Generally known as degenerative joint disease and abbreviated as OA, Osteoarthritis is one of the most common forms of arthritis. However, to understand this condition in a better way, it is essential for us to have a proper understanding of arthritis in the first place. Most people think that arthritis is a single disease, which is incorrect.
Arthritis is a term that stands for over 100 different types of joint diseases that affect various joints in the human body including all the weight-bearing joints such as knees, hips, and ankles, etc.
In layman’s terms, it is nothing but the inflammation of joints that affects both males and females. Although it’s a term that means several types of joint diseases, the most common among them are osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis (RA).
The other crucial forms of arthritis are inflammatory arthritis, infectious arthritis, and metabolic arthritis, etc. The symptoms of arthritis develop slowly; therefore, it becomes difficult for people to figure out whether they are suffering from a it or not.
Since we are now aware of what exactly is arthritis, let’s get back to our main topic, which is osteoarthritis. It is a condition that affects people mostly in old age. Yes, people above 60 are more vulnerable to this condition, which eventually means it’s a problem linked to aging.
People with osteoarthritis have weak and damaged cartilage – which is nothing but a soft tissue in joints. It’s a protective tissue that keeps the end of the bones from rubbing against each other in a joint. It means if osteoarthritis affects you, the cartilage in your joint will start weakening and disappear with the passage of time.
Common Signs & Symptoms of Osteoarthritis
- Joint pain that worsens with repetitive movements
- Stiffness in the knee, hip, elbow, and ankle joints
- The range of motion reduces with the worsening of symptoms
- Pain that comes and goes but never disappears without proper treatment
- What’s crucial for you to understand is there is no permanent solution for osteoarthritis and its other forms.
Here are some risk factors for osteoarthritis
- Aging
- Heredity
- Injuries
- Other joint-related conditions
Crucial Facts About Osteoarthritis
- Loss of cartilage, a tissue that reduces the friction between the bones in a joint
- It’s the most common joint disease among people above 60
- It’s common in males below age 45
- However, its cases increase among women above 55
- It mostly affects spine, hands, and feet, along with weight-bearing joints
What Exactly Happens During This Condition
People suffering from this condition face a lot of pain and discomfort both while relaxing or while carrying out physical activities. With aging, cartilage loses its potential to function because its water content enhances while its protein makeup starts reducing.
Its a natural process of the body. And due to this cartilage starts damaging. In the absence of the right treatment, people with this condition experience the total loss of this protective tissue, which leads to pain and discomfort.
Treatment For Osteoarthritis
Physiotherapy
Although there are several ways of healing the pain that stems from osteoarthritis; however, physiotherapy tops the list.
Other essential ways of reducing the pain include medications such as analgesics (Vicodin and Tylenol), capsaicin creams, immunosuppressants, and nonsteroid anti-inflammatory drugs. But these medicines can have a side effect on your body; therefore, it’s better to avoid them.
However, because physiotherapists do not use any medications, perhaps that’s the reason people prefer consulting them.
When you consult a physiotherapists, they examine your joint flexibility and range of motion to figure out what exactly is causing the problem. When they arrive at a conclusion, which is technically known as diagnosis, they design the perfect care plan to suit your needs.
Since it’s a joint disease, your physiotherapists will include specific exercises to strengthen your flexibility.
According to NRG Athletes, “Arthritis is a debilitating disease for over 50 million Americans. The Centers for Disease Control has shown that 1 in 2 people will have knee arthritis by the time they are 85, and 1 in 4 will develop painful hip arthritis in their life. The good news is that you don’t have to live with arthritis pain or take constant medication. The right physiotherapy can make all the difference.”
Besides, seeking physiotherapy treatments, you can also make lifestyle changes to cure the pain that stems from this debilitating disease. For example, if you are overweight, then you should exercise regularly to maintain a healthy weight.
Overweight not only puts a lot of stress on your joints like hips, keens, and ankles, it also has severe consequences for your spine; therefore, it’s better to lose weight as soon as you can.
You should also up the intake of healthy fruits, veggies, and nuts in your diet. A balanced diet fulfills the nutritional requirements of your body and helps keep diseases at bay.