Osteoarthritis, which is also called degenerative arthritis or degenerative joint disease, is a disease that results from the breakdown and loss of cartilage in joints, like the knees, hips and wrists. The cartilage is a connective tissue that covers the surfaces of articular joints, it is essential for proper joint function because it allows the ends of bones to slide over one another smoothly. Osteoarthritis results from wear and tear to the joints, either through aging or through sport putting trauma to the joints. Eventually cartilage may be lost causing the bones in the joint to rub together and bony spurs may form.

Signs, Symptoms, And Diagnosis

The Symptoms for osteoarthritis is joint pain, swelling and limiting movement in the joint. The joints that are commonly affected are the joints of the fingers, the base of the thumb, the hips, the knees, the neck (cervical spine), and the lower back (lumbar spine). Not like some types of arthritis that effect multiple organ systems, and inflammation associated with osteoarthritis is limited to the joints. There is pain after joint use that subsides with resting the joint is a classical sign of osteoarthritis. As osteoarthritis worsens, pain may occur at rest or at night. The diagnoses of osteoarthritis based on history of joint symptoms, physical examination and X-ray changes. X-ray changes may include joint space narrowing, changes in the bones and the presence of bony spurs. To the osteoarthritis sufferers is not only the physical side that has an impact on their lives. It is also psychological, social and wellbeing. Psychological effects include stress, depression, anger, feelings of helplessness and anxiety. The financial burden of health care and days lost from work may seriously have an impact on their income. Age is a major demographic risk factor for the development of osteoarthritis. Although aging does not cause osteoarthritis, but almost half of the people over the age of sixty five have arthritis mostly osteoarthritis. Osteoarthritis is also more common among women than men. In addition to age, risk factors for osteoarthritis include joint injury and being overweight, especially for the knees and hips. Reduction of weight has been shown to reduce the risk of symptoms in overweight people.

Osteoarthritis Treatment And Control

There is no know cure for osteoarthritis, yet there are effective treatment and control strategies. Management of osteoarthritis is directed toward reducing pain, minimizing or preventing disability, and improving quality of life. Achieving these goals not only requires good clinical care, but also depends on the active involvement of the person with osteoarthritis in self management strategies. There are all sorts of recommendations on medications for osteoarthritis and are changing when new studies are being done and are finding new ways to treat the symptoms. There is a natural treatment that has come out and that is glucosamine sulfate, and two essential minerals, selenium and manganese which are having great success with the relief of pain. These are a natural pain relief. Persons with serve symptoms of osteoarthritis marked by pain and declining function, may benefit from total joint replacement. Both total hip knee replacement have substantially reduced pain and improved function in the vast majority of individuals who have received them.

Information from Joseph E. Sniezek. Teresa J. Brady, James S. Marks.

Copyright (c) 2007 Sue Bektas