What is Osteo Arthritis?

Read about  Osteo Arthritis Disease presented in simple easy to understand language

Causes 
No precise cause of the disease is known. However, it is caused primarily by wear and tear to the joints. Secondary causes include diabetes, sustained injuries, hyper parathyroidism, obesity, pre-existing joint diseases, hormone disorders and congenital abnormalities. 

Risk Factors
• Age over 50
• Obesity
• Injury to a joint
• Prolonged occupational or sports stress

Signs and Symptoms
Osteoarthritis of Hand

• Fingers become painful and stiff
• Heberden’s nodes in the small joints at the end of the fingers.
• Bouchard’s node occurs at the middle joint of the fingers. 

Osteoarthritis of Knees

• Knees become stiff, swollen and painful. 
• Difficulty in walking and climbing.
• Pain is felt when sitting in a chair or standing from it. 

Osteoarthritis of Hips
• Feeling of pain in the region of hips or groin. 
• Pain in the inner thigh or buttocks.
• Difficulty in bending and moving. 

Osteoarthritis of Spine

• Pain and stiffness in the neck and lower back region. 
• Feeling of weakness or numbness in the arms or legs. 

General Signs and Symptoms of Osteoarthritis

1. Onset is gradual. 
2. Swelling and stiffness in a joint. 
3. Joint enlargement and decreased range of motion. 
4. Loss of joint flexibility. 
5. Pain is felt after exercise or after period of rest. 
6. A characteristic of osteoarthritis is typical noise (called crepitus) on joint movement, which can be felt or even heard. 

It is commonly found in the joints of the fingers, feet, knees, hips, and spine, and is rarely found in joints of the wrist, elbows, shoulders, and jaw. Symptoms of osteoarthritis vary greatly from patient to patient. Some patients can be debilitated by their symptoms. On the other hand, others may have remarkably few symptoms in spite of dramatic degeneration of the joints apparent on X-rays. Symptoms also can be intermittent. It is not unusual for patients with osteoarthritis of the hands and knees to have years of pain-free intervals between symptoms.  Read Previous  Read More...