What Is Osteoarthritis, A Disease That Causes Joint Pain (And Can Affect Us All)

According to traumatologist and orthopedist Aldo Rivera, osteoarthritis is a chronic disease that affects the joints. It causes pain, inflammation, and decreased joint movement and prevents normal daily movements such as moving the hand and walking. It can occur in any joint; however, it is most common in the hands, knees, hips, and spine.

“Osteoarthritis is the loss of cartilage, which is the tissue that covers the ends of bones. This tissue is necessary for a joint to move freely. On the other hand, joints are the components of the skeleton that allow the connection between two bones,” explains Rivera.

Symptoms

Eduardo López, an internist, indicates that the most frequent symptoms of osteoarthritis are joint pain, associated with movement or effort. The pain can be progressive and affect daily activities, preventing the person from moving their hand, foot, or hip.

Another common symptom is progressive disability of the affected joint. Bone deformity and muscle atrophy often occur later. In addition, some people experience joint stiffness and deformity.

The main symptom is joint pain. When it starts, the pain is sporadic and increases when the joint is moved. This discomfort can decrease with rest for a certain period. Later, as the disease progresses, the pain will appear both with movement and with rest.

The specialist points out that sometimes joint pain is not constant and can last for several days or weeks without any discomfort. However, this is no guarantee that osteoarthritis is developing.

Causes

Rivera mentions that there are two main causes of osteoarthritis and several risk factors:

• Primary cause. This is when the origin of the disease is unknown. Osteoarthritis is not a hereditary disease, as there is no fixed inheritance pattern, but there are risk factors that can make it appear more easily. “For example, if your grandparents suffered from osteoarthritis, likely, you will also develop it,” says the internist.
• Secondary cause. This category takes into account the fact that a person may suffer from osteoarthritis as a result of an accident in which they have hit a joint.

In addition, some risk factors cause the onset of this disease, such as obesity, which directly affects the knees; the physical activity of athletes; the aging of the person, and work activity. That is, the repetition of joint movements that can lead, in the long term, to joint overload.

Prevention

“One of the ways to prevent this disease is by raising awareness about healthy living. That is, eating a healthy and balanced diet so that the person maintains their ideal weight,” explains Rivera. In addition, exercising at least 30 minutes a day helps reduce a sedentary lifestyle.

Experts also recommend that anyone who practices extreme sports take precautions to avoid accidents that may later have consequences at work.

Treatments

Current treatments for osteoarthritis include lifestyle changes, painkillers, physical therapy, and surgery. “It is important to know that each particular case may require a specific treatment based on the time of evolution of osteoarthritis, the age of the patient, quality of life, the joint or joints affected, and the factors that led to the joint injury,” says López.

Rivera says that treatment begins with medication, physical therapy programs, and weight loss programs. If the osteoarthritis progresses more severely, minor surgery is performed.

“Depending on the case, minimally invasive procedures can be performed, known as arthroscopy, which is a surgical procedure where you can see the inside of the joint,” says López. In addition, if this is not successful, a more invasive surgery is performed where the damaged tissue is replaced. As a last option, there is a prosthesis.