Did you know that a staggering 40 million people in United States of America alone suffer from some form of arthritis, joined by another million in the U.K., if that is comforting news?
Arthritis could be described as severe inflammation of the joints leading to unbearable pain, swelling of the affected parts, accompanied by immobility of those parts. In the case of osteoarthritis, an inflammation of tissue around the joint can be seen; bone cartilage suffers damage, apart from bone growths along the joint edges, making joint movements extremely painful and at times impossible.
Normally, knees, hips and big toe joints are the first ones to face the brunt of osteoarthritis, though they are not the only ones.
Women, past the age of 50, are known to suffer from osteoarthritis more than their male counterparts. This number increases with advancing age, and studies show that not less than 80% of people over the age of 65 are likely to suffer from this ailment, with definite symptoms becoming visible in only about 10% of them. Osteoarthritis cannot be ruled out in the case of people under the age of 50, due to causes like sports injury, occupational hazard or any other joint-related condition. The symptoms vary greatly from one person to another and depend on which joint is affected too. However, the fact lies that osteoarthritis of a joint almost means that the particular joint will cease to work!
The white, shiny bone covering called the cartilage, prevents the bones from wearing out when they rub against each other. A gluey mass called the synovial fluid, found between the bone joints, also helps in smooth movement of the bone joints and their agility. This fluid loses its elasticity with the onset and progress of osteoarthritis, leading to stiffness between the joints. This stiffness can worsen in days to come and the bone cartilage starts to wear out, becomes thinner and develops cracks. The bone below the cartilage reacts by becoming thicker at the surface and forms bony lumps here and there.
Past injuries, excess weight and heredity are the known causes of osteoarthritis. Among these, excess body weight is the worst feared one as it can worsen the problem at a fast pace. A point to be noted here is that the excess weight can lead to excess pressure on the joints, thus aggravating the condition. Not all people suffering from osteoarthritis show similar symptoms and the degree varies in each case. The pain feels mild to start with and becomes unbearable over a period, so much so that the victim is in great pain even at rest.
Osteoarthritis cannot be cured though the painful sensations can be lessened with treatment and the rate of deterioration of the joints can be controlled. The medical experts prescribe certain specific work outs to reduce pain and control the rapid progression of the ailment, to be performed under the vigil of a professional. In case one suffers from the osteoarthritis of lower extremities, walking aids are recommended to reduce pressure on the limbs. Other recommendations in case of unbearable pains include painkillers or sometimes surgery, especially of the hips and knees.
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