Though there are over a hundred kinds of arthritis, the most common is osteoarthritis. It is considered a degenerative arthritis, wear and tear arthritis, and can appear in any joint in the body – from knees to neck to hands to feet. It occurs when the cartilage in the joint begins to deteriorate. If the cartilage goes, the joint goes. The resulting symptoms are pain, swelling and stiffness. It is most common in middle-aged and older people.
There are several factors that can increase your chances of developing arthritis — heredity, injury and obesity, as well as overuse.
Heredity causes range from being born with joint abnormalities to inheriting a defect in the genes that make up the cartilage in the joints.
Injuries can contribute to developing osteoarthritis. A broken bone or an injury near a joint can make you more predisposed to develop the condition in that joint.
Obesity obviously creates more wear and tear on the joints, especially the hips and knees and back.
Overuse of the joints is a contributor. For instance, people that are required to lift heavy objects or bend excessively on the job, are more susceptible to developing osteoarthritis of the knees or back.
Osteoarthritis can be diagnosed in several different ways with x-ray probably being the most common.
Once diagnosed, treatments vary from over-the-counter oral medications such acetaminophen (Tylenol), aspirin and ibuprofen, to prescribed oral medications such as Celebrex. There are topical treatments also found in creams and rubs and patches and sprays which when applied to the skin of the affected area, can relieve the pain. People with persistent pain often consider steroid injections directly into the joint affected by the condition although those injections are usually limited as they can contribute to further deterioration of the bone and cartilage.
There are alternative treatments available in using dietary supplements such as glucosamine and chondroitin and some people with severe symptoms find relief with acupuncture treatments.
When there is no relief from the discomfort of this condition using the above methods, surgery may be required. Arthroscopy, joint replacement and joint fusion are several surgical procedures used and they are all improving daily. The severity and location of the condition would determine the most effective procedure. Your doctor will help you make that decision.
If you believe that those aches and pains and that stiffness are creeping up on you a little faster and a little more severely, you may consider consulting your physician. It could turn out that weight control and some gentle exercises, coupled with an occasional ibuprofen and/or topical treatment might just give you all the relief you need.
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