Blog Article Osteoarthritis

Osteoarthritis

Osteoarthritis is a normal result of aging. It is also caused by 'wear and tear' on a joint. Cartilage is the firm, rubbery tissue that cushions your bones at the joints, and allows bones to glide over one another. If the cartilage breaks down and wears away, the bones rub together. This causes pain, swelling, stiffness and bony spurs or extra bone may form around the joint. The ligaments and muscles around the joint become weaker and stiffer, often; the cause of Osteoarthritis is unknown. It is mainly related to aging.

The symptoms of Osteoarthritis usually appear in middle age. Almost everyone has some symptoms by age 70. However, these symptoms may be minor. Before age 55, Osteoarthritis occurs equally in men and women. After age 55, it is more common in women.

There are quite a few factors that can lead to Osteoarthritis.

·         Can be hereditary tends to run in families.

·         Being overweight increases the risk of Osteoarthritis in the hip, knee, ankle, and foot joints because extra weight causes more wear and tear.

·         Fractures or other joint injuries can lead to Osteoarthritis later in life. This includes injuries to the cartilage and ligaments in your joints.

·         Jobs that involve kneeling or squatting for more than an hour a day put you at the highest risk. Jobs that involve lifting, climbing stairs, or walking also put you at risk.

·         Playing sports that involve direct impact on the joint (such as football), twisting (such as basketball or soccer), or throwing also increase the risk of arthritis.

Medical conditions that can lead to Osteoarthritis include:

·         Bleeding disorders that cause bleeding in the joint, such as hemophilia

·         Disorders that block the blood supply near a joint and lead to avascular necrosis

·         Other types of arthritis, such as chronic gout, pseudogout, or rheumatoid arthritis

 

The symptoms you may find are pain and stiffness in the joints are the most common. The pain is often worse after exercise and when you put weight or pressure on the joint. If you have osteoarthritis, your joints are probably going become stiffer and harder to move over time. You may notice a grating or crackling sound when you move the joint. The phrase "morning stiffness" refers to the pain and stiffness you may feel when you first wake up in the morning. The stiffness usually lasts for 30 minutes or so depending on how bad you have the disease; however the stiffness may get better once your bones and muscles warm up and move more freely. During the day, the pain may get worse when you're active and feel better when you are resting. After a while, the pain may be present when you are resting. It may even wake you up at night. Some people might not have symptoms, even though x-rays show the symptoms that you may have Osteoarthritis.

 

If you feel that your joints are tightening and feel a lot stiffer than they used too you may have osteoarthritis. You can get tests and X-rays done to confirm whether you have Osteoarthritis or not. Signs that you may have the disease are-

·         Joint movement may cause a cracking (grinding) sound, called crepitation

·         Joint swelling

·         Limited range of motion

·         Tenderness when the joint is pressed

·         Normal movement may be painful

An x-ray of affected joints will show a loss of the joint space. In advanced cases, there will be a wearing down of the ends of the bone and bone spurs.

Osteoarthritis cannot be cured. It will most likely get worse over time. However the symptoms can be controlled.  You can get medication for Osteoarthritis from your local Pharmacy you can get pain killers, which you can buy without a prescription, which may help with the pain relief. Most doctors recommend acetaminophen first, because it has fewer side effects than other drugs. If your pain continues, your doctor may recommend non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. Types of these drugs include aspirin, ibuprofen, and naproxen. If after that you still have bad joint pains surgery would be the next option as well as stronger medication that can have side effects.

By having osteoarthritis it will make general day to day activities and exercise quite painful and uncomfortable. Osteoarthritis will keep you from doing any to all leg exercises, lifting and or carrying may be restricted. Basically anywhere you have osteoarthritis it will severely hamper the capability of that joint doing any form of movement.

There are activities and exercises that can help you with your osteoarthritis and different ways of doing things to limit the pain in your joints. Staying active and getting exercise helps maintain joint and overall movement. Ask your health care provider to recommend an appropriate home exercise routine. Water exercises, such as swimming, are especially helpful. Other lifestyle recommendations include:

·         Applying heat and cold

·         Eating a healthy, balanced diet

·         Getting rest

·         Losing weight if you are overweight

·         Protecting the joints

As the pain from your osteoarthritis becomes worse, keeping up with everyday activities may become more difficult or painful. Sometimes making changes around the home will take some stress off your joints, and relieve some of the pain. If your work is causing stress in certain joints, you may need to adjust your work area or change work tasks.

There are plenty of people that can help you maintain this disease, your local doctor, physiotherapist and personal trainers can help you with controlling the disease and making exercise and general movements enjoyable again.

 

References:

Medical Health Australia – Osteoarthritis via Google

 

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