Osteoarthritis Treatment

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Osteoarthritis Treatment, Causes, Symptoms & Diagnosis
Q – Do you know what is the treatment of osteoarthritis?

A – You will be unaware of these osteoarthritis treatment

Osteoarthritis Treatment, Causes, Symptoms & Diagnosis

Osteoarthritis is a major disease related to joints. Where two bones join in the body, it is called joint. To protect the end of the bones, there is a protective tissue called cartilage. When the cartilage breaks or cracks due to any reason, it causes bones to rub together, resulting in pain, stiffness or other problems. This condition is called osteoarthritis. Well, this problem can happen to anyone, but usually older people have more. Osteoarthritis is also called degenerative arthritis or wear and tear arthritis.

So in this article of My Health Only we will give information about the treatment of osteoarthritis, knowing the causes of osteoarthritis, you will be able to treat it as soon as possible.

Causes of Osteoarthritis –

This disease is caused due to damaged joints. This problem is not sudden, but over time the cartilage protecting the joints gradually gets damaged. This is the reason that this disease is more common in older people. As the age increases, the risk of joints getting damaged increases.

Other Reasons –

Cracks in the cartilage, joint dislocates due to injury, injury to the ligaments, obesity, poor posture, etc. are other major causes of osteoarthritis. Apart from this, if the parents or any close relative of the household has this disease, then the chances of getting it increases.

Osteoarthritis Treatment, Causes, Symptoms & Diagnosis

Osteoarthritis and Cartilage –

Cartilage is like rubber and is more flexible than bone. Its main function is to protect the end ends connecting the two bones, so that the bones do not rub together. When the cartilage is damaged, the bones rub together, causing pain and swelling. The most important point is that the damaged cartilage cannot repair itself, because the cartilage does not have blood cells. When the cartilage is completely damaged, the cushioning that protects the bones is gone, causing the bones to rub together. As a result, there is joint pain and other problems. Osteoarthritis can occur in any joint of the body, but it usually affects the lower joints of the body.

  1. Hands
  2. Fingers
  3. Knee
  4. Hip
  5. Spinal cord, especially the neck and lower back
Osteoarthritis Causes & Symptoms

Major symptoms of osteoarthritis –

  1. Pain on pressing the affected joint
  2. Swollen swelling

Chronic Osteoarthritis –

Osteoarthritis is a progressive disease, that is, it grows slowly over time. It has 4 stages. Stage 4 causes severe osteoarthritis. It is not necessary that every patient reaches this stage. Often, treatment and care at the right time improves the situation. The cartilage of one or more joints of a person suffering from stage 4 osteoarthritis is completely damaged. In this case, following problems occur due to rubbing in the bones.

  1. Stiffness in joints, swelling increases. The level of synovial fluid present in the joints increases. Let me tell you that the main function of this fluid is to protect the bones from eating rub during movement. But when its quantity is high, the joints become swollen. In addition, particles of broken cartilage float in the fluid, due to which pain and swelling can increase.
  2. In the advanced stage of osteoarthritis, there is also difficulty in performing normal activities. The pain increases as the days go by. There may be difficulty in walking. Due to joint stiffness, there is difficulty in movement, due to which there is difficulty in daily work.
  3. When the problem of osteoarthritis is severe, there is an imbalance in the joints. For example, if the patient has osteoarthritis in his knees, suddenly his knee may be locked, due to which he may fall and he may get hurt. Joints damaged due to osteoarthritis cannot be repaired, but treatment can reduce its symptoms.

Osteoarthritis vs Rheumatoid Arthritis –

Although the symptoms of osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis are the same, but these two are completely different diseases. Osteoarthritis progresses slowly over time, while rheumatoid arthritis is autoimmune disease, in which the body’s immune system attacks the tissue and damages the linings around the joints, causing inflammation in the joints of the body. There is a problem of stiffness and pain. It can happen suddenly and at any age.

Osteoarthritis Test –

Osteoarthritis is a slowly developing disease, so when pain and other signs of joint are not seen, it is difficult to detect it, Osteoarthritis can be detected by performing an X-ray in the event of an accident or injury. Apart from X-rays, it is also examined with the help of MRI scan. Apart from this, the disease can also be detected with the help of blood test, joint fluid analysis.

Osteoarthritis Treatment, Causes, Symptoms & Diagnosis

Treatment of Osteoarthritis –

It is difficult to eliminate osteoarthritis from the root, but through treatment, an attempt is made to reduce its symptoms. However, treatment depends on the location of the joint. OTC medicine, lifestyle changes and home remedies are used for treatment. With their help, an attempt is made to reduce the pain. The following measures should be taken by the patient to relax in osteoarthritis.

  • 1 – Exercise: Physical activity strengthens the muscles around the joints, which relieves stiffness. For this, one should try to remain physically active for at least 20 to 30 minutes. Light-weight exercises, such as walking, stretching, or doing yoga would be perfect. This will make the joints flexible and relieve pain, but before doing any exercise, please consult the doctor.
  • 2 – Reduce weight: When the weight is high, there is extra pressure on the joints of the body, which causes pain. Losing weight reduces pressure on joints, which relieves pain. Other types of health related problems can also be reduced by controlling weight.
  • 3 – Proper Sleep: Relaxing the muscles reduces swelling and pain, so it is very important to get adequate sleep in case of this problem. It gives relief in pain. Heat and Cold Therapy: Patients can use heat and cold therapy to reduce joint pain and swelling. For this, cold-hot fomentation is done on the joints for 20 minutes daily. These measures can provide a lot of comfort to the patient.

Medicines for Osteoarthritis –

To relieve pain in osteoarthritis, doctors give a variety of medicines.

  • Oral analgesics: Tylenol and other types of pain relieving medicines are given to reduce pain.
  • Non-steroidal antiinflammatory medicine: Doctors offer ibuprofen or any other non-steroidal antiinflammatory medicine to reduce inflammation and pain.
  • Corticosteroids: It is available in cream as well as injectable form. Doctors apply the injection to the affected joint. Apart from this, fish oil, acupuncture, physiotherapy and massage therapy are also taken for alternative treatment. But before taking any kind of herbs or supplements, it is important to consult a doctor, so that there are no side effects.

Food and Drink –

Although everyone should eat healthy food, but in the case of osteoarthritis it is very important to pay attention to the diet, as it is necessary to keep the weight under control to avoid putting extra pressure on the joints. Many researches have confirmed that if there is osteoarthritis of knees, consuming fruits and vegetables containing flavonoids is quite beneficial. Apart from this, consuming foods with vitamin C, vitamin D, beta carotene and omega 3 fatty acids is also beneficial.

Ways to avoid osteoarthritis –

It is difficult to avoid some risk factors, such as age, genetic causes, etc., but by controlling some things, you can reduce the risk of osteoarthritis.

  • Take care of your body: If you are athletic or fitness freak, then take special care of your body. Wear athletic shoes while running or doing other types of physical activity to keep your knees safe.
  • Control weight: Try to control weight. There are many types of problems when increasing weight.
  • Nutritious diet: Include all the vegetables and fruits in your diet.
  • Relax: To keep the body healthy, it is very important to rest and get enough sleep. A person suffering from diabetes should try to keep blood sugar control.