Struggling with arthritis?

Osteoarthritis, or wear-and-tear arthritis, is a condition caused by the wear and tear of cartilage and people usually develop this condition after the age of 40. It is the most common type of arthritis. Women are more likely to develop osteoarthritis. Other potential causes are bone deformities, joint injuries, obesity, and having diabetes, underactive thyroid, gout, or Paget’s disease.

As a person grows, the cartilage present between two bones degrades slowly. It reaches a point where it becomes extremely thin and the bones rub against each other. This causes pain, inflammation, and difficulty in moving the joint. It can affect any joint in your body, but is most common in hands, neck, lower back, knees, and hips.

The goal of treatment now is to alleviate pain and swelling. Medications such as acetaminophen, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory (NSAIDs), and narcotics can relieve symptoms. Also, physical and occupational therapy can help. Trying splints, braces, or shoe inserts can help reduce pain and can support your joint to keep pressure off of it. Using a cane helps to keep the weight off the knee and hip. Heat and cold helps to manage pain. Over the counter creams work best on joints that are close to the surface such as knees and fingers. Natural treatment options include acupuncture, glucosamine and chondroitin supplements, and tai chi and yoga.

There are some newer surgical treatments. A few procedures are:

*Chondroplasty: The rough cartilage is smoothed out to reduce friction.
*Abrasion of micro-fracture: A small part of exposed bone is stimulated to grow scar tissue in that area to help reduce friction.
*Osteochondral Auto graft/Allograft transplant/OATS procedure: The cartilage is replaced from another region in the body or from a cadaver.
*Cortisone shots: The area is numbed and a needle is placed into the space within your joint. The number of shots you can receive each year is limited since the medication can actually worsen joint damage over time.
*Lubrication injections: Hyaluronic acid derivatives (Hyalgan, Synvisc) offer pain relief by providing cushioning in the knee.
*Osteotomy (realigning bones): The bone is cut across, either above or below the knee, to realign the leg. It can reduce knee pain by shifting body weight from the worn out part of the knee.
*Arthroplasty (joint replacement): The damaged joint surfaces are removed and are replaced with prostheses, which are plastic and metal devices. Hips and knees are the most common replaced joints. Risks include infections and blood clots. They can wear out or come loose and may eventually need to be replaced.

As with most recommendations of leading a healthy lifestyle, you can reduce symptoms by getting enough rest and exercise and maintaining a healthy weight.