Osteoarthritis Treatment in Westminster Denver Colorado
Overview
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Osteoarthritis
is the most common form of arthritis, affecting millions of people worldwide.
It occurs when the protective cartilage that cushions the ends of the bones
wears down over time.
●
Although
osteoarthritis can damage any joint, the disorder most commonly affects joints
in your hands, knees, hips and spine.
●
Osteoarthritis
symptoms can usually be managed, although the damage to joints can’t be
reversed. Staying active, maintaining a healthy weight and receiving certain
treatments might slow progression of the disease and help improve pain and
joint function.
Symptoms
Osteoarthritis
symptoms often develop slowly and worsen over time. Signs and symptoms of
osteoarthritis include:
● Pain. Affected joints might hurt during or after movement.
● Stiffness. Joint stiffness might be most noticeable upon
awakening or after being inactive.
● Tenderness. Your joint might feel tender when you apply
light pressure to or near it.
● Loss of flexibility. You might not be able to move your
joint through its full range of motion.
● Grating sensation. You might feel a grating sensation when
you use the joint, and you might hear popping or crackling.
● Bone spurs. These extra bits of bone, which feel like hard
lumps, can form around the affected joint.
● Swelling. This might be caused by soft tissue inflammation
around the joint.
Causes
●
Osteoarthritis
occurs when the cartilage that cushions the ends of bones in your joints
gradually deteriorates. Cartilage is a firm, slippery tissue that enables
nearly frictionless joint motion.
●
Eventually,
if the cartilage wears down completely, bone will rub on bone.
●
Osteoarthritis
has often been referred to as a wear and tear disease. But besides the
breakdown of cartilage, osteoarthritis affects the entire joint. It causes
changes in the bone and deterioration of the connective tissues that hold the
joint together and attach muscle to bone. It also causes inflammation of the
joint lining.
Risk factors
Factors
that can increase your risk of osteoarthritis include:
● Older age. The risk of osteoarthritis increases with age.
● Sex. Women are more likely to develop osteoarthritis, though
it isn’t clear why.
● Obesity. Carrying extra body weight contributes to osteoarthritis
in several ways, and the more you weigh, the greater your risk. Increased
weight adds stress to weight-bearing joints, such as your hips and knees. Also,
fat tissue produces proteins that can cause harmful inflammation in and around
your joints.
● Joint injuries. Injuries, such as those that occur when
playing sports or from an accident, can increase the risk of osteoarthritis.
Even injuries that occurred many years ago and seemingly healed can increase
your risk of osteoarthritis.
● Repeated stress on the joint. If your job or a sport you
play places repetitive stress on a joint, that joint might eventually develop
osteoarthritis.
● Genetics. Some people inherit a tendency to develop
osteoarthritis.
● Bone deformities. Some people are born with malformed joints
or defective cartilage.
● Certain metabolic diseases. These include diabetes and a
condition in which your body has too much iron (hemochromatosis).
Complications
●
Osteoarthritis
is a degenerative disease that worsens over time, often resulting in chronic
pain. Joint pain and stiffness can become severe enough to make daily tasks
difficult.
●
Depression
and sleep disturbances can result from the pain and disability of
osteoarthritis.
Diagnosis
●
During
the physical exam, your doctor will check your affected joint for tenderness,
swelling, redness and flexibility.
Imaging tests
To
get pictures of the affected joint, your doctor might recommend:
● X-rays. Cartilage doesn’t show up on X-ray images, but
cartilage loss is revealed by a narrowing of the space between the bones in
your joint. An X-ray can also show bone spurs around a joint.
● Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). An MRI uses radio waves
and a strong magnetic field to produce detailed images of bone and soft
tissues, including cartilage. An MRI isn’t commonly needed to diagnose
osteoarthritis but can help provide more information in complex cases.
Medications
Medications
that can help relieve osteoarthritis symptoms, primarily pain, include:
● Acetaminophen. Acetaminophen (Tylenol, others) has been
shown to help some people with osteoarthritis who have mild to moderate pain.
Taking more than the recommended dose of acetaminophen can cause liver damage.
● Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs).
Over-the-counter NSAIDs, such as ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin IB, others) and
naproxen sodium (Aleve), taken at the recommended doses, typically relieve
osteoarthritis pain. Stronger NSAIDs are available by prescription.
NSAIDs can cause stomach upset, cardiovascular problems, bleeding problems, and
liver and kidney damage. NSAIDs as gels, applied to the skin over the affected
joint, have fewer side effects and may relieve pain just as well.
● Duloxetine (Cymbalta). Normally used as an antidepressant,
this medication is also approved to treat chronic pain, including
osteoarthritis pain.
Our
expert providers are experienced and skilled at treating Osteoarthritis and are
your source for expert treatment of Osteoarthritis in Westminster and Denver
Colorado. Not only are we the premier treatment for spine injuries and
chiropractic in Westminster and Denver Colorado, but we also specialize in many
other advanced treatment techniques such as shockwave, cold laser, graston
technique, KT Taping, activator, instrument aided spinal alignments, drop
table, toggle, in house rehab services, and on site digital xrays. We are your
Premier destination for Osteoarthritis Treatment in Westminster Colorado and
Denver Colorado Chiropractor.