If you are facing the problem of osteoarthritis and seeking permanent relief from the disease, then you must know everything about the disease, its symptoms, causes and available treatments. Without the proper knowledge, you may skip a lot of steps and even fall prey to treatment scams. Thus, to help you know everything about osteoarthritis, our expert physio’s in Cromer will clearly explain every aspect of the disease so that you are aware and can make the right decision.
What is Osteoarthritis?
Osteoarthritis is one of the most common joint problems that are chronic in nature. It is also, referred to as degenerative arthritis and degenerative disease of the joint.
A joint is where two bones meet and the end of these bones are covered by a tissue known as cartilage. Osteoarthritis is the condition that arises when this cartilage tissue breaks and causes the two bones to rub against one another, this leads to bone erosion, pain and stiffness and more symptoms.
Some of the parts that are prone to Osteoarthritis are:
● Knees
● Finger
● Hands
● Hips
● Spine
● Shoulders
Symptoms of Osteoarthritis
There are many symptoms of Osteoarthritis, some of the most common ones are:
● Pain in the joint
● Loss of joint flexibility and reduced movement
● Joint stiffness
● Tenderness in the areas and pain felt when the areas are pressed with fingers
● Inflammation
● Crackling, popping sounds when you move your joints
● Bone spurs or extra bone lumps (generally lumps are painless)
Causes of Osteoarthritis
Osteoarthritis generally occurs when bones get damaged. This kind of damage aggravates gradually with age and as you grow older it leads to Osteoarthritis. Some of the other causes of joint damage include:
● A past injury such as dislocated joints, torn cartilage, ligament injuries
● Poor posture
● Obesity
● Joint malformation
Effective Treatments for Osteoarthritis
Generally, Osteoarthritis treatments are based on symptom management. The type of treatment you need is decided based on the severity of your symptoms and the location. There are many treatments available right now for treating Osteoarthritis. However, some of the most effective ones are mentioned here by an expert physio in Dee Why.
Weight Management
Obesity being one of the biggest reasons behind Osteoarthritis, you must take care of your weight. Consult specialists and if he/she asks you to reduce weight make sure you consider it and shed some pounds. Moderate weight can decrease the risk of other health problems such as heart diseases and diabetes.
Heat and Cold Treatment
Heat and cold treatment can help you to deal with muscle pain. The application of hot and cold compress on sore joints for 15 to 20 minutes can reduce the pain considerably.
Exercise
Yoga, walking, swimming, and tai chi for 20 to 30 minutes can help with joint flexibility and eventually relieve you from muscle soreness.
Medications
Oral pain medicines, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory, topical pain relievers are some of the drugs referred by doctors when you have Osteoarthritis
Osteoarthritis is well known to cause physical complications and degrades the quality of your life. If you are facing the problem of Osteoarthritis, know everything about it here and waste no time consulting the best specialist in Collaroy: FlexiFit Physiotherapy.