Osteoarthritis (OA) occurs with gradual loss of cartilage from the joints. The article discusses important details you need to know about the condition.

2. http://www.hqbk.com/ 1-718-769-2521
Osteoarthritis – Know the Symptoms,
Causes and Treatments
Osteoarthritis (OA) occurs with gradual loss of cartilage
from the joints. The article discusses important details you
need to know about the condition.
Osteoarthritis (OA) is one of the most common forms of
arthritis. According to the
Centers for Disease Control
and Prevention, as many as
27 million Americans have
this degenerative arthritis or
degenerative joint disease.
Causes
Osteoarthritis can be classified as primary or
secondary. Primary osteoarthritis, referred to as “wear and
tear” arthritis has an unknown cause but is generally
associated with aging. Secondary osteoarthritis is the
destruction of cartilage from a known cause. With this
chronic condition, cartilage, the material that cushions the
joints breaks down. This causes the bones to rub against
each other, causing stiffness, pain and loss of joint
movement. Conditions that lead to cartilage loss include
injury, obesity, gout, infection, congenital abnormalities
(abnormalities present at birth) and joint surgery.
Osteoarthritis usually occurs in the weight-bearing joints
such as hips, knees, feet and spine.
http://www.hqbk.com/ 1-718-769-2521

3. http://www.hqbk.com/ 1-718-769-2521
Though the condition can occur at any time of life, it
usually affects people over 40 years of
age. Approximately 50 percent of people over 60 years of
age are affected in at least one joint. Virtually all people
over the age of 80 years suffer from osteoarthritis to some
extent.
Signs and Symptoms
• Pain
• Stiffness
• Swelling
• Deformity
• Crackling or grating sensation
Risk factors that increase development of this condition
include age, gender, obesity, and occupation.
OA Diagnosis
If untreated, the condition can worsen and affect the quality
of patient’s lives. OA can be diagnosed by its characteristic
symptoms of pain, decreased movement and/or deformity.
It maybe confirmed with an x-ray or MRI scan. Common
findings include narrowing of the joint space between
bones, loss of cartilage, and bone spurs or bone growths.
Treatment Approaches
A recent report published online in Arthritis Care &
Research points out that frequent milk consumption may be
http://www.hqbk.com/ 1-718-769-2521

4. http://www.hqbk.com/ 1-718-769-2521
associated with reduced OA progression in women, but
regular consumption of cheese is associated with more joint
damage. The researchers observed a significant dose-
response relationship between baseline milk intake and
adjusted mean decrease of joint space width (JSW) in
women.
Osteoarthritis cannot be cured, but treatment can ease your
symptoms and prevent them from affecting your everyday
life. There are pharmacologic as well as non-pharmacologic
treatment approaches for arthritis pain management that
includes:
• Physical therapy
• TENS
• NSAIDS
• Surgery
• Massage
• Regular exercise
• Weight loss programs
Surgical procedures for osteoarthritis include joint
replacement, arthroscopy, osteotomy and arthroplasty.
Reliable healthcare centers also offer alternative
treatments for arthritis that include Glucosamine,
Chondroitin Sulfate, MSM (Methylsulfonylmethane),
Hyaluronic acid joint injections (Synvisc, Hyalgan and
Supartz), anti-inflammatory diet and low glycemic index
(G-I) diets and Electrotherapies.
Posted by HealthQuest
http://www.hqbk.com/
http://www.hqbk.com/ 1-718-769-2521