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Avascular necrosis (AVN), also called osteonecrosis, happens when part of a bone loses its blood supply and the bone tissue gets damaged. It most often affects the hip, specifically the femoral head, which is the rounded top of the thigh bone. It can also affect the knee, shoulder and other bones.
If the damaged area keeps getting worse, the bone can weaken and collapse. That leads to pain, a limp and a stiff joint. The stage at which AVN is found makes a big difference to the options available, so an early assessment matters.
This page explains the symptoms, stages, diagnosis and treatment options for AVN in plain language, including what Ayurvedic care can and cannot promise. Shivaya Clinic & Hospital is in Unnao, Uttar Pradesh, between Kanpur and Lucknow. You can book an appointment online at any time.
AVN is bone damage caused by a reduced blood supply. Bone is living tissue that needs a steady flow of blood. When that supply is reduced or blocked, the affected area can die and the bone gradually loses strength. Because the hip carries the weight of the body, hip AVN can become disabling if it progresses.
AVN can affect younger and middle-aged adults, not only older people. A study of patients with hip AVN at a North Indian centre described it as a disease of younger people, with men affected more often than women [1]. That study describes the patients seen at one centre. It does not give a nationwide figure for how common AVN is in India.
In the early stages, AVN may cause little or no pain. As it progresses, common symptoms include:
Pain level alone does not show how serious AVN is. Some people with early AVN have almost no pain, and AVN can affect both hips.
See a doctor if hip or groin pain keeps coming back, does not improve, or makes walking difficult. This is especially important if you have taken steroid medicines for a long time, drink alcohol heavily, or have had a hip injury. Get urgent medical help if you have sudden severe hip pain after a fall or cannot put weight on your leg.
Pain around the hip, buttock or lower back can have several causes. If your main problem is back pain, you may also want to read about back pain treatment at Shivaya.
AVN develops when blood flow to part of a bone is reduced. Known risk factors include:
Having a risk factor does not mean you will definitely develop AVN.
Important: Do not stop steroid tablets or any other prescribed medicine on your own. Stopping suddenly can be harmful. Speak to the doctor who prescribed them.
People who take steroids for a long time, such as some patients with inflammatory joint conditions, should tell their doctor about any new hip or groin pain. You can read more about rheumatoid arthritis treatment at Shivaya.
Doctors use staging systems (such as ARCO or Ficat-Arlet) to describe how far AVN has progressed. The names differ between systems, but the stages can be understood in three broad groups:
| Stage | What doctors may find | What it usually means for care |
|---|---|---|
| Early (before collapse) | Changes may be visible only on MRI. The X-ray can look normal. | Close monitoring and, in selected cases, joint-preserving options are discussed. |
| Intermediate | Changes may appear on X-ray, but the bone is still largely holding its shape. | The plan depends on the size of the affected area, symptoms and how quickly things are changing. |
| Advanced | The femoral head has collapsed and the joint surface is damaged. | Surgery, including hip replacement, is often considered, depending on symptoms and overall health. |
The stage can only be confirmed with a medical examination and proper imaging, not by symptoms alone.
Diagnosis usually starts with your history, symptoms and a physical examination. Imaging then shows the extent of the damage:
There is no single treatment that suits everyone. The right choice depends on the stage, the size of the damaged area, which joint is involved, your symptoms and your general health.
In selected patients, especially in early stages, doctors may suggest:
These measures can help manage symptoms, but they cannot guarantee that AVN will stop progressing or that the damaged bone will recover.
Before major collapse, procedures such as core decompression (creating a small channel in the bone to relieve pressure, sometimes combined with bone grafting) may be considered for selected patients. An orthopaedic surgeon can tell you whether this is suitable in your case.
When the bone has collapsed and the joint is badly damaged, hip replacement is a well-established option for relieving pain and restoring movement.
If you want to avoid surgery, it is still important to have an orthopaedic assessment in good time. Delay can narrow your options.
Shivaya Clinic offers Ayurvedic and physical therapy based care for AVN and related joint conditions under Dr. Avinash Singh Chauhan. After you share your MRI or X-ray reports, the doctor reviews your stage, symptoms, current medicines and medical history before explaining what the plan involves, how long it may take and how your progress will be checked.
High-quality scientific evidence is currently not enough to establish Ayurvedic treatment as a guaranteed cure for AVN, or to show that it can prevent bone collapse in every patient. For that reason, we encourage patients to have their AVN stage confirmed by imaging, and to see an orthopaedic specialist if the bone has started to collapse.
Do not stop prescribed medicines or delay recommended orthopaedic care without talking to your doctor. For other joint conditions, see our page on Ayurvedic treatment for joint pain.
Dr. Avinash Singh Chauhan founded Shivaya Hospital. His listed qualifications are B.A.M.S., F.I.P.M. and F.S.K.S. (Mumbai). You can read his full profile on the About Dr. Avinash Singh Chauhan page.
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Avascular necrosis is a progressive disease of the joints of the body due to blockage or no supply of blood. In other words, avascular necrosis is caused when a particular region/joint of the body does not get enough blood supply due to various reasons which lead to the death of that particular joint tissue. Avascular necrosis physical therapy can help slow down the progression of this disease.
Avascular Necrosis of the femoral head is a condition which leads to the destruction of the hip joints. It generally reduces/stops the movement of the hip joint followed byextreme pain. Avascular Necrosis of hip treatment is available in Ayurveda which helps reduce the bad effects of the disease and gradually cure it from the roots.
There are many reasons which could induce avascular necrosis such as;
- Sports injury
- Excessive alcohol consumptions
- Injury to the joints
- Excessive use of steroid drugs
- High cholesterol resulting in blockage of blood supply through the veins
- Increased bone matter pressure, etc.
There are many typesof treatments and cures available for avascular necrosis but they do not cure it permanently. Also, in such types of treatments, there is no guarantee that the disease won’t affect the body again. Whereas, avascular necrosis treatment in Ayurveda has the permanent cure for the disease as it works on the roots of the disease and never let it come back. We provide ayurvedic medicine for avascular necrosis to cure it from the roots.
For more information on avascular necrosis treatment in Ayurveda in Hindi or English, you can refer our site.
It depends on the stage of your AVN; if your disease lies in the lower stages, then physical therapy could be useful in providing relief from pain. Physical therapy is used to slow down the progression of the disease and decrease associated pain.
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