Hip dysplasia in children
In congenital and recognized hip malpositions, various measures can be taken to treat the infant’s hip at an early stage. A common method is to place a plaster cast in a certain position, which is maintained for several weeks to force the bones to ossify in this position. If a dislocation of the femoral head from the joint is already present in the baby, surgery may be necessary at a young age. Otherwise, therapy concepts specially adapted to babies are used, such as Vojta and Bobath, to name the two best known.
Further measures
In addition to the active exercises in physiotherapy, various passive measures are available to relieve structures and alleviate complaints. These include heat applications for muscle relaxation, massages and fascial techniques for deep tissue loosening, electrotherapy and tapping, to name but a few possibilities. Hip malpositions are various growth disorders of the hip joint, either congenital or acquired, affecting mobility and gait pattern with, depending on the severity, serious consequences over the course of a lifetime, as the joint or joint cartilage becomes uneven and wears out too quickly.
Up to a certain point, conventional physiotherapeutic exercises can be used to build up a stable muscular skeleton and release tense muscles caused by poor posture. However, since this is a bony, structurally manifested malposition, surgery must be considered from a certain degree onwards. It is important to have children suspected of having a hip malposition examined at an early age and to be able to intervene at an early stage to keep the effects at bay.
