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Osteoarthritis, sometimes called degenerative joint disease or osteoarthrosis, is the most common form of arthritis. Osteoarthritis is characterized by the breakdown of joint cartilage and may affect any joint in your body, including those in your fingers, hips, knees, lower back and feet. Initially osteoarthritis may strike only one joint. But if your fingers are affected, multiple hand joints may become arthritic.
Arthritis literally means "joint inflammation." Although arthritis is often referred to as one disease, it's not. Arthritis has more than 100 forms and is a common cause of disability.
There's no cure for osteoarthritis, but available treatments can relieve pain and help you remain active. In addition, how well you live with osteoarthritis often depends on your behaviors and attitude. If you actively manage your osteoarthritis, you may be able to gain control over your pain.
Osteoarthritis often develops slowly, and some people may not experience any signs or symptoms. However, osteoarthritis can cause the following signs and symptoms:
Pain in a joint during or after use, or after a period of inactivity
Discomfort in a joint before or during a change in the weather
Swelling and stiffness in a joint, particularly after using it
Bony lumps on the middle or end joints of your fingers or the base of your thumb
Loss of joint flexibility
The acute pain of early osteoarthritis often tends to fade within a year of its appearance, but it may return if you overuse the affected joint - this is especially true of fingers affected by osteoarthritis.
Areas osteoarthritis typically affects include:
Fingers. Bony knobs called nodes can enlarge your finger joints, creating a gnarled appearance. Early in the course of the disease, your joints may feel painful or stiff and numb. Eventually, the pain often subsides, leaving just bony nodes that affect the mobility of the joints at the end of your fingers. These nodes tend to run in families and affect more women than men.
Spine. Slow deterioration of disks between the bones along your spine can lead to back and neck pain and stiffness.
Weight-bearing joints. The parts of your body that bear the majority of your weight - your hips, knees and feet - are more susceptible to osteoarthritis. As cartilage slowly deteriorates over the years, you can develop chronic pain or varying amounts of discomfort when you stand and walk. Swelling also may occur, especially in your knees.
Unless you've been injured or placed unusual stress on a joint, it's uncommon for osteoarthritis to affect your jaw, shoulder, elbows, wrists or ankles.
With osteoarthritis the problem lies in the cartilage that cushions the ends of bones in your joints. Over time, the cartilage deteriorates, and its smooth surface roughens. Eventually, if the cartilage wears down completely, you may be left with bone rubbing on bone - causing the ends of your bones to become damaged and your joints to become painful.
The exact cause of osteoarthritis isn't known. Researchers suspect that it's a combination of factors, the aging process, joint injury or stress, heredity, and muscle weakness.
An imbalance of enzymes released from the cartilage cells or from the lining of the joint. When balanced, these enzymes allow for the natural breakdown and regeneration of cartilage. But too much of the enzymes can cause the joint cartilage to break down faster than it's rebuilt. The exact cause of this enzyme imbalance is unclear.
Your body goes to work repairing the damage, but the repairs may be inadequate, resulting instead in growth of new bone along the sides of the existing bone, which produces prominent lumps, most noticeable on hands and feet. Each of the steps in this repair process produces pain. The pain and tenderness over the bony lumps may be most marked early in the course of the disease and less evident later on.
Osteoarthritis commonly occurs in the fingers, neck or lower back. Hips and knees also are frequently affected because they bear most of your weight. You can have chronic pain or varying amounts of discomfort when you stand and walk. Swelling also may occur, especially in your knees.
The major complication of osteoarthritis is pain. The degree of pain can vary greatly, from being a mild inconvenience to being debilitating. Although arthritis doesn't go away, for many people the acute pain of early osteoarthritis often diminishes within a year. However, it can return if you overuse affected joints. Your doctor can help you determine how to adjust your activities to reduce stress on those joints. People with very painful osteoarthritic joints may require joint replacement surgery for pain relief.
MEDICAL TREATMENT
There's no known cure for osteoarthritis, but treatments can help to reduce pain and maintain joint movement. Your doctor may recommend a combination of treatments that may include medication, self-care, physical therapy and occupational therapy. In some cases, surgical procedures may be necessary.
Medications
Topical pain relievers
Surgical or other procedures - Surgical procedures can help relieve disability and pain caused by osteoarthritis.
Joint replacement.
Arthroscopic lavage and debridement
Repositioning bones.
Fusing bones.
NATURAL HEALING WITHOUT SURGERY
We would review the medical reports to help identify if the patient has a history of heart circulation problems. This would affect the lack of blood flow lubricate to the joints causing Arthritis and pain.
Avoid eating red meat, which causes calcification deposits on joints, or bone swelling.
With the use of our Hi-Tech Energy machine we can eliminate bone spurs also called exosteosis caused by Auto or Sports injury.
Kidney problems may cause arthritis bone degeneration or enlargement. Using special acupuncture techniques along with herbs to treat symptoms and balance the system.
Osteoarthritis often develops slowly, and some people may not experience any signs or symptoms. However, osteoarthritis can cause the following signs and symptoms:
The acute pain of early osteoarthritis often tends to fade within a year of its appearance, but it may return if you overuse the affected joint - this is especially true of fingers affected by osteoarthritis.
