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Affecting millions of people worldwide, osteoarthritis, which is also called a degenerative disease is the most common chronic condition of the joints which occurs most often in neck, lower back, hips, and neck or wherever a cartilage is present in an individual’s body since it only occurs if the protective cartilage on the ends of your bones wears and gets damaged over time.
The symptoms of this disease are usually managed effectively, although its underlying process can’t be reversed. However, by maintaining a healthy and active lifestyle together with other treatments may slow its progression and help improve the pain and joint function. Want to know more about this disease? Read on as we tackle about osteoarthritis.
Who’s Affected?
Osteoarthritis occurs in people of all ages but it is most commonly found in people older than 65 since age is one of the common risk factors. In addition to the common risk factors of osteoarthritis are obesity, genes, weak thigh muscles, previous joint injury, and overuse of the joint.
This degenerative disease affects around 13 percent of women and 10 percent of men aged over 60 years. Also, one in two adults develops a symptom of knee osteoarthritis during their lives; one in 12 people 60 years or older have hand osteoarthritis, and one in four adults by age 85 will develop symptoms of hip osteoarthritis.
Fast Facts on Osteoarthritis
Here is the information that you needed in knowing osteoarthritis. Remember the briefly discussed key points here for you to be equipped with the right knowledge on how to handle this degenerative disease.
- Osteoarthritis is a progressive disease wherein it worsens over time
- There is no cure for this disease however treatment can help control pain and swelling which helps you to stay mobile and active
- This is a common cause of joint damage, particularly in knees, lower back, hips, and hands
- Symptoms normally begin after the age of 40 yet they also affect younger individuals after a traumatic injury
- Symptoms progress slowly contributing to workplace disability which reduces an individual’s quality of life.
- In America, the average cost of osteoarthritis is about $2,800 per patient annually.
Symptoms of Osteoarthritis
Osteoarthritis is called a degenerative disease for nothing. It is because its symptoms develop slowly and worsen over time. Which is why you should check out your body if there are some certain pains in some areas of your body like joints since it may hurt during or after movement. In addition to this is your joints’ tenderness when you apply light pressure to it and stiffness which is most noticeable when you wake up or after inactivity.
To continue, discussing the symptoms, the signs might also include the loss of your joint’s flexibility in its full range motion; a grating sensation wherein you may feel grating when you use a joint; and bone spurs in which it will feel like hard lumps and may form around the affected joint.
Treatment and Medication
Since the underlying process cannot be reversed, effectively managing the symptoms through lifestyle changes, physical and therapies, surgeries, and medications would be of help. Osteoarthritis symptoms which are primarily pain may be helped with certain medications, such as:
- Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). These drugs such as Motrin Ib, Advil, others and naproxen sodium such as Aleve, are over-the-counter drugs which are taken at the recommended doses that relieves osteoarthritis pain. You can check out pharmaquotes.com for more information about these drugs and get a discount coupon.
- Acetaminophen. Acetaminophen (Tylenol, others) is shown to be effective for patients that have mild to moderate pain. However, precaution should be taken since taking more than the recommended dosage can cause liver damage.
- Duloxetine (Cymbalta). This drug is normally used as an antidepressant but is also a medication approved to treat chronic pain which includes osteoarthritis pain.
- Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS). Is an applied electrical current through the skin wherein it controls the pain by numbing some of the nerve endings in the spinal cord. applies an electrical current through the skin.
- Physical therapy. A physical therapist can create an individualized exercise program for you that will strengthen the muscles around your joints increasing your range of motion while reducing pain.
Takeaway
Osteoarthritis can be caused by an unhealthy lifestyle, so make sure that you have a healthy and balanced diet paired up with exercise to prevent or alleviate the symptoms of this disease. Although its medication is not really that expensive, one should still find ways to take your medications without much of a financial burden so visit pharmaquotes.com for available discount coupons.
