Osteoarthritis
Did you know that over 32.5 million adults in the US suffer from osteoarthritis?
If you have been diagnosed with this condition, no fear, we developed this guide below to help you navigate this condition!
What is Osteoarthritis and how do I get it?
To better understand the condition, lets break down the word into its components:
“Osteo” means bone, “arthro: means joint, and “itis” means inflammation. Quite literally the word osteoarthritis means “bone joint inflammation.”
As we age, the wear and tear of our daily activities causes the cartilage between our bones to deteriorate. Over time the bones within our joints begin to grind against each other without the protection of cartilage, causing an inflammatory reaction.
How do I know I have osteoarthritis?
Osteoarthritis is commonly found in the knee, shoulder, hips, hands, and ankle.
General symptoms include:
- Joint Pain worsened with usage
- Joint pain worse at the end of the day and sometimes at night
- Reduced joint range of motion such as inability to bend the knee fully
- Joint deformity
- Joint swelling
Confirmation of the condition can be obtained with an X-ray.
How do I treat osteoarthritis?
Treatment requires a 3 pronged approach:
- Medication – oral medications and joint injections will help with reducing the inflammation and blunting the pain
- Lifestyle modifications– weight loss helps with decreasing the stress on the joint
- Physical therapy– helps to strength the accessory muscles and offload the stress on the joint
If the pain is still unbearable with the treatment methods, surgery may be an appropriate modality.
What are the next steps?
This is where Zhu Family Medicine comes in. We are a Houston based, primary care practice, located 5 minutes from the Galleria. Let us work together to craft a custom plan to optimize your osteoarthritis and get your life back on track- pain free!
