Commonly referred to as OA by physicians, osteoarthritis is an extremely painful disease in which the cartilage breaks down. Cartilage is a spongy tissue coating the end of bones in the joints. It plays a vital role in absorbing shocks.
Every time cartilage is damaged, it is constantly repaired; however, in the case of osteoarthritis, there is no balance between repair and degradation of cartilage, because of which the damage occurs. Another area that is hampered is the joints. The joints become creaky and tender, because of which the movement is limited.
Are rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis the same?
The similarity between the two is that they both cause harm to the joints; yet, both the diseases are different. The difference lies in the pattern of the joint involvement, the causes, and the kind of treatment that is required to treat the pain in each of these diseases.
When and in which part of the body is a person likely to get osteoarthritis?
Osteoarthritis is a common joint disease that may occur when the person touches the age of 65. Almost 10% of people over the age of 65 have had their knees affected by osteoporosis and more than 5% claim that they had hip difficulties.
How can I be at risk of osteoarthritis?
How can osteoarthritis be treated?
Mainly the treatment has four focus areas:
The treatment may completely alter a person’s lifestyle. It may be inclusive of activities like weight control, exercise, joint care, rest, pain relieving and controlling techniques, medicines, and surgery.