What Do You Know About Osteoarthritis?

Cartilage is the slippery tissue that covers the ends of bones in a joint. Healthy cartilage allows bones to slip over one another. It also absorbs the energy from the moving joint. In osteoarthritis, the cartilage wears away, leaving the bones beneath it to rub together. This rubbing causes pain, swelling, and loss of motion. Tiny bits of bone and cartilage can break off inside the joint area. This causes more pain and damage.

Researchers think that osteoarthritis is caused by a combination of advancing age, excess body weight, past joint injury, and family history. But each person is different. In some people, the disease gets worse quickly. And in others, the symptoms are more serious. In most cases, osteoarthritis develops slowly. At first, joints may ache after you exercise or do other physical activity. The joints most often affected by osteoarthritis are the hands, knees, hips, and spine.

Osteoarthritis of the hip can cause severe disability. The pain can also appear in the groin, knees, inner thigh, and buttocks. The condition can limit how much a person can move and bend. This makes daily activities difficult. A cane or walker can reduce the stress on the hip, and medicine and exercise can help ease pain. The healthcare provider may recommend hip replacement if the pain is severe and doesn't get better with other methods.

An X-ray may not show joint damage early on in the condition. To help diagnose osteoarthritis, the healthcare provider will also note symptoms and when they appeared. They will also look at the affected joints. The provider will also do a physical exam and take a health history that describes the symptoms, and when and how they started. These are important to make sure symptoms are not caused by another health condition.

All of these medicines are used for pain relief in osteoarthritis. Other medicines include opioids, corticosteroids, and topical lidocaine. Some people may be helped by corticosteroid injections into joints. Talk with your healthcare provider about which medicines may help you the most.

Other suggestions from the Arthritis Foundation:

• Exercise to strengthen the muscles that surround your joints.
• Use your largest joints and muscles when you lift or carry objects.
• Alternate periods of intense activity with periods of rest to prevent repetitive stress on joints.
• If you sit for long periods, change your position regularly to ease stiffness.

In some cases, surgery may be done to treat osteoarthritis. Joint surgery such as a hip or knee replacement may be advised if:

• The pain is severe
• Other treatments have not been helpful
• An X-ray shows there is no space between the 2 bones of a joint