What is Osteoarthritis?
Osteoarthritis is the most common form of arthritis. It causes pain, swelling and reduced motion in your joints. It can occur in any joint, but usually it affects your hands, knees, hips or spine. Osteoarthritis is also called degenerative joint disease, OA and Osteoarthrosis.
What happens in Osteoarthritis?
Osteoarthritis breaks down the cartilage in your joints. Cartilage is the slippery tissue that covers the ends of bones in a joint. Healthy cartilage absorbs the shock of movement. When you lose cartilage, your bones rub together. Over time, this rubbing can permanently damage the joint.
What are the factors that may cause Osteoarthritis?
The factors that may cause osteoarthritis include
- Getting older
- Injuring a joint
- Being overweight
What are the treatment options for Osteoarthritis?
The therapies that manage osteoarthritis pain and improve function include
- Rest
- Pain relief with medications
- Weight control
- Physical therapy
- Intraarticular injections - steroid injections, Synvisc injections etc.
- Surgery
| 
