Osteoarthritis is a type of arthritis, or joint disease, that causes damage mostly to cartilage, the tissue that covers and protects the bones in a joint. When cartilage is fully intact, it acts almost like a type of lubrication that allows bones to painlessly slide against each other while it absorbs the shock of motion. The cartilage in people with osteoarthritis has begun to wear away, taking away that lubrication and allowing bones to painfully rub against each other in the joints. This can also cause swelling, loss of motion, change in shape of the joint, and bone spurs on the edges of the joint. Small, weakened fragments of bone or joint may break off and float around the joint space causing more pain and damage.
Senior citizens are most prone to developing osteoarthritis. Younger people sometimes develop osteoarthritis after a joint injury, but this is not as common. Senior citizens who have osteoarthritis experience joint pain and reduced motion. This condition can be treated, for this reason, it is important that senior citizens with symptoms consult their doctor.
Causes
Although the cause of osteoarthritis is not known, certain factors might contribute to it, including:
- Being overweight
- Aging
- Injury to a joint
- Improperly formed joints
- A genetic defect in joint cartilage
- Joint stress from certain jobs or sports
Diagnosis
Osteoarthritis can cause pain and swelling in any joint, but it most commonly affects the hands, knees, hips, and spine. Some warning signs of osteoarthritis are the following:
- Joint stiffness after periods of rest (after getting up in the morning or sitting for a long period of time)
- Tenderness or swelling in at least one joint
- The sound of bones rubbing together or a "crunching" feeling
- Examining your medical history
- Conducting a physical exam
- Taking X-rays
- Conducting other tests such as blood tests or extracting fluid from the afflicted joint(s)
Treatment
Doctors may combine treatments based on the individual patient's needs, but in general, treatment has four main goals:
- Improve joint function.
- Maintain a healthy weight.
- Reduce pain.
- Promote a healthy lifestyle.
- Exercise
- Healthy diet
- Rest and joint care
- Non-medicinal pain relief techniques
- Medicines
- Complementary and alternative therapies
- Surgery
Programs to Help Senior Citizens with Osteoarthritis
There are three types of programs designed to help educate people about osteoarthritis and self-care and to improve their good-health attitude:
- Patient education programs
- Arthritis self-management programs
- Support groups for people with arthritis
Senior citizens with osteoarthritis who participate in these programs gain many positive outcomes. They learn to understand osteoarthritis, to reduce their pain while remaining active, to cope with many aspects of life, to have more control over their symptoms, and to live active, independent lives.
Additionally, senior citizens who have a good-health attitude focus on their abilities and strengths rather than disabilities and weaknesses; break down activities into smaller, more manageable tasks; incorporate exercise and healthy eating into their lifestyles; balance rest with activity; learn methods to lessen and manage stress; and identify a support group of family, friends, and health-care providers.
Current Research
Osteoarthritis is not caused simply by aging or normal wear and tear to joints. Researchers are studying a variety of aspects of the disease, including:
- Methods to detect osteoarthritis earlier
- Genes
- Tissue engineering
- Many new treatment options
- Medicine to prevent damage to joints
- Complementary and alternative therapies
- Vitamins and supplements that may help people with osteoarthritis
- Hyaluronic acid injections
- Estrogen
- Biological and structural markers for osteoarthritis
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