Osteoarthritis is one of the most common forms of arthritis anywhere in the world. It comes from a result of natural aging as our joints continue to wear and tear throughout years of movement and motion, causing the cartilage to break down within the joints. This osteoarthritis is sometimes referred to as simply “wear and tear” arthritis.
Cartilage is one of the body’s unsung heroes, as it acts as material that fights against our bones scratching with one another. It is located at the ends of the bones and joints as it
absorbs all the shock that should occur when we move parts of our body. Obviously, arthritis weakens the cartilage, so we gradually start to feel that pain and ache in our bones that will make us unable to perform everyday tasks.
Osteoarthritis is an obvious factor when it comes to lesser productivity and reduced movement, maybe even perhaps permanent disability. It is commonly linked to unemployment rates as it reduces motor skills.
Lifestyle is not all to blame in this case, and even though you can prevent it through managing your diet, taking care of your joints, and normal visits to the doctor, genetics may have a larger role in osteoarthritis risks.
Signs and symptoms of OA
Osteoarthritis will most likely affect parts of the body that experience a lot of bending, such as the hands, spine, hips, and knees, but it can only also affect other parts as well such as the shoulder or the ankle. Stiffness, joint pain, and soreness are the most common symptoms.
A grating sensation will be felt once you have osteoarthritis and will be more apparent during movement or when weight is put on the joint. The pain and stress will usually go away while resting, but in the worst-case scenario, the pain will subsist even during sleep or rest.
Are you at risk of developing this condition?
It is best that you should actively be aware of the risk you have for arthritis, it is best that you often take osteoarthritis clinical trials at Power. However, if you want to know how to identify your chances, a number of risk factors can be monitored. These factors include:
- Gender, as it has been found that after the age of 55, women are more likely to develop the condition.
- Obesity due to excessive weight being forced on the joints.
- Joint injuries that will naturally damage the joints faster than expected.
- Jobs that put repetitive stress on the joints.
- Genetics. Some people may have a genetic defect in joint cartilage.
- An infection may also lead to a case of osteoarthritis.
Once diagnosed with osteoarthritis, there is no cure anymore. The pain and symptoms can only be appeased through a series of lifestyle changes, therapy, and medication.
Here is a comprehensive list of things you can do to relieve your OA.
- Staying active while your joints are healthy will help prolong their lifespan.
- Be mindful of your weight.
- Use temperature therapy to reduce stress.
- Warm up before an activity that involves high levels of movement.
- Avoid wearing heels as much as possible.
- Get enough rest and sleep.
- Stretching and gentle movements will listen to stiffness.
- Use assistive devices to avoid putting too much stress on the joints and limbs.
- Try to work on your flexibility and consider physical therapy.
With all that aside, we have covered pretty much all you need to get started on osteoarthritis. However, there are a few important notes and interesting talking points when it comes to arthritis.
Interesting Osteoarthritis Facts You Need To Know
Women are more likely than men to develop osteoarthritis.
As we have mentioned in the risk factors before, women may be more at risk for osteoarthritis than men. Though reasons remain uncertain, it is suggested that when estrogen levels are lowered during menopause, then the chances of developing osteoarthritis may increase.
Repetitive movement and injuries can cause osteoarthritis.
An important statistic to note is that about 50% of osteoarthritis cases have been linked to an injury sustained earlier in life. Though it would only make sense that repeated damage and trauma to certain of a body can cause problems later on in life, it puts into how avoidable it is to develop osteoarthritis if you take care of yourself and watch what your body goes through.
Osteoarthritis often affects mood.
We have mentioned before that when osteoarthritis is a more severe case, it will disrupt sleep. However, it can get worse because osteoarthritis patients are highly linked to depression. As a result of being unable to do activities that people would usually enjoy or consider routine, it can take a big toll on one’s mental health.
Surgery may be the best option to go with.
When it comes to medical interventions, surgery would be the last grasp on life for many people. It’s expensive and has a lot of risks involved, so people would not budge at the idea of surgery automatically. However, in the case of osteoarthritis, it may be the smartest move. This is because as long as the damaged joint stays, that patient will only experience pain harder and harder, and immediate replacement provides the fastest absolute remedy possible. If the lifestyle changes and medications are not working for you, it will definitely not do you any more harm to get into surgery.
Conclusion
Osteoarthritis serves as a reminder that our bodies are as fragile as it comes, and it is only through care and knowledge. Through time, all of us might have an ache here and there, so it is only right that we do our best now to use our bodies wisely and take utmost care of them.