What is osteoarthritis?

Osteoarthritis is a common condition which affects many people across the globe. It is the most common form of arthritis and is also known as degenerative joint disease. This condition occurs due to wear and tear of the protective cartilage at the bone ends which provides cushioning effect to joints. With age, this protective cartilage wears off giving rise to this condition.

Any joint in our body can be affected by this condition, but most commonly it can be seen in the hands, hips, spine and knees.

Two main types of osteoarthritis are:

Primary:

It is the most common and generalised type which mainly affects the fingers, thumbs, spine, hips, knees, and the great toes.

Secondary:

It Occurs with a pre-existing joint abnormality which includes injury or trauma, inflammatory arthritis like rheumatoid and gout, and genetic disorders of joints.

What are the risk factors for osteoarthritis?

Older age - chances of getting osteoarthritis increase with age.
Sex - females are more prone to osteoarthritis
Obesity - extra body weight puts extra pressure on weight-bearing joints like your hips and knees. This leads to fast degeneration of these joints.
Joint injuries - joint injuries can increase the risk of osteoarthritis.
Repeated stress on the joint. repetitive stress on a joint due to your job or the sports you play can cause osteoarthritis.
Genetics tendency
Bone deformities- people born with bone defects are at greater risk of osteoarthritis
Certain metabolic diseases. Conditions like diabetes put you at greater risk of osteoarthritis.

What are its symptoms?

Symptoms of osteoarthritis develop gradually and get worse over time.

Stiffness. Noticeable joint stiffness in the morning or after being inactive.
Tenderness in joint
Loss of flexibility. Your joint might not be able show movement in it's full range
Grating sensation. grating sensation can be felt in the joint while performing any movement
Bone spurs. The extra bits of bone, which feel like hard lumps, can form around the affected joint.
Swelling. This is due to soft tissue inflammation around the affected joint.

Treatment

Osteoarthritis can't be reversed, but treatments can reduce pain and help you move better.

Medications

Medications that can help relieve osteoarthritis symptoms, primarily pain, include:

Acetaminophen.
Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs).
Duloxetine (Cymbalta).

Therapy

Physical therapy. exercises can strengthen your muscles around the joints to increase flexibility and reduce pain.
Occupational therapy.
Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS). This uses a low-voltage electrical current to relieve pain.

Surgical and other procedures

In the case above mentioned conservative treatments fails to show results, the doctor might suggest surgical procedure like

Cortisone injection. corticosteroid is injected into your joint and might relieve pain for a few weeks.

Lubrication injections. Hyaluronic acid injections relieve pain by providing some cushioning in your knee.

Realigning bones. If one side of your knee is more damaged than the other then, an osteotomy might be helpful.

Joint replacement. In this surgery, surgeons will remove damaged joint surfaces and they will be replaced with plastic and metal parts.

For the best treatment of osteoarthritis, you can consult Dr Jaya Krishna Reddy. He has vast experience in the field of osteoarthritis treatment and is one of the leading orthopaedic surgeons in India.

To book your appointment, contact us at +91-9966-009-812