Osteoarthritis: Symptoms, Causes, Diagnosis, Treatment & Prevention

Millions of people worldwide suffer from osteoarthritis, the most common form of arthritis. 

The most prevalent kind of arthritis is osteoarthritis. It occurs when your bones rub along each other when using a joint because the cartilage lining that joint is worn out or damaged. A medical professional will assist you in determining the best course of action for managing your symptoms.

What is Osteoarthritis?

The most common type of arthritis, which is a condition that affects your joints, is osteoarthritis. It is sometimes referred to as OA or degenerative joint disease by medical professionals. It occurs when your affected joints are used to the point where your bones rub against one another due to deterioration of the cartilage lining them.

Usually, a layer of hard, smooth cartilage covers the ends of the bones in your joints. Cartilage serves as both a lubricant and a shock absorber, enabling the bones in your joints to slide past one another safely and smoothly. Your damaged joints' cartilage wears away over time if you have osteoarthritis. When you move your joints, eventually, your bones will rub against each other.

Although osteoarthritis can affect any joint in your body, it typically starts in your:

• Knees 
• Hands.
• Hips.
• Cervical spine, or neck.
• Lower back (lumbar spine).

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Osteoarthritis Types

There are two types of osteoarthritis that a healthcare provider may classify:

Primary Osteoarthritis:

The most prevalent type of osteoarthritis that gradually affects your joints is called primary osteoarthritis. primary osteoarthritis cause joint pain, swelling. primary osteoarthritis even though exact cause unknown, that comes with using your joints over time.

Secondary Osteoarthritis:

When anything directly destroys one of your joints to the point where osteoarthritis is caused, you have secondary osteoarthritis. Secondary osteoarthritis is frequently caused by shocks and injuries. Osteoarthritis can also result from other types of arthritis that cause enough damage to the cartilage in your joints.

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What are the Symptoms of Osteoarthritis?

The following are the most typical signs of osteoarthritis:

• Joint pain, particularly when moving the joint.
• Stiffness.
• Swelling near to the joint.
• A decrease in the amount of motion (or range) that a joint can move.
• Having the impression that a joint isn't as stable or strong as it usually is.
• A joint that has a noticeable deviation from its original appearance (joint deformity).

The symptoms of osteoarthritis might vary in how they impact joints. As an example:

Hands. Over time, morphological changes and enlargements of the bone may occur in the finger joints.

Knees. You might notice a grinding or scaping noise when moving or walking. The knee can buckle due to weak muscles and ligaments over time.

Hips. In addition to the hip joint, you may also have pain and stiffness in your buttocks, inner thighs, and groin. There are situations where hip arthritis might cause pain to radiate, or spread, to the knees. You might eventually lose the ability to move your hip as far as you once could.

Spinal vertebrae. You can experience lower back or neck pain and stiffness. Some persons experience spinal stenosis as a result of abnormalities in their spine, which can cause other symptoms.

Activities that you could perform, such as stepping up, using the restroom or chair, grasping a pan, or crossing a parking lot, become more difficult as your symptoms increase over time.
Osteoarthritis pain and associated symptoms might make you feel tired unable to sleep, and sad.

 Causes:

It is unclear to experts what causes osteoarthritis. As you age, primary osteoarthritis usually develops slowly. Your joints may experience normal wear and strain as you age, which could lead to the breakdown of cartilage.

Osteoarthritis can also result from direct joint damage, such as the following:

• Injuries  sports.
• Falls
• Car accidents.
• Ailments that impact your joints, such as joint hypermobility syndrome and Ehlers-Danlos syndrome.

Osteoarthritis can be caused by other forms of arthritis, particularly inflammatory arthritis, such as:

• The arthritis rheumatoid.
• Gout.
•  Psoriatic arthritis 

Risk factors for Osteoarthritis:

Arthritis can strike anyone at any time. Osteoarthritis is more common in adults over the age of 55 and in postmenopausal women.
Osteoarthritis is more common in people who have certain medical disorders, such as:

• Being overweight (body mass index, or BMI, above 25) or obese (body mass index, or BMI, over 30).
• Diabetes.
• Hyperlipidemia, ( high cholesterol).
• Certain autoimmune diseases can cause joint pain.

Diagnosis:

Your doctor will examine your damaged joint physically to see whether it is sore, swollen, red, or flexible.


Imaging tests
Your doctor may suggest the following to obtain images of the afflicted joint:

X-ray. Although cartilage is invisible on X-rays, cartilage loss can be seen as a narrowing of the joint's interstitial space. Bone spurs around a joint can also be seen on an X-ray.


MRI stands for magnetic resonance imaging. A high magnetic field and radio waves are used in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to provide detailed images of cartilage and other soft tissues as well as bone. While an MRI isn't commonly needed to diagnose osteoarthritis, it can be helpful in difficult instances to provide more details.

Laboratory tests
Your joint fluid or blood can be tested to assist confirm the diagnosis.


Blood tests. While there isn't a blood test for osteoarthritis, several tests can help rule out other conditions like rheumatoid arthritis that can cause joint pain.


Joint fluid analysis. Your doctor may take a needleful of fluid from an affected joint. After that, the fluid is tested for inflammation to rule out osteoarthritis and decide whether gout or an infection is the cause of your pain.

Treatment:

Your physician will assist you in locating therapies that alleviate the symptoms of osteoarthritis. Arthritis has no known treatment, and the cartilage in afflicted joints can't grow back. When you experience symptoms, your physician will assist you in learning how to control them.

The following are the most popular therapies for osteoarthritis:

Medication: OTC painkillers have the potential to reduce pain and inflammation. Oral medication or topical painkillers (creams, ointments, or patches used topically around the afflicted joints) may be necessary.

Several kinds of OA drugs can aid in alleviation. Among them are:

Oral analgesics: Some painkillers, such as acetaminophen (Tylenol), assist in reducing pain but not swelling.

Topical analgesics: These over-the-counter medications come in cream, gel, and patch forms. They can relieve pain, particularly moderate arthritic pain, and assist numb the joint area.

 Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory medications: NSAIDs, which include naproxen (Aleve, naprosyn) and ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin), can reduce pain and swelling.

Corticosteroids: Oral forms of these prescription medications are available. They could even be injected straight into a joint. Cortisone and triamcinolone acetonide (Kenalog-40, Zilretta)  examples.

Exercise: You can strengthen the muscles surrounding your joints and relieve stiffness by moving them. Weight training, water aerobics, and swimming are examples of low-impact exercises that can be beneficial. It may be suggested by your physician that you see a physical therapist.


Supportive devices: You can stabilize and support your joints by wearing a brace or shoe inserts. You can move more safely and relieve some of the strain on your injured joints by using a cane or walker.

Heat and cold therapies: Depending on which joint(s) are afflicted, applying heat or cold may assist reduce discomfort and stiffness. How often (and for how long) you use a heating pad, ice packs, or cool compress will be determined by your healthcare professional. Several times a day, apply a hot or cold compress to joint pain for 15 to 20 minutes at a time.

Complementary therapy: Complementary therapies can be used in conjunction with other forms of treatment. Complementary medicine encompasses many techniques such as acupuncture, massage, tai chi, meditation, and nutritional supplements. Consult your healthcare physician before beginning any herbal or nutritional supplementation.

Surgery: For the most part, osteoarthritis can be treated without surgery. If you have serious symptoms and alternative therapies aren't helping, your doctor may suggest surgery. An arthroplasty (joint replacement) may be necessary for you. You will be informed of what to expect by your surgeon or physician.

Prevention:

How may osteoarthritis be avoided?
The best defense against osteoarthritis is maintaining general health, which includes:

• Avoiding away from tobacco products.
• Doing low-impact exercises.
• Consume a healthy diet. Aim for a variety of wholesome foods, but concentrate on fruits and vegetables.
  
• Using the appropriate safety gear when engaging in any sport, activity, or job.
• See a doctor for routine examinations and as soon as you become aware of any changes to your joints.
• Make time for adequate sleep. Give your body lots of chances to sleep and rest.
• Give your body support. Make sure you take good care of your body if you play sports or exercise frequently. Dress in knee-protective athletic supports and shoes. Additionally, be sure to switch up your sports so that your muscles are working out throughout, rather than just the same ones.
• Maintain a reasonable weight. Maintain your BMI within the range that corresponds to your height and gender.

Reference:

• Bortoluzzi A, Furini F, Scirè CA. Osteoarthritis and its management - Epidemiology, nutritional aspects and environmental factors (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30213694/). Autoimmun Rev. 2018 Nov;17(11):1097-1104. Accessed 10/2/2023.

• Donahue SW. Krogh's principle for musculoskeletal physiology and pathology (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30179205/). J Musculoskelet Neuronal Interact. 2018 Sep 1;18(3):284-291. Accessed 10/2/2023.

• National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (U.S.). Osteoarthritis (https://www.niams.nih.gov/health-topics/osteoarthritis#tab-overviw). Accessed 10/2/2023.

• Rakel D, ed. Osteoarthritis. In: Integrative Medicine. 4th ed. Elsevier; 2018. (https://www.clinicalkey.com). Accessed March 2, 2021.

• Ferraz CR, et al. (2020). Therapeutic potential of flavonoids in pain and inflammation: Mechanisms of action, pre-clinical and clinical data, and pharmaceutical development. (https://www.mdpi.com/1420-3049/25/3/762/htm)