Osteoarthritis - Causes, treatment and prevention

Osteoarthritis is the gradual process in which the joint surfaces - the cartilage and the bone itself deteriorate and break down. For this reason it is currently considered a degenerative joint disease.

In fact, the the name is not really accurate. The suffix '-itis' suggests that the joint is inflamed which is not, in fact, the case. So rather than labelling it as an inflammatory condition, it is better to think of it as a "degenerative joint disease" (DJD)

The tell-tale signs of osteoarthritis include 'crepitus' - a literally a grinding noise and feeling on moving the joint - pain, stiffness, and deformity. Typically the stiffness is worse after a night's sleep, but then as the person moves around and exercised the joint, the stiffness will subside.

There are two main types of degenerative joint disease: primary and secondary. Primary means, basically, that it happened all by itself, whereas secondary means there was some obvious cause for it such as trauma or another disease process.

What the real cause of primary osteoarthritis is is still a mystery. Some experts believe that it is related to dysfunction in the normal movement of the joint - either too much or too little.

Over-stretching your joints, for example by poor posture or by repeatedly "popping" your knuckles, my cause the joint's ligaments to become loose which may, in turn, result in too much laxity and movement in the joint.

This results in more wear on the cartilage which gradually breaks down and develops a rough surface. Since its value as a shock absorber decreases, the joint is then prone to even more damage, resulting in an ever-worsening condition.

Too little joint movement is just as bad. The joint needs nutrition to maintain itself. But, since it has no direct blood supply, it depends on the transfer of nutrients across the joint capsule - and this depends on sufficient joint movement to wash it across. Too little nutrition can result in degeneration and thus osteoarthritis.

Because the joint needs a certain amount of regular movement to maintain health nutrition inside the joint capsule, most health professionals try to avoid periods of joint immobilization, eg through traction, unless absolutely critical.

From this it is clear what the best prevention is: keep your joints moving regularly by exercise and proper stretches. Should you suffer an injury, get it treated properly and quickly so that your joint is laid-up for as short a time as possible before returning to normal (or near-normal) movement.

Proper exercise strengthens the muscles that support the joint, and so prevent aberrant motion. Stretching those muscles and, if necessary, getting the joint adjusted by a chiropractor, helps to maintain the motion that allows for proper transfer of nutrients and waste products inside the joint.

Even though all this may not eliminate the risk of osteoarthritis - especially if you have had some significant trauma to the joint - it will certainly help to delay or slow down the degenerative process.

Article Source: http://www.gestbiz.com/articles

Tired of suffering caused by osteoarthritis? Read our other articles by Dr. Steven Trembecki, D.C. on this and other chiropractor treatments.
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