What Causes Osteoarthritis?
Osteoarthritis occurs when the cartilage that covers the ends of the bones in your joints wears out over time. Cartilage is a tough, slick tissue that allows for frictionless joint mobility. If the cartilage is lost, the bone will rub against the bone.
Wear and tear disease is another name for osteoarthritis. Osteoarthritis impacts the entire joint. It deteriorates the connective tissues that hold the joint together and connect muscle to bone, as well as the bone itself. It also causes joint lining irritation.
The following factors can raise your risk of osteoarthritis:
Obesity:
Extra body weight leads to osteoarthritis in a variety of ways, and the more you are overweight, the more likely you are to get it. Excess weight affects weight-bearing joints such as your hips and knees. Adipose tissue also produces substances that can cause significant soreness in and around the joints.
Injuries To The Joints:
Injuries, such as those sustained when participating in sports or an accident, can increase the risk of osteoarthritis. Even injuries that appear to have healed many years ago can raise your risk of osteoarthritis.
Repeated Stress:
If your profession or activity causes repetitive stress on a joint, that joint may develop osteoarthritis.
Genetics:
Some persons are prone to develop osteoarthritis due to genetic issues.
Deformities Of The Bones:
Some people are born with a deformity of joints or cartilage.
Certain Metabolic Conditions:
Diabetes and hemochromatosis (a condition in which your body has an excess of iron)
How is Osteoarthritis Diagnosed
Your doctor will take a history and perform a physical exam to determine a diagnosis. They will look for:
- Joint discomfort
- Any reduced range of motion
- Deformity and joint enlargement
- Swelling
- Crackling sounds heard in joints
If a physical examination reveals osteoarthritis, an X-ray can confirm the diagnosis if it shows narrowed joint spaces, cartilage degradation, or spur formation. X-rays can also assess the severity of osteoarthritis and track its progression over time.
If your doctor detects an underlying comorbid disease, he may request blood testing to rule out other possible causes for your symptoms.
What is Osteoarthritis?
Osteoarthritis (OA) is a kind of arthritis that occurs due to cartilage loss and the production of bone spurs in joint spaces. The anatomy of your joints might help you understand how this condition develops.
Each bone has a soft, compressible tissue called cartilage coating the end where it contacts another bone. Cartilage aids in the smooth movement of your joint, keeps the two bones from rubbing together, and functions as a shock absorber. However, this cartilage can be damaged over time as a consequence of wear and strain, or as a result of an accident or other cause.
If the cartilage is severely damaged, the two bones may begin to rub together. It causes pain, inflammation, and a loss of joint flexibility. Furthermore, injured cartilage may break off and enter the bursa (the sac of synovial fluid found around the joint). It can result in bursitis (in addition to osteoarthritis). Hands, knees, hips, and the spine are the most commonly affected joints.
Treatment Options for Osteoarthritis
The goal of treating osteoarthritis is to reduce pain and disability using a variety of therapeutic approaches. These therapies range from basic lifestyle adjustments to more interventional techniques, which may involve surgery.
The following are osteoarthritis remedies that may help with your pain and other symptoms:
1. Physical Therapy And Exercise:
People with this illness may believe that resting the painful joint is the best option, yet mobility is often preferable.
Exercising safely with osteoarthritis keeps joints lubricated and range of motion maintained (or restored). Low-impact workouts such as walking and swimming, for example, can be quite beneficial in reducing the onset of their symptoms.
A physical therapist can provide personalized workouts to keep your joints mobile and your range of motion restored.
2. Rest:
Your doctor may prescribe rest during the acute phase, but don’t overdo it. Excessive rest might induce joint restriction. Remember the fitness tips, consult your doctor, and begin moving safely as soon as you are able.
3. Weight Loss:
Losing weight reduces the strain on the joints. Fortunately, increasing your physical activity (which is beneficial for osteoarthritis) can help you initiate a weight loss program or maintain a healthy BMI.
4. Prescription And Over-The-Counter Drugs:
In the early stages of osteoarthritis, over-the-counter analgesics such as Acetaminophen and Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory medicines such as ibuprofen help relieve acute pain. Anti-inflammatory medicines can also be helpful for severe cases of pain and inflammation. Opioid medicines are generally not indicated for any chronic pain condition (except in severe acute phases).
5. Joint Injections:
Steroid and gel (hyaluronic acid) injections may also provide short-term pain relief in specific joints. These injections use a combination of anesthetics and steroids to decrease inflammation and pain.
Joint injections can often help you manage short-term pain while you work on treating the underlying source of your pain with exercise or physical therapy.
6. Surgical Procedure:
If conservative treatments fail and osteoarthritis advances to the point that surgical intervention is necessary, you may need surgery. Joint replacement, arthroscopy, or osteotomy (bone removal from the joint) are the surgical options.
Surgery can have risks, but a properly trained pain management specialist can go over all of your alternatives with you and help you assess the pros and cons.
