Osteoarthritis
Description
Overuse or acute trauma to the knee joint can lead to osteoarthritis, a gradual weakening of the cartilage that allows the joint to move fluidly. The condition affects the knees, ankles, and fingers most frequently. Participants in overhead sports, particularly baseball pitchers, and workers in overhead occupations, like painters, are at the highest risk of suffering from osteoarthritis. The condition leads to a stiff, painful joint, with significant loss of range of motion. At times, osteoarthritis may cause small pieces of cartilage to break off and float around within the joint. These are known as loose bodies, and can be removed in an arthroscopic or open procedure.
Symptoms
- Pain
- Pain increases with changes in weather (especially cold and damp)
- Joint stiffness
- Limited movement of joint
- Loss of dexterity of joint
- Usually joints are not red, warm, or feverish
- Sometimes joints are swollen (especially finger joints)
- Sometimes there is a cracking or grating sound when joints move
Osteoarthritis is not usually accompanied by fever.
Cause and Risk Factors
Possible Causes
- Injury
- Overuse
- Trauma
- Obesity
Risk Factors
- Overhead throwing sports, especially pitching
- Occupation that stresses the joint
- Aging (most people over 50 have some signs of osteoarthritis)
Treatment
Immediate Action
- RICE: Rest, Ice, Compression and Elevation.
- If there is no warmth or swelling, you may use heat to relieve the pain. (Two to three times a day for 20 minutes each time is ideal.) Hot soaks, heat lamps, or whirlpool treatments may help. You can also try heating pads, deep-heating ointments, or swimming in a heated pool.
- If the spine is affected, sleep on a very firm mattress.
- Rest only when joints are very painful.
- Remain active to keep muscle strength from diminishing. If you work up to a well-designed exercise program, you can keep or even improve joint flexibility.
- Avoid throwing, swinging or overhead motions that may aggravate the condition.
- Keep doing as much of your normal routine as possible.
- Take aspirin or an anti-inflammatory painkiller such as ibuprofen or acetaminophen if needed.
See Your Doctor If:
You have joint pain, swelling or stiffness; you can’t move a joint as well as you used to; your joints are red or warm; you have joint pain and suddenly lose weight, lose strength, or have a fever; the shoulder seems to “catch” or to give way; other unexplained symptoms develop.
See Your Doctor To:
Design an exercise program for you; get physical therapy (in severe cases only); consider whether surgery is necessary.
Procedures
For advanced cases, surgery may be necessary. The three surgical options are: Arthroscopy, to assess and treat some of the surface damage; Joint replacement (arthroplasty); and Joint fusion (arthrodesis).
Medications
Possible medications include nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs such as ibuprofen; acetaminophen; cortisone injections (for temporary relief of pain and stiffness in joints).
Prevention
Immediate Action
- RICE: Rest, Ice, Compression and Elevation.
- If there is no warmth or swelling, you may use heat to relieve the pain. (Two to three times a day for 20 minutes each time is ideal.) Hot soaks, heat lamps, or whirlpool treatments may help. You can also try heating pads, deep-heating ointments, or swimming in a heated pool.
- If the spine is affected, sleep on a very firm mattress.
- Rest only when joints are very painful.
- Remain active to keep muscle strength from diminishing. If you work up to a well-designed exercise program, you can keep or even improve joint flexibility.
- Avoid throwing, swinging or overhead motions that may aggravate the condition.
- Keep doing as much of your normal routine as possible.
- Take aspirin or an anti-inflammatory painkiller such as ibuprofen or acetaminophen if needed.
Last updated: 26-Oct-01
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