Osteoarthritis: Causes and Symptoms

Osteoarthritis: Cause and Symptoms In our last article, we briefly discussed Osteoarthritis and Rheumatoid Arthritis. This article will take a close look at the cause, symptoms, and current treatment used for Osteoarthritis. So let's take a second look at what Osteoarthritis is. Osteoarthritis is known by many as "wear and tear" Arthritis. It is one of the most common forms of Arthritis and is the result of cartilage wearing away from the joints. This cartilage is responsible for the smooth gliding of joints, and once it begins to deteriorate, the patient is left with pain, joint swelling and inflammation, and even deformity. Osteoarthritis patients usually state that their pain is greatest during times of movement, and then lessens significantly during periods of rest. Osteoarthritis affects many more women than men. There is an estimated 24 million Osteoarthritis sufferers in the United States and roughly 74% are women. The cause of Osteoarthritis is not known, yet doctors have many suspicions. Some of the symptoms of Osteoarthritis boggle the minds of scientists and more research needs to take place to determine the actual root of the disease. For instance, X-rays can tell that Arthritis is present, yet the amount of pain reported by Osteoarthritis sufferers differs from the results of the X-ray. Though many people refer to Osteoarthritis as the "wear and tear" disease, evidence shows that this disease and its mysterious cause are not as simple as that definition. In fact, "wear and tear" does not take place in just one joint, but affects joints simultaneously throughout the body. An example of this, is that sufferers with Osteoarthritis of the knee, offer suffer Osteoarthritis in the hand. Also, doctors have noted that patients don't suffer with Osteoarthritis on just one side of the body (as would be expected due to wear and tear) but because it seems to affect the body concurrently, it appears that Osteoarthritis is a systematic disease affecting all of the cartilage at once. One suggestion is that Osteoarthritis is a result of cartilage that has stopped functioning at optimum level. Cartilage is continuously undergoing a process where it is broken down, then rebuilt. Some theories state that this process becomes unbalanced and out of hand. This is referred to as "End Stage Osteoarthritis." It is at this stage that joint pain and impairment begin to manifest. There are many natural remedies that show promise in the management of Osteoarthritis pain and symptoms. Look for future articles in our Arthritis Series that will offer natural remedies that may prevent enzymes from damaging cartilage. Some other ideas that point to the cause of Osteoarthritis include: