Understanding Osteoarthritis: Key Facts You Should Know

Osteoarthritis (OA) is a medical condition that is characterised by severe joint pain due to wear and tear or ageing. The bones in your body are protected by cartilage, which acts as an effective shock absorber during movement and lubricates your joint too. Your joints are no longer lubricated as well as before and you can find your bones scraping painfully against each other, when you have osteoarthritis.  Let us look at the early symptoms of osteoarthritis, try to understand the difference between the various kinds of the condition itself and see about making changes to your daily routine, so you feel better and remain relatively pain free.

Difference Between Arthritis And Osteoarthritis

Arthritis is any condition that affects your joints and the severity of symptoms can vary a lot from one person to another. There are over a hundred different kinds in this group and joint pain is a common symptom throughout. Osteoarthritis is one such degenerative bone disorder where you have pain due to overuse of the joints. Your body is normally capable of taking care of minor issues as it is pretty self sufficient, but these repair processes begin to change gradually while you age and are not as effective. This is why osteoarthritis is normally considered a disease of the old. The joints that are normally affected include the knees, hip, hands, wrists, the neck and lower back respectively. But that doesn’t mean others will be fine either. Plus, there are two subclasses under Osteoarthritis – primary and secondary.

• Primary OA – This is where your joints begin to ache due to wear and tear associated with ageing.
• Secondary OA – Here, you may get osteoarthritis due to an injury that occurs previously.

Common Causes Of Osteoarthritis In Adults

The causes include risk factors that you may have, or be exposed to- which increase your chances of suffering from OA in the future. Some of them are as follows-

• The first one is pretty obvious- wear and tear associated with ageing.
• When you have sports injuries or traumatic accidents.
• When you have severe falls
• Conditions like joint hypermobility syndrome or Ehlers-Danlos syndrome.
• Other kinds of arthritis like gout, rheumatoid or psoriatic arthritis respectively.
• Hormonal issues or changes like andropause and menopause
• If you are overweight and have diabetes
• Other autoimmune conditions that can affect your joints can cause OA too.

Lifestyle Tips For Living With Osteoarthritis-

You can think of this section as employing preventive measures, so you don’t suffer from OA-

• Paying close attention to what you eat should be a major priority.
• Getting regular exercise- and not just walking or jogging, but adding some strength training to your routine will greatly help. Not exercising because you are in pain is the last thing you should be doing.
• When you go out, dress warm, especially if it is chilly out. You may have noticed that your discomfort gets worse in winter.
• Using the right kind of protective gear when playing sports or while driving- that is super important.
• Stop smoking or get help- as it can adversely affect your joints and health in the long run.
•  Also, consider getting support bars in the loo and around the house so you can prevent falls. Talk to a gym instructor or doctor for modifications to your exercise routine, so you don’t place unnecessary stress on your joints.
• Talk to a doctor when your symptoms seem to be getting worse and they affect your daily quality of life.

Conclusion

Osteoarthritis has common symptoms like swollen joints, limited or nil mobility, poor range of motion and redness, along with other signs that you may notice. You should not wait too long before seeking treatment because osteoarthritis is inherently incurable. The earlier you make changes and begin treatment, the better your symptoms will be managed. You can then continue with life normally, unless it gets so bad that you may require more drastic treatment options.