About Weight Loss Surgery

Osteoarthritis

About one in seven Americans suffer from osteoarthritis.

But did you know that as many as half the people who have osteoarthritis don’t know it? Many people tend to label their pain as typical arthritis and neglect to receive the particular care needed for osteoarthritis.

What is osteoarthritis?
Osteoarthritis, the most common type of arthritis, is a degenerative joint disease. It causes the cartilage in a joint to become stiff and lose its elasticity. Over time, the cartilage breaks down, forcing ligaments to stretch and bones to rub against each other. This results in pain and loss of joint movement. It affects such body parts as the hands, knees, hips, feet, and back.

Who is at risk?
There are many risk factors associated with osteoarthritis. These include:

Age
Genetics
Joint injuries (due to sports, work-related activity, or accidents)

Another major risk factor commonly associated with osteoarthritis is obesity. According to a report by German researchers in the Journal of Clinical Epidemiology, there may be a link between obesity and osteoarthritis of the knee.

Dr. Til Sturmer studied 809 patients with knee or hip joint replacements due to osteoarthritis. The findings—bilateral osteoarthritis was seen in 89.3% obese subjects and in 83.1% of overweight subjects.

What are the symptoms?
Symptoms of osteoarthritis may include:

Joint aching and soreness
Pain after either overuse or long periods of inactivity
Bony enlargements in the middle and end joints of the fingers

How is it treated?
The type of treatment used depends on several factors including age, occupation, overall health, medical history, location of osteoarthritis, and severity of the condition of the patient.

Common treatment methods of osteoarthritis include:

Medication (such as acetaminophen, painkillers, and injections or pills that may relieve pain)
Exercise
Hot and cold compresses
Use of crutches/cane
Weight control
Surgery (used when other treatment methods are ineffective)

How can it be prevented?
Because osteoarthritis is most common in individuals who are obese or over the age of 60, this condition may be prevented by staying at your recommended weight and by getting regular exercise early on in life. These techniques may also help reduce the pain of osteoarthritis if you are already suffering from it.

Maintaining a recommended weight helps prevent osteoarthritis of the knees, and reduces the stress on weight-bearing joints.
Gentle exercises, such as swimming or walking on flat surfaces, help improve joint movement and strengthen the muscles surrounding the joints.

Resources
For more information concerning osteoarthritis click on the following links:
Arthritis.com
Arthritis Foundation
MedecineNet
MedlinePlus
American College of Rheumatology