Osteoarthritis - A Degenerative Arthritis

An Easy To Understand Explanation of Osteoarthritis

What is Osteoarthritis?

Simply put, osteoarthritis is the wear and tear of the body joints - a degenerative condition.  Osteoarthritis is attributed to the breakdown of joint cartilage and can affect any joint in your body.  The joints in your fingers, hips, knees, lower back and feet are commonly affected.  Initially osteoarthritis may strike only one joint, however, multiple hand joints may become arthritic.

The body joint is where two bones meet, the ends are covered with cartilage enabling the surfaces to slide smoothly allowing painless movement.  The bones are held in place by ligaments that form a capsule around the joint.  The joint is lubricated by "synovial fluid" that is secreted from the membrane that lines around the surface of the ligament. 

Osteoarthritis occurs due to the wear and tear of cartilage, this results in the bone joints "grinding" instead of sliding smoothly. In severe cases, the cartilage completely breaks down and as it should act as a cushion between the joints, the loss of cartilage results in chronic pain.  The hands, feet, spine, and large weight-bearing joints, such as the hips and knees are most commonly affected.

Let's take a look at the various stages and severity levels of this very common arthritic complaint.

When does Osteoarthritis occur?

The onset of Osteo can occur at any age, however for this article we will concentrate on the mature age onset.  That being said, of course the process usually starts before we reach those mature years, unless there are other contributing factors such as surgery, injury or serious illness involved.

The wear and tear on our joints depends largely on our health, weight, diet and fitness.  By eating a nutritional diet and taking regular exercise we can to some extent lessen or avoid the damage to our joints, especially the weight bearing ones.  Hands, wrists, elbows and shoulders of course can suffer from overuse, strain and incorrect lifting, bad posture and injury.  By ensuring we stick to a balanced diet throughout our lives we can provide our bodies with the necessary ammunition to fight diseases such as Osteoarthritis.

Treating Osteoarthritis

There really is no specific treatment to repair or halt cartilage damage in Osteoarthritis.  As mentioned previously, the proper exercise and diet are extremely important in maintaining the function of damaged joints.  Medications often prescribed include mild pain relievers, anti-inflammatory preparations and creams and ointments.  Relief can be obtained by using joint support apparatus, warm water soaks and wearing things like cotton gloves and socks at night - for more information on these and other forms of help and relief visit the Bone Health Blog

There are many herbal products and alternate therapies that can provide pain relief and comfort for those sore aching joints.  Products such as glucosamine and chondroitin and Omega 3 have been found to be effective in pain reduction, reducing stiffness and inflammation.  With any food supplements care should be taken in purchasing from reputable sources and to ensure dosages are taken correctly.  In many cases where people have tried these and other products/medications and felt they did not work, it has been as a result of incorrect dosage or using inferior products. 

It is important not to assume that because a product is "natural" or "herbal" that there are no side effects or dangers to their use.  For example, people taking blood thinning medication should not use chondroitin as it can have a tendency to increase the blood thinning and cause excessive bleeding.  Always check with your health practitioner before starting any type of medication, prescribed or otherwise.

I personally use Glucosamine and Chondroitin as well as Omega 3 and have found them beneficial in reducing joint pain and swelling.  People suffering with Rheumatoid Arthritis often find they get some level of relief with these food supplements.

(Disclaimer:  All information is provided as a reference and guide only.  The author is not medically trained and recommends that a trained health professional should be consulted for explicit details and diagnosis of this disease.)

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