Live Life Team
Osteoarthritis is a state that influences the joints. The 3 major characteristics of this condition are: it causes bony growths to develop in the region around the rims of the joints, it damages the cartilage, the smooth and strong facade that outlines the bones and permit movement of the joints effortlessly and without resistance and it instigates placid irritation in the tissues in the joint region. Osteoarthritis most often affects the hips, knees and also small joints in the hand, but it can also affect any joint.
This condition generally affects people who have crossed 50 years and more widespread in women as compared to men. It is a myth in people as they think it’s a part of old age but that is untrue, even people at a young age are affected by osteoarthritis due to an accident or could be even a joint problem.
Osteoarthritis is considered as a disabling and perilous condition, whereas it is not the case. This condition is different for all and in various joints. There is also a difference in the seriousness of the condition and also the damage caused by it.
Osteoarthritis is incurable, whereas there are various treatments to ease down the pain. If it is a mild condition exercise and appropriate footwear are sufficient, but if it is severe there treatments and physiotherapy or even surgery are required.
Symptoms
The major symptoms of osteoarthritis are:
Inflexibility especially in the morning, and a lot of pain and complexity in moving the affected regions that is the joints is experienced. On the other hand there can be no symptoms at all. Generally you might feel the symptoms in a few joints or in one joint and the symptoms can build up gradually.
There are various other symptoms of osteoarthritis:
- A rasping or rustling resonance or feeling in the joints,
- Humid joints,
- Sensitivity in the joints,
- Fragility and losing mass in the muscles,
- The appearance of joints seeming to be bigger or more twisted compared to normal,
- Restriction in the movement in the movement of the joints,
- Augmented pain and inflexibility if there has been no movement for a while.
The development of osteoarthritis is more in the joint regions of hands, knees or hips. When osteoarthritis affects the knees, it generally affects both the knees unless it happens due to an accident or some other reason. The knees hurt a lot when the person affected by this condition walks, especially while climbing the stairs or going up the hill. There are times when the knees may not be able to give in to the pressure and seal in a state wherein the legs cannot be straighten for a while, and a mild jarring sound may be heard when movement takes place.
When osteoarthritis affects the hips there is inflexibility in the movement of the hip joints. There may be difficulty in the movement like while getting into or getting out or a vehicle or while putting on your shoes or socks. Initially there might be pain while walking but not commonly in the knees, ankles, buttocks and thighs. But gradually when the condition gets worst there can be pain even while lying down.
When osteoarthritis affects the hands, there are 3 regions that are affected most commonly, the joints that are nearest to the fingertips, the pedestal of the thumb and centre joints of the fingers. There are chances of the fingers getting painful, inflexible and inflammation or worse. There could be bulges in the joints of the fingers. Over a period of time the pain might go down but the bulges and inflammation might remain.
