Osteoarthritis Tips

Osteoarthritis (OA) is a degenerative disease that affects the various bone joints, leading to painful movement and thereby limiting the patient's mobility.  Knees, hips, joints of hands and legs are affected.

Symptoms of OA

The symptoms revolve around the bones and joints including

- Pain and stiffness of the joints
- Swelling of the joints
- Inability to form a clench
- Difficulty holding things 
- Stooped posture 
- Weakness of legs and hands
- Reduced height over time.

In most people with OA, the options in allopathy are limited to nonsteroidal analgesics to control pain and in severe cases, surgical correction.

However, homeopathy takes into account the triggering symptoms, the associated symptoms, and the status of the immune system before deciding on a treatment regimen. With this holistic approach, homeopathy achieve the following:

• Reduce the pain, swelling ,and stiffness
• Slows the pace of further degeneration
• Improves mobility of the affected joint(s)
• Improves the body's overall immune system, thereby allow the body to promote healing on its own
• Homeopathic intervention in the early phases is particularly helpful, as it will arrest disease progression
• It also enable better absorption of minerals and nutrients essential for bone health. This allows healing of existing bone fractures and avoids further bone damage by strengthening the bones.
• Homeopathic treatment also enables the body's chemical state to withstand stress and illnesses better.
• It vitalizes the body's natural healing and ability to repair itself, to create a better state of health and well-being

Some of the popular homeopathic medications based on areas and associated symptoms are listed below:

Knee joints:

• Bryonia Alba: Pain worsened with movement, relieved with rest; associated with swelling and stiffness of the joints; difficulty in climbing stairs.
• Calcarea Carbonica: Swelling and pain that is worsened when getting up from a seated position. The joints feel cold and painful.
• Sulphur: Worse with climbing stairs, prolonged standing, feeling of warmth in the knees. 

Hip Joints:

• Colcynthis: Cramping pain improved by pressure.
• Rhus Toxicodendron: Pain when getting up from a seated position.
• Pulsatilla Nigricans: Associated with muscle stiffness and cramping.

Finger joints:

• Antimonium Crudum: The pain pain gets worse in cold weather, improved by applying something warm) 
• Benzoic Acid: There is an associated crackling sound when the fingers are moved or if there are nodes in the area of joints. The urine is highly offensive in these people. 
• Calcara Fluorica:  There are stony hard nodes formed in the joint area, greatly reducing the mobility.

These medications are safe, completely natural, do not induce habit formation, and are approved by FDA.  They don't just treat the symptoms but help manage the patient as a whole.  This justifies why homeopathy is definitely a good option in treating osteoarthritis.

Osteoarthritis is among the most common ailments that people on the other side of 50 are affected with. Few of the primary reasons behind osteoarthritis are age, obesity and weakened bones. Sometimes, osteoarthritis stems from joint injury or some sort of stress on the bones. It leads to acute pain and stiffness and can only be cured through medication and exercise. The symptoms may vary from mild creakiness in the joints and swelling to the loss of cartilages between bones.

Long periods of inactivity can also trigger extreme stiffness as well. While it is an extremely painful disease, it does not spread to the other parts of the body. Inflammation of various degrees in the ligaments and joints is the primary cause of osteoarthritis and sustained treatment can only result in abating of pain. Osteoarthritis is usually treated through detecting the symptoms and through other imaging tests, while joint replacement may be a viable solution, there are other non-surgical processes that reap fruitful results while battling osteoarthritis.

It usually involves an optimum mixture of exercises and drug therapy. While there are several cures available, prevention should always be a priority:

1. Physical activity: Obesity is one of the primary causes of osteoarthritis. Certain prescribed exercises can go a long way in improving muscle strength and reducing joint pains. However, excessive exercises must be avoided. Other preventive methods include medicinal spa, massage and chiropractics. These are extremely beneficial in cases osteoarthritis.
2. Medicines and drugs: Osteoarthritis can be kept under control and averted through specific medications. Drugs can be consumed orally or can be injected directly as per the prescription of the doctor if he or she forebodes an onset of osteoarthritis. Knee lubricants have also been helpful in curing osteoarthritis. For more severe conditions, specified medical attention may be required.
3. Nutritional Supplements: For obtaining relief from joint pains, a proper and healthy diet is necessary. An enhanced supply of calcium, vitamin D and Omega-3 fatty acids is thus mandatory for remedying and preventing osteoarthritis. A healthy diet builds your immunity and prevents such diseases.
4. Surgery: Although not the favorite, knee replacement surgery is often undertaken even if initial signs of osteoarthritis or rheumatoid arthritis are detected. These are relatively hassle-free surgeries which go a long way in providing relief. However, you must follow the advice of the doctors thoroughly before opting for this.
5. Acupuncture: Acupuncture has gained a lot of popularity in the recent times. Based on ancient techniques, this involves gently needling the various pressure points to purify the system from within and reduce the joint pains. They have extremely health boosting properties and contribute to one’s overall well-being.

In medical terms, Osteoarthritis is referred to as a disease of the joints. It mostly affects the cartilage or the slippery tissue, which helps to cover the ends of bones in a joint. Proper cartilage helps in gliding of the bones one over the other. In osteoarthritis, the cartilage’s top layer gets damaged or breaks down. This leads to rubbing of the bones and swelling, pain or loss of motion. As time passes by, the joint may lose its shape. There is also a possibility of developing bone spurs from the edges of the joint. This causes pain and damage.

People suffering from osteoarthritis often complain of joint pain and experience reduced motion. Unlike the other kinds of arthritis, this affects only the joints and does not interfere with the working of internal organs. It is the most common form of arthritis. It mainly occurs in older people. In younger ones, osteoarthritis may occur due to joint injuries.

What Causes Osteoarthritis?
It is caused due to aging. But there are certain other risk factors that have to be kept in mind. This include:

1. Excess body weight or obesity
2. Old age
3. Joint injury
4. Improper formation of joints
5. Defective genes
6. Stress on the joints

What are the symptoms?
It can develop in any joint in the body. But it mainly occurs in the hands, knees, hips, and spine. The symptoms that indicate towards its occurrence are as follows:

1. Stiffness in a joint, especially as you get out of bed or sit for a long period of time.
2. Swelling or tenderness in the joints.
3. A crunching feeling.
4. Sound of bone rubbing.

Diagnosis
It cannot be diagnosed by a single test. It takes several methods to detect its symptoms. tHerefore, a combination of tests are conducted, including physical examination, X-rays, blood tests or examination of the fluid in the joints.

How Is It Treated?
It requires a combination of treatments to meet a patient's needs, as per his or her lifestyle, and health. The treatment has four main goals:

1. To improve the function of the joints
2. Maintain a healthy body weight
3. It is important to control the pain
4. Efforts to achieve a healthy lifestyle

The treatment plan or sketch will involve a focus on the following things:

1. Exercise
2. Weight control
3. Rest and joint care
4. Techniques to get relief from pain without the use of drugs
5. Medications
6. Therapies
7. Surgery

Arthritis is a prevalent disease that is common among men and women of all ages. Arthritis is a disease that can be in any form of pain in the body. People commonly call it as joint pain or joint disease, but in actual terms, it is descending Arthritis.

Symptoms of Arthritis:

Symptoms of Arthritis are very common in nature and may occur and disappear. They are measured in the scale of mild, moderate, and severe. Some of the primary symptoms of Arthritis are swelling, pain, and stiffness in the joints of the body. The symptoms may vary with the advancement of age.

Types of Arthritis:

Following are some of the most common types of Arthritis:

Osteoarthritis (Degenerative Arthritis) Osteoarthritis is the most common form of Arthritis, where the cartilage at the end of the bones wears away. With the depletion of cartilage in the joints, bones rub against each other which causes pain and stiffness. After some time, the bones become weak, and the condition worsens. The reasons for Osteoarthritis are excess weight, family history, and eating habits.

Inflammatory Arthritis-

Inflammatory Arthritis refers to Rheumatoid Arthritis and Psoriatic Arthritis which are caused due to the attack of the immune system in the body. The immune system is a very active system in the body which attacks the infections in the body by inflammation. Sometimes, this inflammation causes trouble for joints and results in damaged joints and bones.

Infectious Arthritis-

Various infections in the body cause inflammation in the joints which results in Infectious Arthritis. Diseases like Hepatitis C, STD, and food poisoning can cause Arthritis in the body. Invasion of bacteria, fungi, and viruses enters joints to trigger inflammation and causes various infections in the joints.

Metabolic Arthritis-

Uric acid is one of the reasons behind Metabolic Arthritis. Some people have a natural tendency to produce uric acid in the body more than required. This uric acid stays in the body which causes joint pain and Arthritis. Some people have a build of uric acid in the body which gives rise to gout attacks, and if left untreated, can cause chronic pain and inability.

How Can Ayurvedic Treatment Help In Arthritis?

Ayurveda is all about balancing the human body, thoughts, and lifestyle. It affects not only as a medicine to disease but also to the body as a whole. Each human being is treated differently when it comes to Ayurveda. When you have Arthritis, Ayurveda does not only treat the disease but it also completely changes in the profile of the patient’s lifestyle. In the case of the Ayurveda treatment of Arthritis, the removal of Ama (toxins) and strengthening the Agni is done.

This is achieved with the help of a proper diet that strengthens the Agni and removes the toxins in the body. If someone is suffering from chronic Arthritis problems, then Ayurveda can lessen the pain and make the severity go away. The best medicine to treat any disease is prevention. Ayurveda helps in the prevention of Arthritis problems by changing diet, use of medication, and herbs that removes excess toxins in the body, and regular exercise that makes the body fit.

Why Choose Ayurveda?

Being the most ancient form of medicine, Ayurveda cures the problem from its roots and doesn't cause any side effects. A good Ayurveda specialist can treat any problem related to your body in a short span of time.  

Conclusion:

Ayurveda is one of the most effective ways to treat Arthritis. There are many ayurvedic medicines and remedies available for the treatment of Arthritis. However, it is always advisable to consult an ayurvedic specialist before opting or buying any medicine.

For years, we’ve let our joints suffer on the hands of our over the top work-load and daily hassles of earning a lifestyle - little do we care that the lifestyle earned ends up in a terrible state for our joints, impacting our daily locomotion and movement. Osteoarthritis is one such terrible condition to deal with which is widely reported in the youth and middle-aged population.

Osteoarthritis: Know The Demon Attacking Your Joints

As we’ve been discussing joints and movements, it’s important to know that all the cartilaginous joints that facilitate locomotion is equipped with a protective cartilage coating to help it retain its flexibility and reduce the wearing out of the same. However, if not maintained properly, the cartilage coating present in elbow, knee or shoulder joints tends to wear down and causes immense pain due to the friction in between the two bones which was joined by a cartilaginous joint. With passing time, you may face pain, stiffness and tenderness in your bones over increased inflammation posed by the osteoarthritis. Aggravated symptoms may include swelling and formation of bone spurs around the concerned joint if not treated well in time. 

Does Ayurveda Have A Way With Osteoarthritis?

Of course, Ayurveda foresees the well-being of the joints in a different light with utmost importance given to the cushioning and flexibility of the same. Though it takes a little time to treat osteoarthritis fully as Ayurveda believes in treating the root cause and not just fighting off the symptoms platonically, it does provide immediate relief from the pain caused by this disorder. 

A special formulation consisting of Nirgundi extract along with a base of three herbal oils of mustard, sesame and coconut for a therapeutic effect helps the body deal with Vatta Dosha by acting as a Vatta Shamak Dravya and relieves pain with immediate effect.

There are so many things we take for granted. For example, have you ever thought about how your fingers bend or how your knees open and fold to help you walk? It is only when these simple acts start becoming uncomfortable that we take a closer look at them. Osteoarthritis is a common musculoskeletal condition that affects the cartilage in our joints. As the cartilage breaks down, bones lose the buffer between them and every movement becomes stiff and painful.

Here are a few things you should know about osteoarthritis:

1. Osteoarthritis is common: Osteoarthritis can affect both men and women but men have a higher risk of osteoarthritis as compared to women. This risk increases with age. Other risk factors associated with osteoarthritis include obesity, genetics, muscle weakness and previous joint injuries. The joints most commonly affected by osteoarthritis include the knees, hips, and spine. It is important to note that though this condition is common, it is not inevitable.

2. You can reduce your risk of Osteoarthritis: By making a few lifestyle changes you can reduce the chances of suffering from this condition. Controlling your blood sugar and weight are primary amongst these. Regular exercise is also necessary as it increases flexibility and keeps the joints supple. It also strengthens the bones and muscles. If your work involves heavy lifting avoid placing stress on your knees and instead lift the weight with your hips.

3. Different people have different symptoms: This condition has a very slow progression rate and hence may go unnoticed in its early stages. While some people experience pain in the early stages, others may not realize anything is amiss until an X-ray shows the degenerated cartilage. It also progresses at different rates for each individual. The condition will progress faster in the case of people living with heavy stress or those with a sedentary lifestyle. Some of the common symptoms associated with osteoarthritis include pain, stiffness, and swelling of the joints. Along with an X ray, blood tests will also be conducted to diagnose osteoarthritis. This helps rule out any other type of arthritis. In rare cases, osteoarthritis can cause joint deformities.

4. Exercise is the best treatment for osteoarthritis: At present, there is no known cure for this disease. Medication like NSAIDS or paracetamol can help relieve the pain caused by movement but cannot help stop the cartilage degeneration or help new cartilage grow. Alternately Hyaluronic acid injections can be injected inside the affected joints, which slows the progression of the disease somewhat. Few studies also show some benefits with long-term use of medications like collagen type II, diacerin or glucosamine in relief of joint pain. However, exercise can be very beneficial. This helps strengthen the muscles around the joint and can even slow down the rate of degeneration. Low-intensity exercises such as walking, swimming, yoga, and cycling are ideal for osteoarthritis patients as they do not put any pressure on the joints.

It is considered as the medical specialty, which caters to injuries and various diseases in the musculoskeletal system of the human body. This constitutes the joints, bones, tendons, nerves and muscles that enables a human being to move, be active and work. Orthopedic surgeons perform special problems like diagnosis of the injury or disorder, treatment with the right medication, rehabilitation that is by prescribing exercises and physical therapy in order to restore back movement, function and strength and finally prevention by providing information and plans of treatment to prevent the injury or reduce the progression of the disease.

Platelet Rich Plasma Therapy (PRP)-
PRP is the next generation injection method which is used commonly for conditions like knee, hip, shoulder and spine osteoarthritis, cuff tears, ACL injuries, pelvic instability, tennis elbow, back and neck injuries, ankle sprains, ligament sprains and tendinitis. It includes higher blood rate platelet concentrations and the patient experiences fewer chances of inflammatory side effects due to its pure PRP mixture.

How does it heal the body?

1. The human body at first responds to the soft tissues injury which is to have the platelet cells.
2. They are packed with healing factors that initiate repair and also attract critical assistance of the stem cells.
3. The process intensifies the human body’s efforts which directly delivers a higher platelet concentration into the area of need.
4. To create the PRP, a small section of the patient’s blood is drawn and it is placed into centrifuge which spins the blood at a higher speed and separates the platelets from the components.
5. It is injected into and at around the mark of injury and it significantly strengthens the process of healing.
6. Just because the patient’s own blood is used in the process there is no risk of transmissible infection and also has less chance of an allergic reaction.
7. The procedure takes a couple of hours inclusive of the recovery and preparation time. It offers instant recovery as well as avoids a long stay in the hospitals and application of anesthesia.

The outcome of PRP-

As the goal of PRP therapy is just to resolve pain by healing, it can prove to have long-lasting results. Initially, improvements are seen within few weeks eventually increases with the healing progress. The research studies have shown that PRP therapy is safe and effective and enables the patient to get back to their normal daily routine.

The PRP is very rich in platelets and it is a very old therapy that is adopted. It is a simple process and has multiple injections lasting 60-90 minutes and above all, it has natural end results, for example, PRP therapy is applied in hair restoration that provides natural appearing end results. It is a reliable process and therapy.

When it comes to things which have a pretty high ability to cause aches and pains, osteoarthritis can be said to be near the top of the list, for sure. But, what exactly is to be done so as to reduce the adverse impact that it has on the life and wellness of a person? Well, for questions such as this one, it is great that the ancient and proven field of medicine that is Ayurveda has all the answers that one would need to be aware of!

If a person is an enthusiast of food cooked in a south Asian or east Asian style, then turmeric is something which would be quite familiar, to say the least! In addition to just the food, turmeric can go a long way in the effort to help people who are suffering on account of osteoarthritis. Turmeric has an ability to work against three enzymes in the body which cause inflammation, which are lipo-oxygenase, cyclo-oxygenase, and phospholipase A2.

So, it can be said that this is one item from the kitchen, which is worth keeping in mind for its alternative uses. As a matter of fact, it is not, by far, the only one as ginger is another which is useful in the treatment of osteoarthritis. This is especially true when it is a case of osteoarthritis of the knee. How ginger helps is that it prevents an enzyme which creates inflammation from having the full effect that it normally would have had. So, the amount of pain which is felt by the person is quite a bit less a good thing, is it not?

An aspect of curing osteoarthritis has to do with the diet, as well. So, it is important that in order to avoid the osteoarthritis from getting worse, fried foods are avoided, especially the things which are spicy. In addition to this, it is a good idea to use lentil soups as these provide nutrition but at the same time also help to reduce a person’s tendency to eat too much. The weight loss will also help make movement a fair amount easier. Quite a combination of benefits!

For someone who is going through pain on account of osteoarthritis, it is important to be on a regular meditation. While a person would not see the link between the two from a normal perspective, it is to be kept in mind that Ayurveda looks to balance not only the body but also the mind. So, there can be a reduced sensation of pain if a person meditates, which will help him or her live life better.

Osteoarthritis is the most common form of arthritis and can affect any joint of the body. Typically, the joints of the hands, knees, hips and spine are worst affected. This degenerative condition occurs when the cartilage cushioning the bones of a joint wear out. This causes the bones to grind against each other when moving the joint. The effects of Osteoarthritis cannot be reversed, but with medication and lifestyle changes, it can be managed and the progression of the disease can be slowed down. In cases where the joint pain causes immobility, joint replacement surgery may also be considered. One of the key factors that affects how well this pain is managed is the early diagnosis of the disorder. Here are a few symptoms that you should look out for.

1. Pain: Unexplained pain that is not triggered by any kind of injury can be a sign of osteoarthritis. This pain usually worsens with movement. You may also feel a grating sensation when an affected joint is moved.
2. Joint stiffness: Movement after a long period of inactivity or on waking up in the morning can be stiff and you may not be able to move a joint through the full range of possible motions. The joints may also feel tender when pressure is applied to them.
3. Bone spurs: Bone spurs are extra bone growths which feel like hard lumps. This is generally formed around the affected joints.

Some people are at a higher risk of suffering from this disorder than others. The risk factors that determine this include:

1. Age: This disease usually affects elderly people and hence advancement in age increases the risk of this disease.
2. Sex: Women are at a higher risk of suffering from osteoarthritis than men.
3. Obesity: Weight gain not only affects the way you look but also puts extra pressure on your joints, especially the hips and knees. In addition, proteins produced by fatty tissues can also cause inflammation around the joint.
4. Joint injuries and bone deformities: Though an injury may have occurred and healed many years ago, it can increase a person’s risk of osteoarthritis in their later years. People born with defective cartilage or malformed bones are also at a higher risk of suffering from this condition.
5. Occupation: Jobs or tasks that put stress on a particular joint can increase the risk of damage to the cartilage in that joint. Performing these tasks repeatedly can eventually lead to osteoarthritis.

Most of the people over the age of 40 years suffer from knee pain which may be` due to osteoarthritis knee. To prevent it stop squatting, sitting cross-legged. Early physiotherapy is also helpful.