Osteoarthritis: Causes, Symptoms, Facts and Treatment

What is osteoarthritis?

This is the most common form of arthritis. It is also known as degenerative arthritis. There are over ten times more cases of osteoarthritis of rheumatoid arthritis.  Although it affects more women than men, tend to develop at an earlier age in men. Most of the victims of osteoarthritis are 55 years or older. Deterioration in osteoarthritis cartilage that covers the end of bone where it joins another bone to form a joint occurs. To deteriorate the cartilage that works as a buffer, the bones rub together when moving causing pain, stiffness and often the formation of bony growths called spurs or osteophytes that may interfere with the normal functioning of the joint and cause more pain. While osteoarthritis can affect any joint most commonly affected are those that bear weight as the knees, spine, feet and hips, or those who carry out a lot of hand movements.

Image Source: Wikipedia

Causes of Osteoarthritis:

Osteoarthritis is rare before 40 years old and very common after age 60. For a long time it was thought that the degeneration of the joint, and consequently osteoarthritis, was a natural process of aging. Today we know that age is a major risk factor, but not the only one.
Besides age other risk factors for osteoarthritis include obesity (primarily for osteoarthritis of the knee), female gender (women are up to 3x more likely to develop osteoarthritis than men), lack of practice exercises (except high impact on the joints, which can lead to osteoarthritis), genetic predisposition, etc.
Osteoarthritis can be primary, when there is no apparent cause other than age, or secondary, when it arises due to trauma in the joints, bone deformities, obesity, diabetes, etc.

Osteoarthritis Symptoms:

The joints most affected by osteoarthritis are the hands, knees, hips and spine. The main symptom of arthritis is pain that typically worsens with physical exertion and is relieved by rest. The pain tends to be worse at the end of the day and after long periods of immobilization, such as air travel or cinema seats. Some patients have worsening pain with changes in climate. As osteoarthritis progresses, the pain may occur with less and less intense activities and eventually can occur even at rest and during the night. Osteoarthritis, in advanced stages, is a disease that causes disability.

The pain is not caused directly by cartilage damage since there is no innervation. This means that some patients with severe cartilage lesions, visible on x-ray, may have few complaints of pain, while others with less visible injuries may have more obvious symptoms of osteoarthritis.

Treatment for osteoarthritis:

Natural Alternatives:

There is evidence that osteoarthritis can at least sometimes be stopped or even reversed and that some treatments can relieve pain and inflammation but contribute to worsening the condition. Therefore it is important to have alternatives that are addressed not only to treat the symptoms but to maximize opportunities to regenerate damaged or at least prevent further damage.

Food - food can have important effects on the development of osteoarthritis. First, it is suspected that some vegetables such as eggplant, tomatoes, potatoes or potatoes and peppers may in some cases serve as a firing trigger in the development of osteoarthritis. There is some clinical evidence that although there are studies to prove it. These vegetables contain a substance called solanine to which some people, especially those who suffer from arthritis may be susceptible and may increase the pain and discomfort they experience.

Aspartame and osteoarthritis - avoid the artificial sweetener aspartame, there is evidence that aspartame can help destroy cartilage. Interestingly there is evidence that aspartame, as no steroidal anti-inflammatory agents can help reduce the pain of arthritis. But the cost is a faster progression of the disease.

Antioxidants - some researchers believe that antioxidants like vitamin C and E may help. One study found that high intake of antioxidants; particularly vitamin C at doses between 120 and 240 milligrams per day in people suffering from osteoarthritis has resulted in a delay of disease progression. Moreover it was not found that vitamin C reduced the risk of contracting the disease. Some studies have found that people with osteoarthritis ingest less vitamin E in the diet than those who do not suffer from osteoarthritis. However, studies related to the effects of vitamin E on osteoarthritis is inconsistent and further studies are needed.

Vitamin D - Vitamin D may play a role in the treatment of osteoarthritis. It found that patients with osteoarthritis have vitamin D consumption much lower than the recommended amount. Low levels of vitamin D are associated with a worsening of osteoarthritis. Several studies suggest that vitamin D may help slow the progression of osteoarthritis. It is also suggested that vitamin D also helps prevent osteoarthritis. However this has not been confirmed. There are two forms of vitamin D: D2 and D3. If you use a vitamin D supplement in the form of D3 prefer it because it is more effective.

Niacin amide - a form of vitamin B3 or niacin called niacin amide seems to have the effect of improving the function of joints affected by osteoarthritis, reducing pain and other beneficial effects. The doses used to achieve these effects are quite high, between 900 and 4,000 milligrams a day. This amount of niacin amide has the potential to cause such effects as impaired glucose tolerance and liver damage so should only be used under strict medical supervision, including a liver enzyme test every three months.

Non-Drug Treatment for Osteoarthritis:

Weight loss:

Excess weight is associated with an increased risk of development of osteoarthritis, especially in the knees. Studies that accompanied overweight patients for 10 years showed that those who lost at least 4.5 kg decreased by 50% the risk of osteoarthritis in the knees.

Even in overweight or obese patients who have osteoarthritis, losing weight reduces the pressure on the knees, reducing pain and improving functional capacity.

Repose:

The pain of osteoarthritis usually gets worse after prolonged use of the joint, improving after rest.
Resting the affected in times of crisis tends to relieve joint pain; however, prolonged standing can lead to muscle atrophy and decreased joint mobility. Therefore, the rest is recommended only for short periods of time, usually 12 to 24 hours in acute pain.

Physical exercises:

Patients with osteoarthritis may think it is absurd the idea of practicing exercises because of the terrible uncomfortable that the mobility of joints causes rush during exercise. However, a good therapist can create an individualized exercise regimen that will strengthen the muscles around the joint, increasing range of motion.

The stronger and more flexible the muscles around the joints, they are more stable, reducing the friction between the bones, pain and inflammation.

Orthotic:

Orthotics are devices that help keep the joints working properly aligned. There are several types of braces that can reduce symptoms and help maintain joint in patients with osteoarthritis function. Tapes and splints to immobilize the joints may reduce pain and inflammation; many can be used throughout the day and night. The brace can help stabilize unstable joints.

Local heat:

Applying moist heat can raise the threshold of pain and reduce muscle spasm. Care must be taken to avoid burns. Bottles should be filled with hot but not boiling water. Heat can be applied several times a day.