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Oa Research Paper Outline

Decent Essays

• What is OA?
It is degenerative joint disease or degenerative arthritis, osteoarthritis (OA). It is the most common chronic condition of the joints. It affects any joint, but it occurs most often in knees, hips, lower back and neck, small joints of the fingers and the bases of the thumb and big toe. The rubbery material called cartiliage covers the end of each bones and acts as a cushion between the bones. The cartilage breaks down in OA, causing pain, swelling and problems moving the joint. Over the time as it worsens, bones may break down and develop growths called spurs. Bone or cartilage may break and float around in the joint. During an inflammatory process cytokines (proteins) and enzymes develop that further damage the cartilage. In …show more content…

Osteoarthritis (OA) is the most common chronic condition of the joints, affecting approximately 27 million Americans.

• What joints are usually affected by OA?
Hips:. Pain is felt in the groin area or buttocks and sometimes on the inside of the knee or thigh. Knees:. A “grating” or “scraping” sensation occurs when moving the knee Fingers:. Bone growth at the edge of joints cause fingers to become swollen, tender and red. Thumb may experience pain at the base. Feet: Pain and tenderness is felt in the large joint at the base of the big toe

• How does OA affect a person’s daily activities? OA pain, swelling or stiffness may make it difficult to perform ordinary tasks at work or at home. Simple tasks like making bed, opening a box of food, using a computer mouse or driving a car becomes nearly impossible. When the lower body joints are affected, activities such as walking, climbing stairs and lifting objects become difficult. Grasping and holding objects become difficult with finger and hand joints affected. It also makes it difficult to grasp and hold objects, such as a pencil, or to do

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