Hip dysplasia is a developmental disorder of the hip that occurs in varying degrees of severity. This abnormality of the hip joint can affect one side or both sides.
We see many patients with hip complaints at Osteopathie de Ridder. These often involve osteoarthritis, bursitis or a hip fracture. Pain or discomfort in the hip can considerably reduce your quality of life. It is therefore always a good idea to see an osteopath if you have hip complaints.
A particular form of hip complaint is hip dysplasia, also known as developmental dysplasia of the hip (DDH). Hip dysplasia literally means: an incorrectly formed hip.
In hip dysplasia, the hip socket is underdeveloped, so the head of the thigh bone is not sufficiently covered. In severe cases the hip can easily slip out of its socket (hip dislocation). The condition mainly occurs in babies. If it is not properly treated at a young age, it can cause pain later in life due to osteoarthritis. Osteopathie de Ridder treats babies, children and adults with hip dysplasia.
Hip dysplasia is more common in girls than in boys. The malformation of the hip socket and the head of the thigh bone develops in the womb. To learn to crawl, walk, cycle and swim properly, it is important that the head of the thigh bone fits snugly into the hip socket. Because hip dysplasia is relatively common, every baby is checked carefully for it: straight after birth and at the child health clinic. If the baby has been in the breech position for a long time, is born in the breech position, or if hip dysplasia runs in the family, an ultrasound scan of the hips is routinely carried out 3 months after birth. The rule here is: the earlier the condition is detected, the sooner treatment can begin. That gives the best chance of a full recovery and of preventing complaints later in life.
Hip dysplasia occurs in 1-2% of children, making it one of the most common developmental disorders. The condition is relatively more common in babies who have been in the breech position. Hip dysplasia is also more common in babies who have had too little room in the womb, as can be the case with twins or triplets. In some families, several members have hip dysplasia, so a hereditary predisposition appears to play a role.
To reassure you: a baby with hip dysplasia is usually not in pain from it. But it is important that it is treated in good time. How do you recognise hip dysplasia? When a child with hip dysplasia lies on their tummy, uneven skin folds may be visible around the buttocks. However, this does not give 100% certainty of a diagnosis, as uneven skin folds also occur in children without the condition. When the head of the thigh bone is out of its socket (hip dislocation), you can see that the affected leg is shorter than the healthy leg. At the child health clinic, the spread of the legs and any difference in leg length are always checked in order to detect hip dysplasia. If a toddler walks with a waddle or drags one leg, this can also indicate hip dysplasia. Sometimes hip dysplasia develops later in life or is only detected later. In that case there is often pain:
Teenagers or adults with hip dysplasia often suffer from:
• pain in the groin, thigh and/or buttock
• pain when walking slowly
• lower back pain
• pain when rotating the hip
• pain in the hip joint due to wear of the cartilage (osteoarthritis)
For more severe forms, so-called ‘abduction treatment’ with an abduction harness or splint (Pavlik harness or Camp splint) is often chosen. The harness keeps the legs in a spread position, which stimulates the hips to develop properly. Babies have to wear this harness 23 hours a day for six to twelve weeks. Babies do not seem to be bothered by the harness, although it can be awkward for parents/carers when changing and caring for the baby.
In most cases the complaints are resolved after this treatment. Adults in whom hip dysplasia is diagnosed are usually treated surgically. This operation is called a triple osteotomy.
Babies who were in the breech position or were born breech often benefit from one or more treatments by the osteopath in the case of hip dysplasia.
Treatment can get, and keep, the surrounding structures moving, creating the conditions for recovery. Another reason is to prevent physical problems from developing in the adjacent areas later in life.
Adults with hip dysplasia benefit from one or more treatments that release restrictions and tension around the hip joint, but also elsewhere in the body caused by compensatory postures, giving the body more room to deal with the dysplasia. A patient can also benefit from osteopathic treatment before or after surgery.
Yes, you do not need a referral letter from your GP for treatment by an osteopath. You can therefore make an appointment directly yourself.