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Osteoarthritis Information
By admin | October 18, 2008
Osteoarthritis Information - How Does it Affect our Lifestyle?
Osteoarthritis information is important to be aware of because osteoarthritis (OA) is the most common joint disorder that can affect us. The cause of osteoarthritis is really unknown, however, it is mainly related to aging. Other causes can be related to genetics, chemical, metabolic and mechanical factors.
Symptoms of osteoarthritis will usually appear in middle age and it will effect almost everyone by the age of 70. The condition occurs equally in men and women before the age of 55. However, it is more common in women after the age of 55.
Osteoarthritis causes the cartilage to wear away between the bone joints and as the disease gets worse, the cartilage completely disappears and the joint will have bone to bone contact. At that point bony spurs will usually form around the joint.
Osteoarthritis can be described by 2 terms, primary or secondary. Primary will occur without any obvious cause or any type of injury. Secondary osteoarthritis is due to a disease or injury. The most common causes of secondary OA are problems with anatomy, metabolic conditions, injury and inflammatory disorders.
Here are symptoms related to Osteoarthritis:
- Morning stiffness
- Joint swelling
- Grating of the joint with movement
- Limited movement
- Deep aching joint pain
- Some people may not have symptoms
A physical exam by your doctor may show some of the following conditions, joint swelling, tenderness, limited range of motion and a grating of the joint with movement. X-rays of the affected joints will show the loss of joint space. In more advanced cases, wearing down of the bones and bone spurs will be evident.
When treating osteoarthritis, the goals of the treatment are to relieve pain, reduce the disabling affects of the disease, maintain or improve joint movement and to increase the strength of the joints. Your treatment will depend on which joints have been affected by the disease.
Medications used to treat osteoarthritis are nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. These are pain relievers that help reduce pain and swelling. Examples of these medications are naproxen, ibuprofen and aspirin. These drugs work very well however long term use can cause stomach problems, such as ulcers and bleeding.
Other medications that can be used to treat osteoarthritis include, Steroids, artificial joint fluid, coxibs and over the counter supplements such as glucosamine and chondroitin sulfate.
Living with osteoarthritis will require some lifestyle changes. Exercising can help maintain joint and overall movement. Your health care professional will provide you with the appropriate exercise routine. Water exercises such as swimming are less stressful on your joints and are especially helpful.
Other recommended changes include eating a healthy diet, getting plenty of rest, applying heat and cold and losing weight if you are overweight. You will be able to get more osteoarthritis information from your health care provider. Also consider finding a support group that may be available in your local community or online support groups and forums.
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