Hip osteoarthritis is one of the most common causes of long-lasting pain and reduced movement in older adults.
The condition develops when the protective cartilage inside the hip joint gradually wears away, causing pain, stiffness, and difficulty walking or climbing stairs.
Many people are encouraged to exercise because it is considered one of the safest first treatments before surgery is considered.
A new review suggests that exercise can help people with hip osteoarthritis, but the average improvement may be smaller than many patients hope.
The findings come from researchers at the University of Sydney and the University of Melbourne, who carefully examined all available high-quality studies on the topic. Their work was published in the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews.
Cochrane reviews are widely respected because they combine results from many clinical trials instead of relying on a single study. By pooling evidence from different studies, researchers can provide a clearer picture of how well a treatment works. However, the quality of the final conclusions still depends on the quality of the original studies.
The review included 18 clinical trials involving 1,368 people with hip osteoarthritis. Most participants were women between 53 and 74 years of age. The exercise programs varied greatly, lasting from two weeks to one year and including strength training, aerobic exercise, stretching, and mind-body activities.
When the researchers compared exercise with no treatment or usual care, they found that exercise probably reduced pain by about seven points on a 100-point scale.
Although this shows a real improvement, experts generally believe people need an improvement of about 12 points before they clearly notice a meaningful change in everyday life. Physical function showed a similar pattern.
The researchers pointed out that this 12-point benchmark mostly comes from studies of knee osteoarthritis or mixed arthritis groups. It may not perfectly represent what people with hip osteoarthritis experience. More research is needed to determine what level of improvement is truly meaningful for people with hip disease.
The review also found little or no improvement in overall quality of life. This is an important result because quality of life reflects how people feel and function in their daily activities. Even if pain improves slightly, patients may still struggle with many aspects of everyday living.
The findings do not mean people should stop exercising. Exercise has many well-known health benefits beyond arthritis, including improving heart health, muscle strength, balance, mood, and overall fitness. It is also inexpensive, widely available, and generally very safe when done appropriately.
The researchers explained that many of the included studies were relatively small and participants knew whether they were exercising, which may have influenced how they rated their symptoms. Because pain and function were mostly self-reported, the true benefits of exercise may be either slightly larger or slightly smaller than the review suggests.
The team believes larger and better-designed clinical trials are now needed to identify which forms of exercise work best and which patients are most likely to benefit. Different people may respond differently depending on their age, fitness level, pain severity, and stage of arthritis.
The study was led by researchers from the University of Sydney and the University of Melbourne and published in the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews. Overall, the findings support continuing to recommend exercise for hip osteoarthritis, but they also highlight the need for realistic expectations.
Exercise remains an important part of treatment because it is safe and offers many health benefits, yet current evidence suggests that the average improvement in hip pain and function may be modest rather than dramatic. Future high-quality studies should help doctors provide more personalized exercise programs that deliver better results.
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