Hip Pain and Degenerative Joint Disease

Doctors commonly believe that joints degenerate because of disease intrinsic to the joint itself; for this reason they characterize the problem as a "joint disease." In addition, doctors do not carefully examine the bodies of their patients and as a result do not understand that joint dysfunction is mainly brought on by the prolonged stress of contracted body tissues outside the joint.

A joint is stressed when the tissues surrounding it become tight and contracted. If this stress continues over a protracted period, the structure of the joint begins to degenerate. If this process is allowed to continue for years, the joint may become so damaged that it eventually has to be replaced with a plastic or mental one.

Fortunately, nature provides us with the early warning system of pain. Pain alerts the individual that something is wrong. The proper response of doctors would be to carefully examine the body to find what is causing the alarm signal of pain. Tight, contracted tissues would then be identified and treated, and the sensation of pain would go away, as well as the stress to the joint, which would remain healthy. Sadly, doctors do not heed the alarm signal of pain; in fact, believe it or not, they actually attempt to kill it, and the dramatic growth of the mechanical-joint industry continues apace.

Any joint in the body can be stressed by tight and contracted body tissues. If you suffer pain perceived to be coming from a joint, and intrinsic joint problems, such as rheumatoid arthritis have been ruled out, and your doctor is talking about replacing your joint with a mechanical one, it would be wise to see if you can solve your problem by using soft tissue manipulation techniques.

Before considering drastic measures to manage your pain taking into consideration the following:

1. Although many people believe that surgery is the only option for dealing with the pain, cutting into dysfunctional tissues with a sharp scalpel will not normalize them. Indeed, surgical intrusion causes scar tissue to form and may inflict damage on nerves and blood vessels, thereby complicating the problem.

2. Use of splints. A splint prevents movement. This "forced rest" may allow the body to temporarily accommodate to an area of tissue dysfunction. However, the dysfunction remains and pain will flare up when movement is resumed.

3. Cortisone injections. Tissue effects of this drug are temporary and side effects can be serious.

4. TENS units. These devices attempt to block out the body's alarm signal of pain. They do not eliminate the cause of pain.