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What is
Osteoarthritis?
Osteoarthritis (AH-stee-oh-ar-THREYE-tis) is the most common
form of arthritis. It is also known as degenerative joint disease, OA, or
osteoarthrosis. It is what people generally think of when they think of
arthritis, as it commonly affects middle-aged to elderly individuals.
What causes the pain?
Joints consist of bones, with various types of sockets and connections that
link one bone end to another. Some bones just slide across each other, while
others like the hip joint use a ball and socket. Between the ends of the
bones is a protective, slippery layer known as cartilage (KAR-til-uj).
Whenever you move a joint, bones rub together. In people without arthritis,
the job of cartilage is to protect the bones when they rub against each
other by acting as a shock absorber or cushion. Think of it as a thick,
Teflon® coating for the joints. In osteoarthritis, that coating breaks down
over and wears away. When the cartilage is thin or gone, bones can rub
directly together.
What are the results?
While bones can break, most of the time they are very strong and rigid. When
they rub directly against each other, the immediate result is generally
pain, swelling, and a loss of mobility. If this continues, the ends of the
bone may even lose their original shape, causing deformities. Bone spurs –
small growths on the bone that make the surface even less smooth – can grow.
Small pieces of bone or cartilage can break off and float around inside the
joint, further causing pain and inflammation. In severe cases of
osteoarthritis, you can sometimes even hear the bones making a grinding
noise as they rub together. As you can see, osteoarthritis is one of the
worst forms of arthritis due to the continual effects it has on people’s
joints.
How can I tell if I have osteoarthritis?
Only your doctor can make an accurate diagnosis of Osteoarthritis, but some
warning signs may include pain in weight-bearing joints such as the knee or
hip, pain during joint movement, swelling of the joints, or even pain in
your joints during strenuous activities. An x-ray will generally confirm the
presence of osteoarthritis. Most people over the age of 60 will have
radiographic (x-ray) evidence of the disease. Roughly one third will have
active symptoms. Fortunately, there are things you can do that will
dramatically lower your chances of winding up in that third with pain. If
you already have pain, there are also things you can do as well that will
enable you to start living a more pain-free life.
Who is at risk?
Anybody over the age of 45 is in the greatest risk range for developing
osteoarthritis. Women are slightly more at risk than men, for reasons that
we do not fully understand yet.
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