Joint degeneration in osteoarthritis
A joint wears down more than it should. This damages the protective layer, the cartilage and sometimes the underlying bone. The condition occurs mainly in the hands, the shoulder, the knee or the hip joints.
Have you ever noticed? After you've been sitting for a long time, your limbs somehow feel rusty. It takes a while for you to get going. Or it sometimes hurts when you've been on your feet a long time. And how do you find climbing the stairs? If you often have pain in these situations, this could be a sign of wear and tear of your joints: osteoarthritis.
Osteoarthritis is a typical sign of ageing. It increases after middle age. In most cases, we have overworked our joints for many years. But using your joints too little also damages them. It's a matter of getting the right balance. And once osteoarthritis has started, there are ways and means of helping you to manage anyway.
Symptoms and warning signals
Joint pain can be the first sign of osteoarthritis. It is usually aggravated by cold, damp weather or loading the joint. Abrupt movements feel particularly unpleasant.
Pain in the joint is typical of osteoarthritis. The pain starts as a movement begins. For example, pain in the knee becomes apparent when you get out of a car. Once you've got going, the symptoms improve, but they return after longer periods of using the joint.
Doctors call these initial symptoms "start-up pain", pain on loading or fatigue pain. But no matter what symptoms you may have:
Talk to your doctor about it. This will give you certainty and you can find out about your treatment options.
Risk factors and causes
Osteoarthritis is the tribute we pay to old age. Genetic predisposition also plays a role. Nevertheless, there are numerous factors that favour osteoarthritis: this includes overusing the joints in high-performance sports.
Obesity also plays a role. Permanent loading due to deformities can also lead to osteoarthritis. Congenital deformity of the hip (CDH), for example, often causes osteoarthritis of the hip. Other causes are diseases or injuries that permanently deform the joint (post-traumatic osteoarthritis).
Prevention
Even small changes in everyday habits have positive effects on the joints and relieve them noticeably.
The rule of thumb for osteoarthritis patients: "movement yes – load no"
Osteoarthritis patients should feel free to move around – cycling, swimming and Nordic walking are actually recommended. The diseased joint still produces nutrients and lubricants during moderate sporting activity. It doesn't become so easily inflamed. Adequate movement and a healthy diet also help to reduce overweight.
This reduces the risk of further joint conditions. You should aim for a BMI (BMI = body mass index) of < 30.
Treatment of Osteoarthritis
Besides exercise, physical therapy and medication, functional treatment is an important element of success: orthoses relieve stress on the affected joint.
Avoid one-sided stress
Orthoses prevent one-sided stresses due to deformities. At the same time, supports can improve so-called proprioception, i.e. perception of your own body in space. They reduce the risk of injury, protect the joint and slow down cartilage degeneration.
Treatment with supports or orthoses should be given in combination with other treatment options. For example, physical treatment with physiotherapy and massage plays a central role.
Both promote the mobility of and blood circulation in the affected joints. Anti-inflammatory painkillers and other medicines can be effective against inflammatory episodes in the short term.
The medicines that are taken depend on the type of osteoarthritis and the severity of the pain.
Sources:
Klein, Dr. med. Christoph (2014): Orthopädie für Patienten. Medizin verstehen. Remagen: Verlag Michels-Klein