Osteoarthritis, also called degenerative joint disease, is the most common type of arthritis. It is associated with a breakdown of cartilage in joints and can occur in almost any joint in the body. It most commonly occurs in the weight bearing joints of the hips, knees and spine. It can also affect the fingers, thumb, neck, and large toe. It usually does not affect other joints unless previous injury or excessive stress is involved.

Osteoarthritis, also called degenerative joint disease and osteoarthritis, is the most common form of arthritis. It is characterized by the breakdown of cartilage in joints (i.e., intersections of two bones) and is often caused by "wear and tear. ?Cartilage cushions the ends of the bones and allows for easier movement within the joints.

Symptoms of osteoarthritis

? Joint stiffness and pain. This improves with activity, but is often worse again after a period of rest.

? Backache.

? Reduced range of movement in affected joints.

? Possible swelling of affected joints.

? Possible grating of the joint on movement.

Causes

There is no known cause for osteoarthritis, but it is more common among women. Osteoarthritis can develop at any age, although it occurs more frequently in older people. Injury to a joint can also trigger osteoarthritis, even many years later.

Osteoarthritis develops when changes in cartilage (soft tissue that protects the bone surface) occur that affect how joints work:

1. Cartilage becomes pitted, rough and brittle

2. Underlying bone thickens and broadens to reduce load on cartilage

3. Bony outgrowths form at the outer edges of the joint, making it look knobbly

Obesity Obesity increases the risk for osteoarthritis of the knee and hip. Maintaining ideal weight or losing excess weight may help prevent osteoarthritis of the knee and hip or decrease the rate of progression once osteoarthritis is established.

Osteoarthritis diagnosed

Medical history and examination by a doctor.

? An X-ray examination will be able to reveal whether a patient has osteoarthritis. Often there will be no correlation between the amount of pain and the severity of the arthritis as shown by the X-ray.

Treatment

There are a number of things you can do to relieve the symptoms, and especially the pain.

?analgesics (painkillers) which relieve pain

?non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) which reduce inflammation and, in turn, pain

?steroids, which also reduce inflammation, and can be directly injected into a joint for fast relief

There is now increasing evidence that the natural treatment glucosamine is very effective at relieving some of the symptoms of osteoarthritis, especially in the knee joints. This should be taken in the form of glucosamine sulphate at a dose of 1500mg/day. It is now also available on a doctor's prescription, and for some patients can replace anti-inflammatory drugs with very few side effects.