Osteoarthritis: Causes, Symptoms, And Orthopedic Treatments

Osteoarthritis affects more than 32.5 million Americans in the U.S., according to the CDC. This refers to the wearing away of the joint cartilage, which can affect any of the connective tissues within a joint, and this affects the hands, knees, hips, lower back, and neck. Osteoarthritis is commonly seen in people above 50 years of age; however, the disease can also affect young people who have suffered an injury to their joints, including an acute collegiate ligament (ACL) or a meniscus.

In this blog, we will tell you in detail about osteoarthritis along with its causes, symptoms, treatment, etc.

Symptoms

• Pain: This may cause joint pains while in the movement or after the movement of the joints.
• Stiffness: This is most likely to be observed during waking hours or after a short duration of rest or inactivity.
• Tenderness: It is very easy for the joints to be painful when pressure is gently applied to them.
• Loss of Flexibility: Joint mobility could be affected, and it may become very hard to bend the joint as they used to or even bend it fully.
• Grating Sensation: Patients might feel a kind of grating or crackling when using the joint.
• Bone Spurs: The formation of hard masses can also occur, and it forms hard lumps.
• Swelling: There may be some inflammation in the surrounding soft tissues, especially when the joint has become swollen.
• Spinal Issues: cases that involve the spine, narrowing discs, and bone spurs may occur.

Causes of Osteoarthritis (OA)

• Age: Age is a risk factor for the development of osteoarthritis. The odds of developing the disease rise as one gets older.
• Joint Injury: Another factor that leads to osteoarthritis is the previous injuries, for instance, breakage or torn ligaments. It may take less time to develop in comparison to those who had no injury at all.
• Overuse: Joints in the workplace and/or sports usually get overused, thus leading to osteoarthritis, especially the knee, hip, and hand joints.
• Obesity: obesity puts extra pressure on bones, and this mainly affects areas such as knee and hip bones.
• Musculoskeletal Abnormalities: Abnormal positioning of the bones or joints, including leg length disparity and joint crookedness, has an equivalent impact to osteoarthritis.
• Weak Muscles: Muscle or atrophy to muscles surrounding joints, especially in the lower limbs, may compromise the ability of joints to bear the required forces and thus develop OA.
• Genetics: Familial predisposition to osteoarthritis is commonly reported, and thus familial histories of osteoarthritis raise the risk of occurrence.
• Gender: Women have higher chances of developing this disease than men, especially after their canes stage because of hormonal changes.

Treatment for Osteoarthritis

Medication: 

• Acetaminophen (Tylenol): It is mostly prescribed for minor pain.
• Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs): such as ibuprofen and aspirin.
• Topical Treatments: Topical applications of capsaicin cream.
• Corticosteroid Injections

Physical Therapy: 

• Thermotherapy: Heat or cold therapy can be of advantage in relieving pain and stiffness that come with joint pains.
• Exercise and Stretching: Exercise of muscles around the operative joints helps in adding support as well as increasing flexibility of the muscles surrounding the joints.
• Assistive Devices: There are several devices that may be useful in decreasing the burden on concerned joints, and they are special kinds of footwear/insoles, canes/walking sticks, splinters, leg braces, supportive dressings, etc.

Surgery: 

In some cases, conservative treatments fail to offer a solution, and the doctor may advise surgery to fix the problem contributing to the patient’s discomfort. Some of the surgeries include arthroplasty, joint replacement, arthrodesis, joint fusion, and osteotomy.

Lifestyle Changes: 

• Weight Management: Keeping a proper weight off the joint decreases stress on the joint and helps to lower the symptoms, particularly in the weight-bearing joints.
• Exercise: Exercises such as walking, swimming, or other low-impact exercises aid in the strengthening of muscles.

Supplements: 

The lack of vitamin D may lead to the development of osteoarthritis. It is thus important to take foods rich in vitamin D to ensure that the bones are strong enough.

Conclusion

Osteoarthritis is a long-lasting disease that is characterized by pain, inflammation, and stiffness of the joints. Despite the fact that there is no cure for arthritis, proper medical management involving the use of anti-inflammatory drugs, physical therapy, exercise, and changes in weight-bearing activities besides surgery in severe cases can effectively reduce the impact of the disease, increase the mobility of patients, and improve their quality of life.

Consult Dr. Rajesh Malhotra, who is one of the best orthopaedic surgeons for osteoarthritis.

FAQs

What are 5 symptoms of osteoarthritis?

The symptoms of osteoarthritis include pain, stiffness and tenderness of the affected joints, puffiness, limitation of movements, and crepitus.

What will an orthopedic specialist do for osteoarthritis?

Health care strategies for managing osteoarthritis are physiotherapy, drugs, injections, alteration of lifestyle, and, in most extreme cases, surgeries like arthroplasty or arthroscopy.

What is the most common treatment for osteoarthritis?

The majority of osteoarthritis cases can only be controlled through physiotherapy, administration of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, weight control, and exercises.