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Chiropractic management of hip pain after conservative hip arthroplasty
1jeffrey.wisdo@palmer.edu
Objectives:
To describe a case involving postsurgical hip pain that was successfully treated with a combination of chiropractic manipulation of the lumbar and pelvic region and low-tech rehabilitation 14 months postsurgery.
Clinical Features:
A 45-year-old man had pain and difficulty with walking. He was diagnosed with bilateral avascular necrosis at the femoral heads. He had successful right hip arthroplasty (HA) surgery at the time of the original diagnosis and had 2 previous surgeries to the left hip joint to treat avascular necrosis, with the latter being hip arthroplasty. He had a chief complaint of left hip pain that radiated down the lateral thigh to the knee with a "clicking" of the hip noted at end range abduction and adduction, as well as an altered gait pattern associated with dysfunction of the left hip.
Intervention And Outcome:
He was treated with chiropractic manipulative therapy of the lumbar and sacroiliac joints and a rehabilitation program that consisted of in-office and home exercise programs. The patient experienced a decrease in the pain and an improvement in the flexibility and strength that led to an improved gait pattern and decreased pain. Outcomes were measured through active range of motion comparisons and use of the Harris Hip Scale Evaluation.
Conclusions:
Treatment of hip pain through chiropractic manipulation and rehabilitation is described. The patient had increases in active ranges of motion and Harris Hip scores. Additional studies should be done to evaluate the effects of chiropractic manipulations on patient outcomes following such surgeries.
