Osteoarthritis.

Osteoarthritis is an inflammation of a joint between two bones. It is also called degenerative arthritis or degenerative joint disease because it causes degeneration of the cartilage which is present between two joints. The cartilage is a protein substance present in the joint and acts as a cushion between the two bones of the joint. It allows one bone to slide over another and helps to facilitate various movements. You may get osteoarthritis of the hip, knee osteoarthritis, back osteoarthritis, osteoarthritis of hands or even osteoarthritis of fingers.

Picture of osteoarthritis of knee showing the changes due to osteoarthritis.

Statistics of Osteoarthritis.

Osteoarthritis is found usually after the age of 45 years and is found more common amongst men. Between 55 years to 70 years it is present equally in men and women. After the age of 70 years, it is more common in women. This rise in osteoarthritis in women in advanced age is probably due to weight gain due to menopause.  About 27 million people are affected by osteoarthritis in the U.S. and about 8 million in the U.K.

Cause of Osteoarthritis.

Here it is necessary to know that OA has been classified into two types:

• Primary osteoarthritis which has no apparent cause but is related to ageing.
• Secondary  Osteoarthritis which has several underlying causes.

Primary osteoarthritis.

Primary osteoarthritis occurs in persons of advanced age, though age cannot be considered as the cause of osteoarthritis. What happens here is that, as age progresses, the cartilage in the joint affected, loses water  and its protein content and becomes less flexible. Therefore it is not able to perform the function of acting as a cushion between the two bones of the joint. With movements, the cartilage begins to degenerate at places. When the joint is exercised, the two bones grate against each other under friction. With repetitions, spurs or osteophytes are formed on the surface of the bones. This can be quite painful.

Secondary Osteoarthritis.

Secondary arthritis is  arthritis is due to certain causes which  are enumerated below.

Causes of Osteoarthritis.

• Hereditary traits:  Studies show that OA does tend to run in families.
• Obesity is a very common cause of osteoarthritis and is due to the stress on the knee or hip joints due to the excess weight of the body.
• Diabetes causes osteoarthritis. This is due to associated conditions of diabetes such as obesity, atherosclerosis where blood supply to the joint is reduced and diabetic neuropathy.
• Trauma to the joint.
• Surgical complications of surgery of the joint.
• Gout wherein high uric acid levels cause degeneration of the cartilage
• Congenital deformity of the joint or a congenital deformity which has resulted in unequal length of the two lower limbs causing more weight to be borne by the hip/knee of the shorter limb.
• In certain bleeding disorders, there is necrosis of the blood vessels which leads to internal bleeding. If such bleeding occurs in a joint, OA can set in.
• Occupational cause of osteoarthritis where a particular occupation causes extra stress on the joint.

Osteoarthritis Symptoms.

• Pain in the affected joint which increases on movement. Pain is also more when movement occurs after a period of rest. In advanced cases, pain is present at rest. Tenderness is present over the joint.
• Swelling of the osteoarthritic joint.
• Restriction of movement of the osteoarthritic  joint.
• Grating sound is heard when the bones rub against each other.
• In some patients, there will not be any symptoms even in advanced cases.

Diagnosis of Osteoarthritis.

Diagnosis of OA is by radiology where you see the joint space reduced and presence of spurs or osteophytes.

Osteoarthritis Treatment.

Osteoarthritis treatments can be divided into three parts:

• Physiotherapy for osteoarthritis is by far the most effective conservative treatment for osteoarthritis. The physiotherapist explains certain suitable exercises and these are carried out by the patient under supervision. These exercises are then to done every day throughout life. This has known to have worked wonders in patients of OA.
• Medicines for osteoarthritis are only for symptomatic relief. Anti inflammatory analgesics  are prescribed for pain relief of arthritis and for reducing the swelling in the joint.
• Surgery for osteoarthritis is the last resort whereby the affected joint is replaced by an artificial one.

Alternative medicine or natural remedies for osteoarthritis.

This application in OA is very limited.

• Some relief, however has been obtained with Ginger, Vitamin A and C.
• Combination of Choindroitin sulphate (sodium salt) and Glucosamine (found in shells of fish, bone marrow), however, has also been found to be effective.

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