All You Need To Know About Osteoarthritis

Osteoarthritis is sometimes referred to as degenerative joint disease, wear-and-tear arthritis, and degenerative arthritis. It is one of the most common and painful chronic joint conditions. Your joint is the place where two bones come together, covered, and protected using cartilage. Osteoarthritis causes your cartilage to break down, causing your bones to rub together, causing a sharp intensity of pain, stiffness, along with other symptoms.

Osteoarthritis commonly occurs in old individuals. However, that is not a set parameter. Today, many adults suffer from some form of arthritis, making it one of the leading causes of disability, affecting more than 30 million individuals in the United States alone. 

Cause of Osteoarthritis

Osteoarthritis can happen to anyone and is commonly found in aging men and women. While women are most likely to suffer from osteoarthritis, both men and women show signs of arthritis after the age of 50. 

Younger individuals can even develop osteoarthritis after a joint injury or issue with their joint formation.

Common Symptoms of Osteoarthritis

Some of the most common symptoms of osteoarthritis are often mild. You may start with one or two issues in your joint, and can later develop osteoarthritis. The most common symptoms of osteoarthritis include, but are not limited to: 

• You feel pain when you use your joint. However, there is a chance the pain will get better with rest. Furthermore, towards the later stages of osteoarthritis, you might feel the pain worsens during the night.
• After a resting period or in the morning, joint stiffness that lasts more than thirty minutes is a clear symptom of osteoarthritis.
• Swelling around your joints, especially after using a particular body part.
• When you feel a change in your ability to move your joints
• Feeling your joint is loose or unstable in the weeks to come.

Osteoarthritis can cause your symptoms or worsen over time, and can cause a hindrance when trying to: 

• Step up
• Getting on and off the toilet seat
• On and off a chair
• Walking across a moderately sized parking lot
• Gripping a pot/pan

Furthermore, pain and other related osteoarthritis symptoms might push your body to feel tired, find it difficult to fall asleep, and feel a sense of depression.

Things To Remember About Osteoarthritis

Osteoarthritis is a joint disease that can happen to anyone regardless of their age as it is caused by breakage of the tissue surrounding your joint.

The most common issues associated with osteoarthritis are joint pain, swelling, and stiffness along with a change in range of movement, freedom of movement, and feeling a sense of losing grasp over your movement. 

The only treatment available for osteoarthritis is regular exercise, wearing braces to help keep your body stable, take pain killers and other prescribed medication, and maintain a healthy weight. Only by following these few aspects will you be able to contain the symptoms associated with osteoarthritis.

When looking to ease various symptoms associated with osteoarthritis you can take on heat or cold therapies, avoid extra movement, taking on stretches and exercises to help with movement, or taking a movement class to help learn more about your condition. 

Moreover, it enables you to come to terms with your conditions, and at your own pace. You can easily find a class near you or ask your doctor to recommend a plan to ease the process. 

Yours in self-care,

Adrian Wilk