What is osteoarthritis? How to treat it?

Osteoarthritis is a common musculoskeletal condition that affects many joints in the body and causes pain, stiffness, and reduced mobility. Understanding the causes, symptoms, and treatments of osteoarthritis not only helps improve your quality of life but also prevents serious complications. 

What is osteoarthritis?

Osteoarthritis is a disease in which the cartilage that protects the ends of bones in the joint gradually deteriorates. Cartilage is an elastic covering at the ends of bones, helping to reduce friction and ensure smooth movement of the joint. When cartilage degenerates, it becomes thin, loses elasticity and is vulnerable to damage.

Degeneration often occurs in one or more joints that are frequently used, such as the shoulder, neck, knee, foot, wrist, etc. When it occurs in two or more joints, it is called osteoarthritis. The disease will progress over time and cannot be completely cured.

When cartilage is damaged, the ends of bones can come into direct contact with each other, causing pain, swelling and stiffness. This can cause swelling and the formation of bone spurs. Significant loss of cartilage can lead to bones rubbing against each other, changing the shape of the joint and forcing the bones out of their normal position, causing pain and difficulty in all activities.

Symptoms of osteoarthritis

Symptoms of this condition include:

• Joint pain: Joint pain is the main symptom of osteoarthritis. The pain can be severe or mild, and often increases after activity and decreases after rest. Pain may spread from the joint to surrounding areas.
• Stiffness: Affected joints may become stiff and difficult to move, especially after periods of rest or in the early morning.
• Swelling and inflammation: The affected joint may swell and become inflamed, causing a feeling of warmth, redness, and swelling in the joint area.
• Creasing and grating sensations: Some people with osteoarthritis may feel a clicking or clicking sensation in the joint when moving. A feeling of stiffness, as if the joint is stuck or restricted in movement, may also occur…

Common complications 

Complications of the disease can range from mild to severe, including conditions such as:

• Joint deformities: Over time, degeneration can lead to structural deformities of the joints, such as joint enlargement, bone spur formation, and joint surface deformities.
• Functional limitations: The condition causes limited joint function, reducing joint mobility and flexibility, thereby limiting range of motion, making activities such as walking, climbing stairs, and joint movement difficult.
• Decreased quality of life: The disease affects the patient’s quality of life. Pain will limit function, leading to reduced work capacity, which can cause reduced performance and affect daily activities, creating a negative impact on psychology and spirit.
• Disability: In some severe cases, osteoarthritis can also cause permanent disability and limit joint function, affecting the patient’s ability to care for themselves and be independent…

Causes

There are many causes of multiple joint degeneration, including:

Trauma

Injuries near joints or repetitive trauma can contribute to the development of osteoarthritis. For example, professional athletes or people who regularly participate in activities that put stress on their joints are at higher risk of osteoarthritis than the general population.

Weight

Being overweight or obese puts a lot of stress on your joints, especially your knees and hips. This gradually wears down and damages your joints, increasing your risk of osteoarthritis.

Other joint conditions

People who already have conditions such as arthritis, gout, or rheumatoid arthritis are at higher risk of osteoarthritis. Chronic inflammation or long-term damage to your joints can contribute to the development of the disease.

Work and daily activities

Jobs that place a lot of stress on your joints or involve strenuous physical activity can increase your risk of osteoarthritis.

Age

Your risk of osteoarthritis increases with age. Older adults, especially those aged 50 and over, are at higher risk due to the damage and wear and tear that occurs with age.

Gender

Women are at higher risk of osteoarthritis than men, especially after menopause. However, men are more likely to develop the disease at a younger age due to other factors such as injury or work stress.

Genetics

Genetics may play a role in the development of osteoarthritis. If a family member has had the condition before, your risk increases.

Treatment

Some common treatments for osteoarthritis today include: 

Pain relievers and anti-inflammatory drugs

Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) such as ibuprofen and naproxen can reduce pain and inflammation in the joints. Paracetamol can also be used to relieve pain. Sometimes, NSAIDs are injected directly into the joint to relieve pain and reduce inflammation at the site of the injury. However, patients should consult a doctor before using the drug to limit unwanted side effects. 

Physical therapy

You can visit a physical therapist for treatments such as massage, electrical stimulation, therapeutic ultrasound, and functional training to improve flexibility and reduce pain.

Joint support devices

In some cases, your doctor may recommend using aids such as a cane or crutches to reduce the load on your joints when moving, thereby reducing pain and limiting damage.

Surgery

In severe cases that do not respond to other treatments, surgery may be considered. Surgical options include osteophyte removal surgery, joint replacement surgery.

Healthy lifestyle changes

Maintaining a healthy lifestyle is an important part of treating osteoarthritis. This includes maintaining an ideal body weight or losing weight if necessary, exercising regularly to increase flexibility and muscle strength, avoiding activities that put a lot of stress on the joints…

Platelet-rich plasma

Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) therapy has great potential in regenerative medicine, especially for people with osteoarthritis. For musculoskeletal diseases, Platelet-rich plasma therapy (PRP) not only reduces inflammation and pain effectively, but also promotes tissue regeneration.

Platelet-rich plasma is a product from the patient’s own blood, processed to have a platelet concentration many times higher than normal plasma. Platelets contain many important growth factors such as PDGF, TGF-β, VEGF, which help stimulate cell proliferation, form new blood vessels and reduce inflammation. When platelet-rich plasma is injected into damaged tissue, it will provide a large amount of biological proteins, helping to speed up the natural recovery process.

Advantages of this therapy include:

• The procedure is simple, minimally invasive, and quick.
• Using autologous blood, the risk of immune reactions is low.
• Reasonable cost

By understanding what osteoarthritis is, you can proactively prevent and promptly treat musculoskeletal diseases. Be proactive in having regular health check-ups, combining a balanced diet, appropriate exercise and taking medication as prescribed by your doctor to protect your bone and joint health.