What is Osteoarthritis?
October 15, 2009 in Conditions & Treatments
Osteoarthritis comes from the Latin words osteo referring to bone, arth(ro) referring to joint and it is meaning inflammation. It literally means joint inflammation. Osteoarthritis (OA), or degenerative joint disease, affects more than 27 million Americans and is more common among women than men. OA and other related conditions cost the US nearly $128 billion per year in medical care and indirect expenses, including lost wages and productivity.
Osteoarthritis affects the cartilage, or slippery tissue on the ends of bones that meet in a joint. Normally, cartilage helps bones glide over one another. In a person with OA, however, the cartilage is broken down and eventually wears away. As a result, bones rub against each other instead of gliding, causing pain, swelling, and loss of motion. Although the majority of patients with OA are 65 and older, recent research shows that osteoarthritis is not a by-product of aging. Family history of OA, being overweight, lack of exercise, and prior joint injuries are suggested as OA risk factors. The most commonly affected joints are the knees, hips, hands, low back and neck.
OA is diagnosed through a combination of clinical history, patient examination, and x-rays. Other tests, such as drawing fluid from the joint, are sometimes used to rule out other inflammatory conditions. The symptoms of OA include, but are not limited to:
- Steady or intermittent joint pain,
- Joint stiffness after sitting, sleeping, or otherwise not moving for a long time,
- Swelling or tenderness in the joints
- A crunching feeling or the sound of bones rubbing against each other.
If you experience any of these symptoms, consult your health care provider. While the diagnosis is relatively easy to make, it is often more difficult to establish whether or not OA is the cause of all of your symptoms. Your doctor should also rule out other disorders and conditions that can make the symptoms worse. Timely diagnosis and treatment can help manage pain, improve function, and slow the degeneration process.
Treatment for OA often includes pain and anti-inflammatory medications such as acetaminophen or nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) to help reduce joint pain, stiffness and swelling. The medications are beneficial in some cases, but are generally not recommended for long term use. Some of the more recent medications such as Celebrex and other COX II inhibitors may not be as effective as once thought. See a recent article from the NY Times titled ‘Doctor’s Pain Studies Were Fabricated, Hospital Says.’ (www.nytimes.com) Advanced OA may require surgery to repair or replace the affected joint.
Natural ways to slow down or prevent arthritic changes include weight loss, dietary changes, exercise and treatments such as acupuncture, massage, and joint manipulation. One study revealed that losing as few as 11 pounds cut the risk of developing knee OA by 50 percent for some women. For every pound of weight lost, there was a four pound reduction in the load exerted on the knee for each step taken during daily activities. Exercise can help strengthen the muscular support around the joints and improve and maintain joint mobility and function.
Controlling the amount of inflammation in the body can help decrease OA pain and can be achieved by consuming a healthy diet with plenty of water, vegetables, fruits, lean protein, and healthy fats and reducing the amount of sugar, flours, grains and other refined carbohydrates in the diet. Other naturally occurring substances such as ginger, boswellia, and turmeric can help decrease inflammation.
Many people find that applying moist heat to the affected joints can ease arthritis pain.
Acupuncture has also been shown to aid in pain reduction. The largest acupuncture study ever conducted shows that the technique significantly reduced pain and improved function for 570 patients with knee osteoarthritis who had moderate or severe pain despite taking anti-inflammatory or pain medications. Massage is another popular treatment that may provide pain relief. In addition, manual therapy and joint manipulation, generally performed by Doctors of Chiropractic and Osteopathy, have shown favorable results in a study with OA of the hip. These therapies are aimed at improving the elasticity of the joint capsule and surrounding muscles. In a five week trial this even fared better than exercise therapy.
The key is to know your body’s signals for pain, and know when to slow down. Don’t let the pain of osteoarthritis take the joy out of your day.
Article provided to the La Quinta Chamber of Commerce – GEM Publication May 2009 page 5.
