Osteoarthritis Tips

Osteoarthritis - Know More About It!

Movement of the human body happens as a result of coordinated movement between the bones and the muscles. There are also cartilages that enable bones to move over and against each other, enabling body movement. Like other body parts, these are also prone to normal wear and tear. This causes bone movement to become less elastic, more rigid, and painful. This pain and inflammation of the bone joints is termed medically as osteoarthritis. It is one of the degenerative joint disease (DJD) of the bones and is a chronic condition.

Causes

As noted above, the main cause of osteoarthritis is aging. However, injuries with damage to the bones and muscles also cause osteoarthritis. With obesity on the rise, many patients are experiencing osteoarthritis as a result of increased weight gain also, as the bones are not able to take the excessive weight.

Symptoms

The most common symptoms include painful and stiff joints. When the movement becomes painful, there is lesser mobility, thereby leading to more weight gain. In severe cases, there could also be swelling of the joints. There could be a "crackling" sound that is typical of onset of osteoarthritis. The stiffness is more common during the later hours of the day and after prolonged period of inactivity, for instance, sitting for long hours.

Diagnosis

Though the symptoms associated with injury and/or old age can be quite diagnostic, a doctor can confirm with a formal checkup if it is indeed osteoarthritis. X-rays and test of the joint fluid can also be used for further confirmation.

Treatment

Osteoarthritis needs to be treated in a multi-pronged approach. As noted earlier, this condition leads to a vicious cycle leading to weight gain. Therefore, the treatment should be aimed at improving movement, reducing pain, reducing weight, and adapting a healthier lifestyle. Also, though it may not be completely prevented, the onset can be delayed by choosing a healthier lifestyle during the younger years of life. Exercise and weight control can definitely prolong the onset of the condition.

There is a strong genetic component that is mapped to this condition. So, if you are aware of an existing family history, it should trigger you to undertake preventive measures earlier in life. Adapting a healthy lifestyle definitely can be helpful in numerous way, prolonging and reducing the severity of osteoarthritis being one of them.

Are you experiencing pain and tenderness in your hand bones? Hand pain can occur due to several causes that may include diseases and injuries. Most of the causes of pain in the hand bones are treatable, and the symptoms can be eased. The most common conditions that cause pain and tenderness in your hand bones include the following:

De Quervain’s tendinitis

1. This condition causes pain on your wrist on the side of your thumb. The pain develops gradually or suddenly and may travel the length of your thumb and forearm.
2. Movements such as making a fist, turning the wrist, and holding objects may be painful.
3. The pain occurs because of swelling of your wrist tendons that are present at the base of your thumb. This happens on the account of inflammation and irritation.
4. Overuse and repetitive activities lead to this condition.
5. New mothers are at a higher risk of getting this condition because of the position in which they have to hold their babies, and due to fluctuating hormone levels.
6. Wrist fracture increases the chances of De Quervain’s tendinitis.

Arthritis

1. Arthritis is a very common condition that is associated with hand pain or pain in the hand bones.
2. It causes your joints to lose the cartilage, slowing them to move against each other slowly.
3. The deterioration of the cartilage causes pain and swellings.
4. The areas in your hand that get affected by this condition include the base of your thumb, end joint located near your fingertip, and the middle joint of your fingers.
5. The most common form of arthritis is known as osteoarthritis, which leads to the progressive degeneration of the cartilage. It occurs because of ageing, and because of injuries such as dislocation and fractures. It causes swelling, stiffness, and swelling in your hands.
6. Another form of arthritis that affects your hand bones is called rheumatoid arthritis. This is an autoimmune disease in which the cells lining your joints get attacked by mistake by your own immune system. It leads to stiff, swollen, and painful joints. Hand pain associated with this condition is aching and throbbing in nature. The pain worsens in the morning and after a period of being immobile.

A Ganglion

1. This is a fluid-filled swelling which develops around a tendon or joint. A ganglion resembles a soft and smooth lump.
2. It is made of synovial fluid which surrounds your tendons and joints for lubrication during movement.
3. These are most likely to occur in your wrists, fingers, and hands.
4. It is recommended for you to consult a doctor on experiencing hand pain of any form, and at any location on the hands. This will allow proper diagnosis so that you can follow specific treatment measures.

Osteoarthritis may affect any joint of your body. And knee arthritis is one of the most common versions of arthritis. It can cause immense inconvenience and braces can help mitigate many of these bothers.

When Do Braces become a Necessity? 

The cartilage at the knee joint cushions the knee and protects the knee from the shock waves of walking, running and other movements by absorbing them. But in some people, the cartilage begins to wear out slowly and when this happens, the underlying bone is exposed and made vulnerable. The degeneration of the cartilage and its consequences trigger excruciating pain, disruption of weight distribution and the unnatural growth of bone spurs around the knee joint.

As the disorder progresses, one side of the knee wears away more than the other and this affects the person’s gait as well. To correct the misalignment, doctors prescribe knee braces.

How Does A Knee Brace Work?

A knee brace is like a tightly fitted sock that you slip your leg through and pull it up to the knee. It sits snugly around your knee. It exerts pressure on your knee and the surrounding area.

A knee brace redistributes the weight evenly. It shifts the weight from the worn and damaged part of your knee onto a lesser damaged part. That eases a lot of the pain you had been suffering. A knee brace will help you get back on your feet and even walk long distances. It puts to rights your gait and stance as well.

Are there any Complications that can arise out of Knee Braces?

Knee braces may help you return to a normal life, you must be prepared for a few minor problems.

• Discomfort -

You will feel uncomfortable until you get accustomed to the braces. The knee and the surrounding areas might itch and become sore. The brace will feel cumbersome and your knee might even feel hot and sweaty.

• The knee skin may become red and swell up -

The only way for braces to be effective is if they fit well. Your doctor can help recommend the brand and size. Moreover, braces are made with different kinds of materials. You need one that suits your skin. After you get the brace fitted to your knee, visit the doctor again who will be able to tell you if the brace is indeed perfect for you.

Knee problems can be quite annoying but if this problem becomes regular, it brings life to a standstill. The movement becomes restricted. Many associated problems slowly crop up. Thus, it is best to nip the problem in the bud. While some people might experience a problem in the full knee, in some people, only a single compartment (tissue or cartilage) of the knee may be affected. For such patients, Unicondylar Knee Replacement comes as a blessing.

Unicondylar knee replacement, also known as the Unicompartmental Knee Replacement or Partial Knee Replacement is the most sought-after knee replacement surgery. The surgery involves replacing only the worn out or affected part (cartilage) of the knee, thereby preserving the healthier cartilages and tissues of the knee.

In the last few years, incidences of osteoarthritis have been on the rise. The unicondylar knee replacement surgery has made life a lot easier for people suffering from osteoarthritis (a condition where the articular cartilage or the connective tissue present within the knee joint begins to wear out).

Unicondylar knee replacement is ideal for people facing problem with:

• Severe osteoarthritis (Median or Lateral) that results in the painful, swollen, and stiffened knee.
• Only a small portion of the knee is affected.
• A person experiences great difficulty in movement.
• People over 48 years of age are mostly advised to undergo this surgery. Many young people with osteoarthritis opt for this surgery.

However, the surgery may not be a wise idea for

• A person with Rheumatoid Arthritis and Angular Deformity (acute).
• A person whose larger portion of the knee is affected.
• A person who had undergone osteotomy (surgical excision followed by reshaping of bones).
• People with an unstable or weak knee should avoid this surgery.

Pre- surgery, a person should

• Avoid taking any anti-inflammatory and herbal medicines (minimum 10 days before the surgery).
• Get yourself medically examined for any health complications (that might interfere with surgery).
• Follow a healthy lifestyle. Avoid smoking and drinking.

Procedure of Unicondylar Knee Replacement:

• For the surgery, the patient is either given general anesthesia or a spinal (or epidural) one.
• Next, a compressing device (tourniquet) is put around the upper part of the thigh. This is done to avoid excessive blood loss during the surgery.
• A 7cm incision is made over the knee.
• The damaged parts (bones and cartilages) of the knee are then carefully removed.
• The surgeon next replaces the excised parts with metallic implants. Once the metallic part fits into the knee, it is adhered to the bone with (or without) bone cement.
• The surgeon then stitches the incised area, followed by dressing and bandage.

Unicondylar knee replacement recovery time is quick, between 3-4 weeks. However, the concerned person may require physiotherapy for the next 3-6 months.

Advantages of Unicondylar Knee Replacement:

• The surgery is less invasive with a quick recovery time.
• The surgery replaces only the affected knee part.
• Blood transfusions are seldom required.
• A person gets back to normal life faster.
• The surgery requires less time (~ 1-2 hours).

You need to be careful about:

• Infection at the incision site, though it is very rare.
• Injury in blood vessels, ligaments, or nerves.
• Fracture in the bone

Update From Lybrate: After a particular age, everyone suffers from bone or joint issues. To keep these problems at bay, Buy Bones & Joint Care products from Lybrate.

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 can help relieve the pain caused by movement but cannot help stop the cartilage degeneration or help new cartilage grow. 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.

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 on 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.

Inflammation or swelling can be caused due to the body's natural response to injury or disease. Arthritis is a disease in which the joints in your body swell. The inflammation or swelling can cause discomfort in the form of pain, stiffness as well as difficulty in movement.

Some of the common causes of arthritis are:

1. Infections in the joint.
2. Genetic makeup in which arthritis can be a hereditary trait
3. Imbalance in the immunity system
4. Physically taxing work life or injuries caused in an accident

Risk factors associated with arthritis:

1. Obesity - Excess weight can put a lot of pressure on the joints, on the knees and hips in particular. Hence, obese people have more chances of developing arthritis than fitter people.
2. Age - The risk of arthritis can increase with age. Types like osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis and gout are more common in the old age.
3. Joint injury - Joint injury caused due to accidents or due to sports activities can trigger arthritis. People with previous joint injuries can develop arthritis in that joint.
4. Family history - You can be prone to develop arthritis if it runs in the family. It can occur due to its hereditary trait hence making you more vulnerable to the environmental factors which contribute to developing arthritis.
5. Gender - Your sex is an important factor as women are more likely to develop rheumatoid arthritis while men are prone to suffer from gout.

Tips to deal with arthritis:

1. Take Vitamins and olive oil: Vitamins are crucial, especially A, C and D. Vitamin A can be found in carrots. vitamin D can yet again be found in fish while vitamin C can be found in strawberries, mangoes, pineapples and oranges. Olive oil is also useful because it contains polyphenols which reduce the chances of developing arthritis.
2. Control your weight: This is very important, especially for your knees. It has been proven by researchers at John Hopkins University that if you are 10 kg overweight, then 30 to 60 extra kilograms of weight fall on your knees.
3. Take Omega-3 fatty acids: Research proves that the regular consumption of Omega-3 fatty acids, present in fish, result in decreased risks of rheumatoid arthritis. Omega-3 fatty acids are also found in foods such as olive oil and walnuts.

Osteoarthritis may affect any joint of your body. And knee arthritis is one of the most common versions of arthritis. It can cause immense inconvenience and braces can help mitigate many of these bothers.

When Do Braces become a Necessity? 

The cartilage at the knee joint cushions the knee and protects the knee from the shock waves of walking, running and other movements by absorbing them. But in some people, the cartilage begins to wear out slowly and when this happens, the underlying bone is exposed and made vulnerable. The degeneration of the cartilage and its consequences trigger excruciating pain, disruption of weight distribution and the unnatural growth of bone spurs around the knee joint.

As the disorder progresses, one side of the knee wears away more than the other and this affects the person’s gait as well. To correct the misalignment, doctors prescribe knee braces.

How Does A Knee Brace Work?

A knee brace is like a tightly fitted sock that you slip your leg through and pull it up to the knee. It sits snugly around your knee. It exerts pressure on your knee and the surrounding area.

A knee brace redistributes the weight evenly. It shifts the weight from the worn and damaged part of your knee onto a lesser damaged part. That eases a lot of the pain you had been suffering. A knee brace will help you get back on your feet and even walk long distances. It puts to rights your gait and stance as well.

Are there any complications that can arise out of Knee Braces?

Knee braces may help you return to a normal life, you must be prepared for a few minor problems.

• Discomfort -

You will feel uncomfortable until you get accustomed to the braces. The knee and the surrounding areas might itch and become sore. The brace will feel cumbersome and your knee might even feel hot and sweaty.

• The knee skin may become red and swell up -

The only way for braces to be effective is if they fit well. Your doctor can help recommend the brand and size. Moreover, braces are made with different kinds of materials. You need one that suits your skin. After you get the brace fitted to your knee, visit the doctor again who will be able to tell you if the brace is indeed perfect for you.

Osteoarthritis is referred to as a degenerative condition where the protecting cartilage of a particular body joint (which helps in smooth movement) slowly wears away with time. Osteoarthritis occurs mainly in joints of the hand, neck, hips, spine and knees. As time passes, osteoarthritis might result in severe and unbearable pain along with increased stiffness in the affected parts of the body. The affected body joints might also lose flexibility, which might result in a particularly unpleasant sensation.

Causes and risk factors
You could be at risk of suffering from osteoarthritis due to any of the following factors

• If you are suffering from obesity.
• There is history of osteoarthritis within the family
• You have suffered severe injury in one or many body joints in the past.
• You are beyond the age of 60.
• Your job requires you to put considerable stress in one of the body joints.

Ayurvedic approach to osteoarthritis

Osteoarthritis tends to be a chronic condition and can never be fully cured although it can be controlled and reduced drastically. Ayurvedic treatments can offer a suitable and potent remedy to patients suffering from osteoarthritis. In Ayurvedic scriptures, Osteoarthritis occurs as a result of an imbalance of the Vata Dosha. This condition occurs primarily because of a regular consumption of stale and unhealthy foods, which result in severe pain in the joints. The Ayurvedic remedies offer to prevent further degeneration as well as restore the ability of the affected cartilage. Apart from encouraging the consumption of freshly cooked meals and drinks, the other useful Ayurvedic remedies are as follows:

• An application of a mixture of dried ginger powder and hot mustard oil on the affected body joints might help to cure the pain.
• Mix turmeric, camphor, garlic powder in hot sesame oil. Then apply it daily on the affected areas. This will not only provide relief from pain, but will also improve mobility.
• Daily consumption of Triphala powder might help in the subsequent cure of osteoarthritis by purifying the colon.
• Daily consumption of 30 ml herbal juice extracted from the Deodar tree roots, might cure osteoarthritis. You need to consume this preparation 2 to 3 times daily.
• Daily massage with groundnut oil on the affected area may also reduce the symptoms of osteoarthritis.