Osteoarthritis Research Paper

Osteoarthritis, also known as degenerative joint disease, is an endemic condition that affects 20 million people in the United States alone. Osteoarthritis is the most common type of arthritis and is defined as a gradual process of destruction and degeneration or wearing away of the joint cartilage which typically occurs in the older individual age 50 and over (http://emedicine.medscape.com/article/330487-overview#a0101). . Although this diease is well known for its association with the natural aging process, it is also prevalent in athletes. Specifically, osteoarthritis of the knee has been said to be the most commonly affected area as a majpr weight bearing joint and is a growing epidemic in relation to sports injuries in the young adult. http://www.webmd.com/osteoarthritis/guide/ostearthritis-of-the-knee-degenerative-arthritis-of-the-knee. According to, (Vincent), among upper and lower reported extremity sites, the most common region for osteoarthritis to manifest is p’in the medial compartment of the knee. The risk of knee osteoarthritis from knee joint injury is high; approximately 50% of individuals with an ACL or meniscus tear develop knee osteoarthritis [10-15]. A long-term prospective study indicated a relative risk for knee osteoarthritis of approximately 5 for any previous injury of the knee [13]. As cited in, _____, Thelin and colleagues determined that injury of the knee joint was associated with all knee OA in a

Currently, no cure for osteoarthritis is known. However, disease-related factors, such as impaired muscle function and reduced fitness, are potentially amenable to exercise therapy. Exercise therapy takes a multitude of forms and results in numerous systemic and local effects, some of which have been

OA is a musculoskeletal disease that causes chronic joint pain and reduced physical functioning (Laba, brien, Fransen, & jan, 2013). Osteoarthritis (OA) is a non-inflammatory disorder of synovial joints that results in loss of hyaline cartilage and remodeling of surrounding bone. OA is the single most common joint disease, with an estimated prevalence of 60% in men and 70% in women later in life after the age of 65 years, affecting an estimated 40 million people in the United States (Goodman & Fuller, 2009). Women are more commonly affected after the age of 55, almost everyone has some symptoms by the age of 70 (Tan, Zahara, Colburn & Hawkins, 2013, p.78). Osteoarthritis can be described radiological, clinical, or subjective.

Although it may hurt to move them, one of the key components to osteoarthritis therapy involves moving the joints. Without proper movement, the joints get stiff and hurt even more. Yoga, pilates, tai chi, and exercises performed in water have been found to be of great benefit.

Treatment: There is no real cure for osteoarthritis but research is starting focus on the fundamentals of the disease which should lead to further discoveries on treatment in the future. Presently treatments center on managing pain, decreasing burden on the joints and improving the strength of the muscles that support the joints. There have been experimental therapies done that attempt to slow the progression of the disease and increase mobility and flexibility of the joints.

Osteoarthritis is associated with the development of bone spurs and the reduction of cartilage placed on the joint, which is as a substitute painful. When a patient suffers osteoarthritis, cartilage starts to collapse by and large in the joints located within the neck, knees, scale back back, hips, and fingers.

The Chronic Osteoarthritis Management Initiative (COAMI) was created by the U.S. Bone and Joint Initiative in May 2012 to improve the handling on osteoarthritis. Their first study was a systematic review of 16 current guidelines with the goal of finding a consensus in osteoarthritis management. The non-pharmacological treatments recommended are; education, exercise, weight loss, walking aids, and thermal modalities. First line pharmacologic treatment is acetaminophen, NSAIDs were second line, and intra-articular corticosteroids were recommended. In surgical procedures, joint replacement was recommended for select patients, but arthroscopy with debridement was not recommended

Disease-modifying osteoarthritis drug (DMARD) is defined as a drug that hinders structural disease progression and hoping to alleviate symptoms and improve function. The most popular nutraceuticals that are widely used by people with osteoarthritis is glucosamine and chondroitin sulfate. There are numerous adverse effects associated with these two supplements, and a knowledgeable physical therapist must be aware of this antagonistic reactions.

However it is now believed and accepted that there are various other factors that contribute to a person having Osteoarthritis. The first of these factors is genetics – a family tendency for this condition is a very high contributing factor. If a person has a close, immediate family member who suffers from Osteoarthritis, the chances of that person developing OA later in their life is rather high. (Arthritis Foundation, 2014). Another contributing factor is that of weight. Being overweight puts additional pressure on a person’s joints. According to Dr Eric Matteson, the chair of rheumatology at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota; weight plays a very important role in the stress joints endure - the more load a joint has to bear, the more likely it will endure damage over time. (Arthritis Foundation, 2014). Another factor that contributes to Osteoarthritis is that of injuries to a joint such as fractures or ligament and tendon tears or overuse of a joint – such as strain caused from repetitive movements in activities such as sports and dancing. Other factors include bone disorders such as incorrect alignment of joints. (Nucleus Medical Media, 2015) Therefore, although Osteoarthritis is most prevalent in older people, due to the fact that there are various other impacting factors to OA, it can affect people of any

Degenerative joint disease commonly known as Osteoarthritis (OA) is a disorder that occurs due to a process of wear and tear in joints. In healthy joints the ends of the bone are covered by cartilage preventing the bone from rubbing together and protected by a joint capsule, which produces synovial fluid. The process of OA results in wearing away of the cartilage, growth of osteophytes and joint capsule breakdown initiating periarticular fibrosis (1). There is no single cause for OA and whilst its process is well documented the exact aetiology is unknown. The disease is the most common variety of arthritis in Australia and is most common is males until the age of 45 and then becomes more prevalent in females due to a combination of hormonal and structural factors (2). Treatment revolves around managing the disease through lifestyle changes such as exercising and physical therapy in conjunction with medications rather than curing, as the process underlying OA cannot currently be reversed.

Osteoarthritis is a progressive disease of the joint, representing failed repair of the joint damage that resulted from intra-articular stresses. Intra-articular stresses maybe initiated by abnormalities in articular cartilage, sub-chondral bone, ligaments, menisci, peri-articular muscles, peripheral nervous and synovium. Ultimately, this result in the break down in the cartilage and bone, leads to the symptoms of pain, stiffness, crepitus and functional disability. As a disease, it is

Chronic knee pain is a common symptom in pathologies and conditions such as tibiofemoral and patellofemoral osteoarthritis (OA), anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) tears, and patellofemoral pain (PFP). These injuries are treated by physical therapists today more than ever before.

Osteoarthritis (OA) occurs when joints are put under accumulative mechanical stress and involves all joint components (Hunter et al, 2009). Articular cartilage degradation and other joint changes occur alongside inflammation, visualised in Figure 1. Pain is the major symptom so current treatments aim to alleviate pain (Pelletier et al, 2001; Malfait and Schnitzer, 2013). Generation of pain is carried out by the nervous system (Felson, 2005). The two main mechanisms are nociception and neuropathy (Mease et al, 2011). In early OA, pain is intermittent and induced by mechanical loading. This is hyperalgesia and is characteristic of nociception. As OA progresses, pain becomes more frequent and even manifests without stimulation (Felson, 2009).

hand-357335_1280For years the most common natural supplements to aid osteoarthritis pain and joint deterioration have been Glucosamine Sulfate, Chondroitin and MSM. Devils Claw, Cats Claw and Boswelia are all herbs that have also been widely used. Genacol is a brand that has been using hydrolized collagen in its products for many years.

If you are dealing with a knee problem, chances are very high that you are suffering from bad knees. Bad knees involve sudden knee pain. Injuring the knees or overusing them is one of the main reasons that lead to bad knees. Older people tend to experience knee pain more than the youth. Additionally, overweight people are also