Osteoarthritis, also known as degenerative arthritis or degenerative joint disease, is the most common joint disorder and has unknown causes. It is a condition that is usually seen in older people, in their larger, weight-bearing joints, such as the hips, knees, and spine. It can also affect the hands and feet, or other joints.
Osteoarthritis, also known as degenerative arthritis or degenerative joint disease, is the most common joint disorder and has unknown causes. It is a condition that is usually seen in older people, in their larger, weight-bearing joints, such as the hips, knees, and spine. It can also affect the hands and feet, or other joints.
The smooth cartilage lining of a joint begins to flake and crack through age and general wear and tear. As the cartilage deteriorates, the underlying bone can become thickened and distorted. This can make moving the joint so painful and restricted that the associated muscles are used much less. This leads to the degeneration of the unused muscles.
Symptoms
Pain, swelling, and stiffness can occur at intervals of months or years. Although osteoarthritis often affects several joints, it rarely causes symptoms in more than one or two joints at a time. Pain may gradually become so sever that it disturbs sleep and limits everyday activities.
Swelling can vary from being hardly noticeable to making the joint appear extremely knobby and enlarged. The pain from osteoarthritis can be felt directly in the affected joint, or indirectly. That is, the pain may transmit to other parts of the body in what is known as referred pain. For example, the front of the thigh or knee may be very painful for someone with osteoarthritis in the hip.
Risks
X-rays show some degree of osteoarthritis in most people over 40, whether they have symptoms or not. There are no life-threatening risks and it seldom becomes a serious problem. Certain occupations and sports are more often associated with the development of osteoarthritis, such as ballet or football.
Treatment
There are self-help treatments to help with the pain symptoms of osteoarthritis. If a person is overweight, losing weight can help release some of the strain on weight-bearing joints. Resting frequently or using a cane can help ease pain. Heat is often an easy self-help treatment for joint pain.
Most importantly, regular exercise prevents the muscles around the affected joints from becoming weak and minimizes symptoms. Physical therapy including exercise, massage and heat treatments are often recommended. Aspirin or ibuprofen can help relieve pain, but a doctor can prescribe another painkiller.
For severe pain, an injection of a corticosteroid drug into the joint can help. However, if it is used too often it can be damaging. Joint replacement through surgery can also be common.
Six Little Known Tips to Ease Menopause Symptoms!
One of the latest studies in internal medicine show that women who generally improve their overall health can offset menopause symptoms by just being generally healthy and in better shape. The general categories of improvement, which also help offset menopause symptoms, are eating loads of veggies, whole grains, fish, fruit, and legumes. Only drink moderate amounts of alcohol, exercise regularly, maintain a healthy weight, and don't smoke.
5 Secrets You Need to Know to Lose Cellulite
Daily brushing cellulite with a natural bristle brush, which can be found in your local health food store, boosts circulation and lymphatic drainage, helps to detoxify tissue, and tone the skin. Before getting wet in a bath or shower, dry brush the body using brisk upward motions starting from soles of feet, up legs, to belly, arms up from the waist to shoulder, and finally buttocks and back.
4 Tips To Improve Your Sex Appeal!
First, just by changing your part from the middle to the side you can shave years off your look, says a celebrity hairstylist. How does this work? The asymmetrical sweep of the hair gives your face a soft frame and will cover any age-telling lines on your forehead. Also, you need to rejuvenate your hair - just like kids have super-shiny hair, so can you.
