Arthritis is a degenerative condition that can cause immense joint pain while limiting joint function and movement severely. We normally associate it with old age but surprise, surprise- it can strike even the young. There are hundreds of kinds of arthritis, but this article will focus on osteoarthritis exclusively. It is one of the most common joint-affecting diseases in the world, and when people think of arthritis, this is the one they are mostly talking about. The hallmark of the disease includes this triad – pain, stiffness, and swelling. The other symptoms may include a limited range of motion, popping sounds, or the formation of bone spurs. We have many joints in our body, but the most commonly affected ones are the hip, knee, hands, and spine. Since these joints deal with most of the heavy-duty tasks we complete on a daily basis, any pain can affect our routine acutely.
Causes of Osteoarthritis
Osteoarthritis is a condition that sort of sneaks up on you, and can be normally attributed to advancing age or daily wear and tear. This is due to loss of cartilage, causing bone-on-bone action, which is extremely painful. There are changes to the structure of the bone itself, and the joint lining may have some inflammation.
Some factors that can lead to osteoarthritis are as follows
- Aging – The process of aging itself places a massive burden on our body, and our joints are no exception. There is a new (not really) mantra doing the rounds these days- not just aging, but aging gracefully or in the right manner. If you are above 50 years of age, then be doubly careful and mindful of how you move your body.
- Genetics – Some of us are unfortunate enough to carry faulty genes which can cause our joints to wear faster than usual. You may also have defective cartilage tissue which can lead to this problem.
- Obesity – Weight management is very important as this will take off stress from our overburdened joints.
- Traumatic injury and wear-and-tear – Anyone who overexerts themselves on a regular basis needs to be watchful. This condition often affects athletes, among other individuals.
- Immune disorders – Conditions like gout or metabolic diseases can accelerate the development of joint disease.
- Sex/gender – Women are more likely to suffer from joint disease than men, but we are not sure why.
Symptoms of Arthritis in Knees
Fun fact – the knee joint is the largest one in our body and performs 3 main functions- helps you stand, move (walk, run, jog, dance, etc), and keep your balance. The main symptoms that are associated with a poorly performing knee are as follows-
- Stiffness
- Swelling and redness
- Your knee may give out and cause you to feel unstable
- You cannot stretch your leg completely- limited range of motion
- A locked knee- loss of motion
- A markedly swollen knee
Hip Osteoarthritis Symptoms
The ball-and-socket joint at the knee is crucial for everyday movement. When the cartilage is worn down, there is severe pain and loss of motion. This affects your daily routine. People having hip dysplasia are also at high risk. There are 4 stages of hip arthritis, and the final one is where almost all of the cartilage is lost, causing debilitating pain and stiffness. Since the legs are connected to the hip, you find it hard to move around too. Not exercising your joint is counterintuitive as your hip gets weaker over time. A detailed medical history and x-rays of your hip will determine how far your condition has progressed.
Some statistics for you
According to a recent study conducted in 2019, almost 63 million individuals deal with some form of osteoarthritis in India, and this number is only increasing, while the overall prevalence is around 22%. This is not an exact number, but an estimate because only a few studies have been conducted with limited sample sizes.
Conclusion
Remember- there is no cure for osteoarthritis. Management of this disease is not easy, as most of the factors- like age, sex or genetics are not controllable. But it also means that making mindful lifestyle choices – eating well, exercising mindfully and in the right way, maintaining a healthy weight- all in the pursuit to improve the quality of your life, can really make a tremendous difference!
