What is Osteoarthritis?

Osteoarthritis is a joint disease in which the cartilage that cushions and lubricates your joints wears down. The result is a painful, stiff joint that can make it difficult to move.

Osteoarthritis (OA) affects the joints — usually weight-bearing joints such as the knees, hips and spine — causing pain and stiffness. It’s a degenerative condition that gets worse over time.

The exact cause of osteoarthritis isn’t known. Genes may play a role in your risk for developing it. Other factors include:

Age: You’re more likely to develop the disease as you get older

Gender: Women are at greater risk than men

Obesity: Extra pounds put stress on your joints, making them more likely to wear down prematurely

Joint injury: Damaging a joint increases your risk of developing osteoarthritis

Osteoarthritis symptoms

Joint pain and stiffness. The pain may be felt in the affected joint or throughout the body as a whole. The joint may be tender to the touch, especially upon waking in the morning or after a period of rest (for example, lying down). The pain can also affect your ability to move around and do normal activities such as walking up stairs or getting out of bed.

Swelling around the joint may be present when you first wake up or after a period of rest (for example, lying down). This swelling usually subsides within 15 minutes to two hours if you move around or walk around for a while.

Stiff tendons and ligaments (tendons connect muscles to bones). Your tendons and ligaments are strong bands of tissue that connect your muscles to your bones. Osteoarthritis often makes them stiffer than normal, which can cause pain when they’re stretched beyond their normal range of motion during everyday activities such as reaching for something on a high shelf or squatting down to pick up something off the ground.

Osteoarthritis causes

Osteoarthritis is caused by breakdown of the cartilage in a joint. Cartilage is a tough but flexible connective tissue that covers the ends of bones in a joint. Cartilage allows the bones to glide over each other without friction.

As you age, your joints are more susceptible to osteoarthritis because they lose their elasticity and ability to heal quickly. Other factors that can put you at risk for developing osteoarthritis include:

• Injury or trauma to a joint such as an ankle sprain or knee injury
• Being overweight or obese
• A family history of osteoarthritis
• Genetic predisposition for joint disorders

Osteoarthritis treatment

Medications — Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), including ibuprofen and naproxen sodium, can help relieve pain and reduce inflammation. They also may be useful in helping to control symptoms early on if taken regularly.

Physical therapy — A physical therapist can help you improve strength and flexibility and reduce stress on affected joints by recommending exercises that will strengthen muscles around affected joints.

Weight loss — Losing excess weight can help relieve pressure on your joints.

Joint replacement surgery — Surgery is an option for severe cases of OA when other treatments have failed or aren’t effective enough. Surgery may involve replacing one or more arthritic joints with artificial ones made from plastic or metal components.

Complications of osteoarthritis

Osteoarthritis is a chronic but manageable condition. However, there are some complications that can occur with osteoarthritis, including:

Bone spurs: Bone spurs may form on the edges of the joint due to wear and tear on the bones. Bone spurs typically occur around the knee joint, but they can also appear in other areas such as around fingers or toes. They may cause pain if they press into nearby nerves or blood vessels.

Infection: Infections occur when bacteria enter an injured joint space through an open wound or damaged tissue. Infection can be caused by improper wound care or failure to take antibiotics after surgery or trauma. Signs of infection include redness around the wound site, fever and chills, swelling around the wound site, pain at rest (worse than walking), drainage from a wound site.

Tendonitis (inflammation of the tendon). Tendonitis occurs when a tendon becomes irritated or inflamed from overuse or injury. A sore spot on your joints might be a sign of tendonitis.

Ligament sprains (injury to ligaments). Aging ligaments are more likely to tear or sprain during activities such as walking up stairs, running or jumping up from sitting.

Severe osteoarthritis

Severe osteoarthritis is a condition that involves the breakdown of cartilage, which acts as a cushion between bones. Cartilage is a tough but flexible tissue that covers the ends of bones in joints, allowing you to move freely.

Symptoms

Severe osteoarthritis usually starts with painful joints and stiffness that gets worse with age. As the disease progresses, you may develop bone deformities around your joints. This can cause extra pressure on your surrounding muscles, tendons and ligaments. Severe osteoarthritis can also cause:

• Pain when you bend or straighten your knee joint
• Swelling in your knee joint
• Difficulty walking or climbing stairs

Osteoarthritis diagnosis

The diagnosis of osteoarthritis is made by a doctor or other health professional based on the symptoms and results of a physical examination.

The following tests may be performed for further evaluation:

X-rays, which can show changes in the bones and joints, especially when they are swollen or inflamed. X-rays are often taken before surgery to determine if there is any joint damage or destruction. An MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) scan may be used instead of an X-ray. The advantage of an MRI is that it provides more detail about the soft tissues around the joint, as well as showing any damage to these areas.

Blood tests, which can assess blood levels of joint proteins (such as C-reactive protein), which can indicate inflammation in the body, including arthritis pain. The results may also indicate other conditions that cause similar symptoms (such as gout).

Exercises for osteoarthritis

Squats with a chair or wall for balance (3 sets of 10). Stand with feet shoulder-width apart, facing away from a chair or wall. Bend knees and lower into a squat position until thighs are parallel to floor or until chair touches seat. Press up through heels to return to standing position. Repeat up to 10 times before switching legs or using another object for balance (e.g., couch).

Side leg raises (3 sets of 12). Lie on side with lower arm resting on floor for support, top leg raised in front of body at 90 degrees and bottom leg extended behind body at 45 degrees; keep both knees straight but unlocked throughout exercise.

There are many exercises that can help you manage your osteoarthritis. The best type of exercise for you will depend on your level of pain, strength and fitness.

Exercise can help you manage your osteoarthritis by:

• Reducing stress and anxiety
• Improving physical function, strength and mobility
• Reducing joint wear and tear
• Helping to manage symptoms such as pain, stiffness and swelling

Osteoarthritis Clinical Trials

Osteoarthritis clinical trials are the best way to find out if a new drug or treatment can help you.

Osteoarthritis is a chronic condition that causes the bones and cartilage in your joints to wear away, causing pain and stiffness in the affected areas.

Osteoarthritis clinical trials are the best way to find out if a new drug or treatment can help you.

Osteoarthritis clinical trials offer people with osteoarthritis access to new treatment options that could potentially help them manage their pain and improve their quality of life.

The studies also allow researchers to gather valuable data about how well these medications work for people with osteoarthritis, as well as how safe they are when used long term.