Will hip arthritis alter activities of daily living (e.g. work, sports, housework, etc.)?
Osteoarthritis of the hip can affect one’s ability to walk, climb stairs, enter or exit a vehicle, sit or arise comfortably, perform housework and enjoy one’s day-to-day activities. Even mild to moderate osteoarthritis of the hip can adversely impact athletic performance and enjoyment of sports, particularly impact sports and sports that involve running. Although there is little “hard science” on this point, most hip surgeons and rheumatologists (doctors who treat arthritic conditions non-operatively) believe that patients with osteoarthritis of the hip should consider avoiding impact sports such as running in order to avoid increasing the rate at which the disease progresses.Will hip arthritis cause fatigue or changes in metabolism? Many patients indeed find that the chronic pain associated with osteoarthritis of the hip does contribute to fatigue. Osteoarthritis of the hip does not affect metabolism, but some patients attribute weight gain to the inactivity that results from the hip
