What is osteoarthritis?
What is osteoarthritis? Who is most often affected by this disease?
Who is at risk of developing osteoarthritis?
How to treat osteoarthritis?
What is osteoarthritis? Who is most often affected by this disease?
Osteoarthritis (also known as arthritis, osteoarthritis or osteoarthritis) is a chronic disease. It causes damage to the articular cartilage and bone in the joints. This leads to pain, stiffness and limited mobility.
The disease is most common in the elderly, but can occur in people of any age. Risk factors include age, being overweight, physical inactivity, joint injuries, and genetics.
Symptoms of osteoarthritis include joint pain, stiffness, difficulty moving, creaking or creaking joints, and swelling. Treatment consists of relieving symptoms and slowing down the progression of the disease. It includes the supply of analgesics and anti-inflammatory drugs, physical exercise, physiotherapy, and in advanced cases – surgery.
It is important to take good care of your joints to prevent or delay the development of osteoarthritis. Incorporating exercise into your daily routine and maintaining a healthy weight is an added antidote. Avoiding joint injuries is a good way to prevent osteoarthritis.
Who is at risk of developing osteoarthritis?
Factors contributing to the development of osteoarthritis:
- age – the risk of the disease increases with age;
- gender – women are more likely to suffer from osteoarthritis than men;
- obesity – overweight and obesity put a strain on the joints, which can lead to their degeneration;
- family history – people whose family has a history of osteoarthritis are more likely to develop it;
- joint Injuries – joint injuries and injuries increase the risk of osteoarthritis.
How to treat osteoarthritis?
Osteoarthritis is a disease associated with the aging process of the body, which leads to the degeneration of joint cartilage. In the case of osteoarthritis, it is primarily important to reduce the load on the joints and strengthen the muscles and tendons.
Here are some ways to treat osteoarthritis:
- exercise – doing health-related exercise, such as aerobics, yoga or Pilates, can help strengthen muscles and bones, reduce joint pain and stiffness;
- proper diet – by eating a lot of vegetables and fruits as well as a lot of protein, vitamins and minerals, we can help ourselves to reduce inflammation and increase joint health;
- heat and cold therapy – applying warm or cold compresses can help relieve joint pain and stiffness;
- pharmacotherapy – the use of painkillers and anti-inflammatory drugs can help relieve pain and inflammation in the joints;
- physiotherapy – physiotherapy can help to strengthen muscles, improve joint flexibility and relieve pain.
- surgery – in cases of advanced osteoarthritis, where other treatments do not provide relief, surgical treatment such as arthroscopy, arthroplasty or arthrodesis may be necessary.
Keep in mind that each person may have a different degree of osteoarthritis and needs an individual treatment approach. Therefore, before starting any activities, it is always worth consulting a doctor.