Overview:
The most prevalent type of arthritis is osteoarthritis (OA). Degenerative joint disease or “wear and tear” arthritis are two names for it. It usually affects the hands, hips, and knees.
In osteoarthritis, a joint’s cartilage starts to degrade and the underlying bone starts to alter. These alterations typically take time to manifest and worsen. Osteoarthritis may result in discomfort, stiffness, and swelling. Some people lose the capacity to perform everyday duties or job because of it, which can also result in impaired function and disability.
Symptoms:
If you experience any of the symptoms stated below and live in Islamabad you should consult theBest Orthopedic Surgeon in Islamabad.
- Pain. Movement may hurt the affected joints during or after.
- Stiffness. Joint stiffness may be more apparent in the morning or after inactivity.
- Tenderness. When you lightly press on or close to your joint, it could feel tender.
- Decrease in flexibility Your joint may not be able to move through its entire range of motion.
- Grating feeling. When you utilize the joint, you could get a grating sensation and hear popping or cracking.
- Bone growths. Around the afflicted joint, these additional pieces of bone that feel like hard lumps, can develop.
- Swelling. Inflammation of the soft tissues near the joint may be the cause of this.
What Are the Causes of Osteoarthritis?
Age: Osteoarthritis typically first manifests in people in their late 40s. This might be the result of aging-related physical changes such weight increase, muscle atrophy, and a decreased capacity for self-healing.
Obesity: Osteoarthritis is strongly affected by being overweight, particularly in weight-bearing joints like the knee and the hip.
Joint Abnormalities: Congenital abnormalities of joints can cause more severe osteoarthritis.
Joint Injuries: Any Major injury to joints or surgery of a joint can cause osteoarthritis. Physically demanding activities or really difficult, repeated activities can raise your risk of developing osteoarthritis.
Genetics: The probability of developing osteoarthritis in the hand, knee, or hip can be influenced by the genes we inherit. A protein called collagen is affected by mutations in a few extremely uncommon cases of osteoarthritis. Osteoarthritis may begin to manifest in multiple joints earlier than usual as a result.
Certain metabolic diseases: Included in them are diabetes and an iron overload disorder (hemochromatosis).
How is Osteoarthritis Treated?
As of now there is no cure for osteoarthritis however certain medications and lifestyle changes can relieve the symptoms.
Lifestyle changes
Exercise:
You may think that since you have pain and stiffness in your joints that exercise will worsen the symptoms, but in actuality that’s not the case.
Exercise helps strengthen muscles and joints and helps to relieve symptoms. Exercising also helps to reduce body weight, which lessons the stress on joints, it also improves posture.
Losing weight:
Being over weight increases the strain on your joints, therefore losing weight will help relieve symptoms.
Weight loss can be achieved by increasing your physical activity and eating a healthier diet.
Pain Relief Medications
Pain relief medications at certain dosages can be used to relive some of the symptoms. These are prescribed to the patient by specialized Orthopedists. If you live in Rawalpindi and are experiencing pain caused by osteoarthritis, we suggest you visit thisOrthopedic doctor in rawalpindi.
Some pain relief medication treatments that help to relieve symptoms include:
- Paracetamol
- Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs)
- Opioids
- Capsaicin cream
- Steroid injections
Surgery
Only a small percentage of people with osteoarthritis require surgery, usually when other therapies have failed or when one of your joints has suffered substantial damage
Surgery for osteoarthritis may significantly enhance your quality of life, mobility, and symptoms.
