Osteoarthritis: Degenerative Joint Disease

Osteoarthritis is also known as a degenerative joint disease and is the most common form of arthritis. With this type of arthritis, the cushion material, or cartilage, in the joints becomes to wear down. Pain is then caused when bones rub against each other. Stiffness, pain and loss of movement could occur in the joints with this of disease . Osteoarthritis is significant because it could occur in people of all ages and there are a number of risk factors including obesity, high impact sports, joint injuries, weak muscles, genetics and the most common one is the increase in age . According to a number of reports 6% to 13% of men are affected by osteoarthritis and between 7% and 19% of women above the age of 45 are affected. It is more abundant

An articulation is the weakest point on the skeleton however the structure is capable of resisting strong forces that may threaten its normal alignment . A normal structure of a joint includes a coated layer of tough, slippery tissue that coats the ends of each bone known as an articular cartilage. A cartilage acts as a shock absorber and keeps the end of the bones from being crushed. For instance the knee, also known as the biggest and most complex joint in our body has an extra cartilage known as a semi-circular cartilages, these cartilages or menisci helps with the prevention of the femur to rock side to side on the tibia as well as acting as a shock absorber . Including the knee osteoarthritis can affect all the joints in our body, the most commonly affected joints are found in the neck and back, the hips, hands as well as the metacarpals. Osteoarthritis targets the cartilage within our joints causing them to deter. A cartilage is a unique tissue with compressive properties that are imparted by its extracellular matrix. An extracellular matrix is a combination of secreted molecules that self assemble into an

However, according to the Mayo Clinic page on osteoarthritis there are a number of ways to cope with this painful condition. A few modifications will have to be made in order to reduce the stress and pain on the joints affected. The most helpful treatment is taking a step in lifestyle changes some examples include light amount of weight training as well as aerobic exercise can help strengthen the muscles around the affected joint providing support. Aquatic based exercises are also helpful when managing osteoarthritis according to the American College of Rheumatology. Keeping track of what you eat will both make a patient feel better emotionally as well as keeps their weight at a moderate scale to avoid pressure and stress on the knees or hips making it more painful for them. Another prominent treatment is medications, since Osteoarthritis is primarily pain there are some pain medications that are often prescribed by doctors the most common one is Tylenol or Acetaminophen this helps reduce mild pain by blocking the pain receptors also Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs such as ibuprofen, Advil, and other types of drugs can help relieve the pain . Finally, an effective treatment includes therapy. A patient with osteoarthritis has options to help relieve the stress caused from their osteoarthritis conditions, this includes physical therapy, an exercise program that helps