
Significance
The goal of rehabilitation for hip dysplasia is to reduce direct weight-bearing on the hip. Your doctor or physical therapist will provide a program that will enable you to stretch tight muscles and strengthen the surrounding hip and trunk muscles so that you will be able to walk normally. Your doctor will also advise you of ways to modify normal daily activities in order to reduce pressure on your hip joint.
Time Frame
Exercise alone will not cure hip dysplasia. Often, surgery will be required to fix a hip displacement. Following surgery, you may be hospitalized for two or three days, and you will be advised to rest the hip until the pain subsides. As your strength returns over the next several weeks and months, therapy may begin.
Features
Gentle movement and stretching exercises of the hip are recommended because the motion may help lubricate the joint surfaces.Your doctor or physical therapist will prescribe exercises that focus on loosening tight inner thigh muscles and hip flexors and improving range of motion. He will also lead you through exercises that strengthen your gluteals, hamstrings and abductor muscles to increase muscular support around the injured joint.
Types
As you recover from hip surgery, you will first need to learn how to temporarily reduce the amount of pressure on the affected hip. Your physical therapist will first instruct you in gait training, or walking with a cane or a crutch. As pain subsides and strength and mobility return, he may prescribe low-impact activities for overall conditioning, including swimming and bicycling.
Prevention/Solution
Proper prenatal care may help prevent hip dysplasia. If your doctor is able to determine your baby's position in the womb, he can be prepared for the possibility of a breech birth, which may cause hip problems. Avoid forcing your baby's legs into a straight position, such as swaddling, for long periods of time, since that may cause a strain on the hips. If a hip dysplasia does occur, it is best treated in very young infants. Often, if hip dysplasia is diagnosed in a baby 6 months of age or younger, she can be treated by wearing a harness for several months to gently nudge the hip into place. According to the International Hip Dysplasia Institute, once a child is more than 18 months old, surgery and subsequent physical therapy may be necessary.
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