Osteoarthritis
Also known as: degenerative
arthritis
What is it?
Osteoarthritis is a form of arthritis that causes the gradual breakdown of the cartilage that cushions the joints. Movement then causes the bones to rub against each other, which is painful. Osteoarthritis most commonly affects weight-bearing joints such as the knees and hips. It also common in the fingers.
Who gets it?
Osteoarthritis is the most common of all arthritic disorders, with symptoms usually appearing around middle age. Most elderly people have osteoarthritis, but it is often very mild and does not cause symptoms. The disease occurs more often in women than in men.
What causes it?
Osteoarthritis occurs when the joints receive too much wear. This can be caused by obesity, bad posture, repeated trauma or injury, and overuse. In some cases, osteoarthritis is hereditary.
What are the symptoms?
The symptoms of osteoarthritis include joint pain, especially after overuse or long periods of inactivity; joint creaking or grating sound; joint swelling, stiffness, and limited movement, especially upon awakening; muscle weakness around the sore joint from lack of use; and joint deformity. Osteoarthritis is a degenerative disease, meaning it worsens over time.
How is it diagnosed?
Your doctor will look at your medical history and examine you. He or she may order blood tests and x-rays, or take a sample of fluid from the joint. Osteoarthritis almost always attacks the base of the thumb, which is helpful in diagnosis.
What is the treatment?
Osteoarthritis can usually be managed at home with rest and acetaminophen for pain relief. Your doctor may recommend moist heat for joints that are not swollen, or ice packs for inflamed swollen joints, once or twice a day. Regular, gentle exercise is important to help maintain strength and flexibility in the muscles and joints. You may benefit from arthroscopic surgery, where a small camera is placed into the joint and the surgeon uses small instruments to remove loose pieces of cartilage. The results of this procedure are somewhat unpredictable; however, it may benefit some patients with mild to moderate disease. Arthroscopic surgery for osteoarthritis is most frequently performed at the knee, but may occasionally be performed at the shoulder or elbow as well. This type of surgery does not cure the arthritis, but may significantly decrease the level of pain. Several different types of injections also are available for patients with osteoarthritis. The most common is an injection of cortocosteriods, sometimes combined with an anesthetic (pain reducing) medication. This type of injection may provide significant pain relief for a substantial period of time in patients with mild to moderate arthritis, but is somewhat unpredictable. Some patients do not have any improvement after the injection. The injection is generally performed as an office procedure and will not interfere with your ability to drive home. Injections can be repeated every several months for a total of up to three or four injections. Injections are also not a cure. More recently injections of synvisc or hyalgan have become more common. This is a sticky substance that is intended to decrease inflammation in the knee joint. These substances also seem to be effective in decreasing pain, but will not cure the arthritis. If your hips or knees are severely damaged, or your arthritis is so severe that it interferes with your lifestyle and daily activities, your doctor may recommend joint replacement.
Joint replacement involves removing the arthritic portions of the joint and replacing them with a plastic and metal artificial joint. It is generally available for hip, knee, shoulder, and elbow joints and is very effective for relieving pain at these joints. Patients usually maintain good range of motion after surgery. Joint replacement is usually recommended for older patients, but is sometimes performed on younger patients as well. At the hip and knee, an uncomplicated joint replacement has an approximately 85% chance of being intact and functioning after 15 years. The overall results of joint replacement in properly selected patients are excellent and most patients have little or no pain after recovery from the surgery. The hospital stay is between four and six days, with full recovery between six weeks and three months. Following a hip or knee replacement, patients can drive, walk as far as they would like, ride an exercise bicycle, swim, play golf, dance, bike, and enjoy most other activities that do not involve repeated jumping or twisting.
Self-care tips
While you can't prevent osteoarthritis, you can help prevent pain by taking it easy on your joints. Exercise moderately every day and avoid activities that jar the joints. Control your weight by following a healthy, low fat diet. Water aerobics provide an excellent cardiovascular workout while being kind to the joints. If you've had joint replacement surgery, you should have x-rays at least every two years to be sure that the joint replacement is functioning properly.
This information has been designed as a comprehensive and quick reference
guide written by our health care reviewers. The health information written
by our authors is intended to be a supplement to the care provided by your
physician. It is not intended nor implied to be a substitute for
professional medical advice.
|
