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Hip Osteoarthritis

Hip Osteoarthritis: How EastWest Physiotherapy Burnaby Can Help

Hip osteoarthritis is a long-term condition that affects the hip joint. It happens when the cartilage in the hip wears down, causing pain, stiffness, and problems with moving. Over time, this condition can make it harder to walk, climb stairs, or do everyday tasks. At EastWest Physiotherapy Burnaby, we help people manage hip osteoarthritis through personalized physiotherapy treatments. We find that a combination of Eastern and Western treatment techniques work best!

What Is Hip Osteoarthritis?

Hip Xray Burnaby Physiotherapy
Hip osteoarthritis is a common joint problem, especially in older adults. It can lead to serious pain and make it hard to stay active. While it can affect anyone, some people are at higher risk. Risk factors include aging, past hip injuries, hip development problems at birth, and certain sports or jobs that put too much stress on the hips. Obesity, genetics, and leg length differences may also increase the risk.

How Common Is It?

Studies show that hip osteoarthritis affects people all over the world. In some countries, up to 45% of older adults have signs of hip osteoarthritis on X-rays. Men and women get this condition at about the same rate, which is different from knee osteoarthritis (which is more common in women). Because people are living longer, the number of people with hip osteoarthritis is growing.

Why It’s a Big Problem

Hip osteoarthritis can cause pain that gets worse over time. It can make it hard to walk, drive, or even get in and out of a chair. Many people also feel tired, anxious, or depressed because of their pain. Some even miss work or stop doing activities they love. Surgery like hip replacement can help in serious cases, but it is costly and usually done as a last resort when other treatments fail.

How Is Hip Osteoarthritis Diagnosed?

You don’t always need an X-ray to find out if you have hip osteoarthritis. In fact, your physiotherapist can often figure it out just by talking to you and doing a physical exam. We look for signs like:
  • Pain in the hip, especially with certain movements
  • Morning stiffness
  • Stiffness after resting
  • Decreased hip internal rotation
  • Difficulty walking or standing for a long time
Sometimes, we use tools like X-rays or MRIs for more serious cases. These images help us see if the bones are rubbing together, if there’s less space in the joint, or if there are other changes and issues in the bone or cartilage.

What Happens During Your Assessment?

At EastWest Physiotherapy Burnaby, your assessment is more than just checking your pain. We want to understand how hip pain affects your whole life—your mood, sleep, work, hobbies, and relationships. This helps us build a treatment plan just for you.

During your visit, we check:

  • How your hip moves in all directions
  • Your muscle strength, especially in the hips and thighs
  • Your walking pattern
  • Your balance and how steady you feel
Weakness in the muscles around your hip—especially your hip abductor and thigh muscles—can make the problem worse. That’s why we also test for muscle strength and coordination.

The Pillars of Treatment

Education

Hip Education Burnaby Physiotherapy

One of the most important things we offer at EastWest Physiotherapy Burnaby is education.While hip osteoarthritis is a degenerative condition, understanding your condition better improves the management of this condition. Education helps people feel in control and less anxious.

Here’s how we teach our patients:

  • One-on-one discussions with a physiotherapist
  • Self-management techniques
You’ll learn things like:
  • What causes osteoarthritis
  • Why staying active matters
  • How stress and sleep affect your joints
  • How to protect your hips in daily life
While education alone doesn’t always reduce pain or improve movement, it helps people feel more confident and less anxious.

Exercise: The Backbone of Treatment

Hip Exercise Burnaby Physiotherapy

Exercise is one of the best ways to treat hip OA. It helps make muscles stronger, reduces pain, and improves how you move. At EastWest Physiotherapy Burnaby, we tailor each program to match your goals and comfort level.

We offer:

  • Strength training
  • Stretching
  • Balance and mobility work
  • Water-based (aquatic) exercises
  • Tai Chi
Exercise is safe for most people, no matter your age or pain level. Studies show that exercise improves how well people move, though pain relief is usually small. But small improvements can mean a lot—like walking to the store or playing with your grandkids!

To get the most out of exercise, it helps to work with our Burnaby physiotherapist who can show you how to move safely. We’ll also teach you how to stick to your program long-term—because that’s when the real benefits happen.

Hands-On Help: Manual Therapy

Hip Manual Therapy Burnaby-physiotherapy

Manual therapy means a physiotherapist uses their hands to move or stretch your joints and muscles. It’s very popular—and for good reason! Research shows that it can reduce pain and improve how your hip moves.

We might use:

  • Gentle joint movements
  • Soft tissue massage
  • Stretching tight muscles

Some people respond better to manual therapy than to exercise alone. In fact, studies show that manual therapy can help more than just exercise, especially when done by trained professionals like our team at EastWest Physiotherapy.

Improve Circulation and Relieve Pain in the hips - Acupuncture

Hip Acupuncture Burnaby Physiotherapy

Acupuncture involves the use of fine needles inserted in specific points in the body. These points are located on and/or very close to nerves, which helps to stimulate the muscles, joints, ligaments, spinal cord and the brain.

Acupuncture can help with pain relief by activating the nervous system, reducing hip muscle tension and releasing endorphins in the body. Our Physiotherapists are trained in providing acupuncture for hip osteoarthritis.

A review of 12 high-quality studies found that acupuncture, alone or combined with conventional treatments, showed positive effects in reducing hip pain, especially for people with hip osteoarthritis or recovering from hip surgery. Some people felt relief right away, while others noticed improvement after a few weeks.

The best part? Acupuncture has few side effects—mostly minor issues like small bruises or slight soreness. While more research is still needed, acupuncture offers a safe and promising option for managing hip pain naturally.

Optimize Hip Health with Advanced Physiotherapy Modality - Super Inductive System

Hip Super Inductive System Burnaby Physiotherapy

At EastWest Physiotherapy Burnaby, we offer the Super Inductive System (SIS)—a cutting-edge, non-invasive therapy ideal for treating hip osteoarthritis and other joint or muscle problems. SIS uses high-intensity pulsed electromagnetic fields (up to 2.5 Tesla) to stimulate nerves and muscles. This helps reduce pain, improve movement, and strengthen weakened muscles.

For people with hip osteoarthritis, SIS can relieve joint pain, improve mobility, and prevent muscle loss caused by inactivity. The treatment is hands-free, painless, and doesn’t require direct skin contact, making it easy and comfortable—even through clothing.

How it works: SIS targets affected areas with strong electromagnetic fields that trigger muscle contractions, boost blood flow, and activate bone-healing cells. It also helps with nerve regeneration, reduces spasticity, and supports recovery from joint stiffness, chronic pain, or even fractures.

SIS is safe and effective for many conditions, including chronic hip pain, arthritis, joint stiffness, and nerve injuries. Whether you’re recovering from an injury or living with hip osteoarthritis, SIS offers a modern, drug-free solution to get you moving again.

Look to book the SIS (Physiotherapy Session with Advanced Modality – Super Inductive System). Check with your Physiotherapist if this is appropriate for you.

Other Helpful Tips for Everyday Life

Hip Osteoarthritis Tips Burnaby
Here are more ways that can help our patients with hip OA:

1. Joint Protection Strategies

Learn to avoid movements or positions that stress your hip too much.
  • Don’t sit for long periods, or sitting in low chairs
  • Avoiding high impact activities
  • Not lying on your side for prolonged periods of time
  • Use proper body mechanics when lifting
  • Avoid deep squats or low chairs

2. Use of Gait Aids

Using a cane can reduce pressure on your hip as well as normalizing the way you walk. We’ll show you the right way to use it, so it helps without causing other problems.

3. Weight Loss

If you’re overweight, even a small drop in weight can take pressure off your hip. One study showed that combining exercise with diet helped reduce pain and improve movement by 33%! We can connect you with the right experts if this is part of your care.

4. Behavioral Graded Activity

This is a smart way to gradually increase how much you do each day. We focus on positive behaviors and help you slowly get back to the activities you love—without overdoing it.

5. Posture and Sleeping Advice

We’ll teach you the best positions for sleeping, sitting, and standing. Sometimes, small changes—like using a pillow between your knees—can make a big difference.

6. Footwear and Heel Raises

Wearing the right shoes is important. It can help align your lower body to minimize unnecessary stress on your ankles, knees and hips. We’ll guide you on choosing supportive footwear and may use heel lifts to help balance your hips.

If you need any help with your hip osteoarthritis, EastWest Physiotherapy Burnaby is here to help. Schedule your appointment today and see what we can do.

Your Recovery Starts Here

Don’t wait for pain to become a bigger problem. Our experienced physiotherapists are here to help you move better, feel stronger, and get back to doing what you love.

Book your appointment now and take the first step toward recovery.

Book now