DESCRIPTION:
Osteoarthritis, the most common form of arthritis, is a degenerative condition that results in the deterioration of cartilage tissues that support the weight-bearing joints in the body. The condition, also called degenerative arthritis or degenerative joint disease, is closely linked to the aging process and consists of outgrowth of bone, bone spurs and soft cysts on the affected joints and bones. It affects 20 million Americans, primarily women and adults over age 45.
How does osteoarthritis develop?
It is important to note that, although associated with old age, osteoarthritis and degenerative joint disease are not simply a result of the aging process, nor are they a result of general wear and tear on the joints as some believe. These conditions almost always begin as a ligament weakness resulting from injury.
Joints are composed of two bones covered with articular cartilage, which allows the joint to glide, and ligaments, which hold the two bones together. Healthy articular cartilage and ligaments enable the bones to glide evenly over one another. If the ligaments become weak, the bones will glide in an uneven manner. One area of the bone will bear additional weight on the articular cartilage when the joint is stressed. This uneven distribution of joint stress creates an even greater strain on the weakened ligament. Eventually all ligaments of the joint become lax and the joint becomes more and more unstable. As a result, articular cartilage breakdown occurs, causing a grinding or crunching noise when the joint is moved—as well as pain!
When ligaments can no longer stabilize a joint, muscles and tendons will tense, often increasing a person's pain. When these soft tissues can no longer do the stabilizing work, the bony surfaces rub against each other.
As the condition develops, the bone around the affected joint thickens, and bony growths called osteophytes form. If the synovial tissue that lines the joint capsule becomes inflamed, fluid may accumulate within the joint. This causes pain and swelling in the joints and decreases their mobility. In later stages of the disease, decreased amounts of cartilage in the joints hinder movement.
Although natural medicine specialists see a clear link between ligament injury and the onset of osteoarthritis, conventional medical practitioners cannot reach consensus on a cause of osteoarthritis. They identify certain factors that may increase the risk of developing the disorder, including repeated strenuous activity or reoccurring injury, excessive weight gain, and possibly heredity.
What are the symptoms of osteoarthritis?
Symptoms of osteoarthritis may include pain and tenderness in a joint that worsens with activity and is relieved by rest; stiffness after long periods of rest; discomfort in a joint before or during a change in weather; bony lumps on the middle or end joints of the fingers or the base of the thumb; loss of joint flexibility; swelling and tenderness around the joint; restricted joint movement; creaking or cracking of joints and bones; and referred pain in areas remote from the site of damage but on the same nerve pathway as the affected joint.
Conventional medical treatments may help relieve the symptoms of osteoarthritis but they do not address the root of the problem. By strengthening structural weaknesses in the body, as natural medicine therapies like Prolotherapy do, osteoarthritis pain may be alleviated permanently.
Discover why we believe that natural medicine treatments are the best way to treat osteoarthritis.
