Inflammation of the Hip - Your Guide on What to Try Before Considering Dangerous Drugs

Inflammation of the hip may be due to injury, osteoporosis, osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis or another disease. The conventional medications for treating these inflammatory conditions include steroids, opiate pain relievers and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs).

The use of any of those medications on a long-term basis is ill advised. Steroids should never be used on a long-term basis; they stop working after a short period of time. Yet, people become dependent on them.

If their use is continued, the inflammatory responses kick into high gear. The first signs are swelling of the face and weight gain due to fluid retention. As time goes by, they can damage the organs of the body and contribute to an early death.

Opiate pain relievers are habit-forming as well. Due to their being psychoactive drugs, they can lead to depression, injury and other health problems.

NSAIDs have long been considered the safest forms of treatment, because they are non-addictive. The body does not build up a tolerance to the drugs. But in recent years, we have learned that the drugs damage the liver. Even the weaker over-the-counter NSAIDs have caused liver failure in some individuals.

So, how do we treat inflammation of the hip without the use of dangerous drugs? A complete plan would involve special diets, regular physical activity and natural anti-inflammatories.

Diets can be designed to keep the production of inflammatory hormones to a minimum. Anti-inflammatory diets focus on consuming more fruits, vegetables, beans, legumes and healthier fats.

Exercise is aimed at keeping the joint mobile, without causing any impact on the joints. Working out in a swimming pool is an example of a very low impact form of exercise.

Natural anti-inflammatories can be taken in supplement form. Unlike the drug treatments, they are not damaging to any of the organs and they can be taken for inflammation of the hip and other joints on a daily basis.

Some of the natural anti-inflammatories include ginger, turmeric and black pepper. Although these are common spices, they have medicinal uses. Ginger and turmeric have been used for thousands of years to treat a variety of ailments. Evaluation of the compound piperine which is found in black pepper has shown that it too has mild anti-inflammatory activity.

Another important dietary aspect has to do with the ratio of omega-6s to omega-3s in the diet. Too many omega-6s and not enough omega-3s can worsen inflammation of the hip. Consuming more omega-3s, while consuming fewer omega-6s, could be the answer.

The easiest way to get more omega-3s in your diet is to take a fish oil supplement. At first, it was thought that fish oil could only modulate inflammatory response; there was no anti-inflammatory activity. However, recent studies have shown that some brands have anti-inflammatory activity equivalent to or greater than aspirin.

At first, it was thought that the omega-3 content made the difference. Now, researchers realize that there are some nutrients in the natural triglycerides that enhance the anti-inflammatory action.

So, do a little more research about the best brands of fish oil and learn how to fight inflammation of the hip without drugs.