So many people on the internet are looking for arthritis cures and arthritis information or even just an explanation of what arthritis is.
It’s been a frigid few days here in Rhode Island. We were having a pretty good winter until the big freeze came. I could tell the cold was affecting many people as patients came into the clinic with many more aches and pains that needed to be addressed. The cold weather brings out the arthritis pains in many people.
So what is arthritis anyway?
Arthritis refers to inflammation of a joint with arthro- meaning joint and –itis meaning inflammation. This pathology is an umbrella term for over 100 different types of joint inflammation. The most common form of arthritis is osteoarthritis (OA) also called degenerative joint disease. This type of arthritis is the wearing away of cartilage over time.
Our joints like knees and shoulders produce movement allowing our limbs to interact with our environment. These joints just like moving parts in a car need smooth surfaces in order to move smoothly and pain free.
Cartilage covers the ends of the moving bones that make up the various joints in the body. Over time as the two bones continuously move against one another, the cartilage begins to deteriorate and wear away. When the cartilage wears away and exposes bone the result is pain and inflammation from two bones rubbing against each other.
Now our bodies are smart machines and anytime there is repetitive stress on an area in the body, it will lay down more bone in this area to reinforce it. When the cartilage covering the bones wears away and two bones are rubbing against each other the body responds to this area by laying down more bone. The result is spurs or osteophytes which can cause pain and faulty movement of the joint.
The knee joint is an amazing joint that works perfectly as the two bones which make up this joint (thigh bone called the femur and the shin bone called the tibia) roll and glide together. If you throw in an osteophyte it messes up this harmonious rolling motion, causes pain and even alters the way the person walks.
In Physical Therapy, a big part of our jobs is educating patients. I like to explain to my patients that the whole body is connected so if the knee is not gliding properly due to an osteophyte, it affects your walking, which in turn can throw off your pelvic motion which can cause back pain, and on and on.
While osteoarthritis can occur in many areas of the body, it is commonly found in the weight bearing joints, particularly the low back, hips, knees and feet.
Common symptoms of this condition are stiffness in the morning or after sitting for long periods of time. Pain is another common symptom of OA.
While there are no treatments to prevent or cure osteoarthritis there are ways to reduce symptoms of this pathology.
By maintaining a normal body weight, there is less stress placed on load bearing joints such as the hips and knees. Our bodies were not made to carry extra fat and our joints will wear down quickly with any increase in body weight. Maintaining a proper diet and exercise regimen is a great way to slow the progression of OA and reduce the limiting symptoms of this pathology.
To further emphasize this point a study titled The Framingham Osteoarthritis Study found, an average of 10 pounds of weight loss over a 10-year period decreased the risk of osteoarthritis of the knee by 50%.
Strength training is a great exercise plan for OA. High impact exercise like running places a great deal of stress on joints and should be avoided if you have OA.
Exercise for OA should focus on strengthening the muscles surrounding the joints. The large muscles around the knee joint are the quadriceps on the front of the thigh which helps extend the knee. On the back of the thigh are the hamstrings which flex the knee and also act as hip extensors. By increasing the muscle strength and mass surrounding joints affected by OA you will take some of the stress off of the joint and allow the joint to work more effectively.
Many people and patients in the clinic ask me about remedies such as anti inflammatory medicines, glucosamine and other alternatives. While there has been no definitive evidence for prevention of OA or regrowth of the articular cartilage covering weight bearing bones, your physician may be able to offer alternatives to reduce your pain and inflammation.
Your Physical Therapist can also set up a program that will help strengthen the muscles surrounding the affected joint which will improve your overall mobility and pain level.
This article was meant as an introduction to arthritis and a basic explanation about this pathology.
Now it’s your turn.
• What has your experience been with arthritis?
• What remedies have worked for you?
• What other questions do you have about arthritis?
And if I don’t know the answer or if it’s out of my scope of practice I’ll get the answer for you.
Leave your questions below.