Primary OA is the most common form of arthritis that due to the natural wear and tear our bodies experience over the years, not illness or disease. Cartilage is the flexible connective tissue that cushions the bones at the joints. When the cartilage begins to degenerate, it is due to an increased water content and a decreased protein content of the cartilage. Unfortunately, there is only a limited amount of repair that can be done. This then causes the the bones begin to rub together and inflammation occurs. Symptoms of cartilage degradation include pain, swelling, and stiffness. It is also common for bone spurs to develop around the joints. This form of osteoarthritis is hereditary.
Secondary OA is caused due to another condition or disease. This can include obesity, repeated trauma to the joints, and gout. Obesity can cause OA due to the extra weight-bearing stress placed on the joints, most commonly the knees. Gout causes uric acid crystal deposition in cartilage, which promotes degradation. Though the causes are different, the pathology for secondary OA is the same as primary OA.
OA is typically diagnosed with an x-ray. There is no definitive cure for osteoarthritis. There are, however, ways to treat the symptoms of OA. For some, the answer may be as simple as weight loss and a regular light exercise regiment. Other lifestyle changes include a healthy diet, plenty of rest, and heat/cold pack applications. There are, of course, over the counter medications that may provide pain relief, but such drugs are proven to have negative side affects if taken for an extended period of time. As a more invasive remedy, there are various surgical procedures available that can relieve pain and improve functioning.
Sources:
1. "Cartilage - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia." Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. N.p., n.d. Web. 22 Oct. 2012. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cartilage>.
2. "Osteoarthritis (OA or Degenerative Arthritis)." MedicineNet. N.p., n.d. Web. 21 Oct. 2012. <www.medicinenet.com/osteoarthritis/article.htm>.
3. "Osteoarthritis - PubMed Health." National Center for Biotechnology Information. N.p., n.d. Web. 22 Oct. 2012. <http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmedhealth/PMH0001460/>.
4. "Osteoarthritis - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia." Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. N.p., n.d. Web. 22 Oct. 2012. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Osteoarthritis>.
Obesity has been a major factor of most of the disease and its developing symptoms. It is also a major factor in case of Osteoarthritis specially primary OA. Usually like you said its cannot be treatable because the cartilage is already worn out and surgery can only do so much.
ReplyDeleteSo here comes the question about eating healthy, living healthy, working out and all ..
I just want to say we should promote healthy living and healthy eating.. and working out! Genetic causes does not mean we cannot change or treat it .. we just have to try :)
I have an interesting story about an experience with secondary OA. My uncle got gout a year or so ago, and complained about the horrible pain it caused and the extreme difficulty he had trying to get around. He said he developed arthritis in his foot/ ankle area. While he was trying to get back to normal, he had to use a cane to walk and it was all just a huge mess. However, after he finally got rid of the gout and had time to heal, he stopped complaining about the pain in the joints in his feet and ankle.
ReplyDeleteWe had discussed in class, though, that the amount of healing in OA is limited because the cartilage is already degraded. I thought it was interesting that after the gout, my uncle stopped talking about the pain and symptoms of his arthritic foot. Because, it seems to me that if his arthritis was so bad in the first place when he had the gout, it would have left him with degraded cartilage in his foot, and OA. I talked to my aunt about it after class, and we laughed about it. We figured that either (1) the gout was so excruciating that once it was gone, he was overjoyed at just having the arthritis pain OR (2) he really exaggerated his symptoms from the beginning to get some sympathy (which he is very prone to doing). So, my aunt asked my uncle, "Aren't you relieved not to have that bad arthritis in your foot anymore?" while we were on the phone. And he said to her, "What? What arthritis?" Of course we all cracked up after he realized what had happened. So, this week's discussion about OA was really informative to my whole family!