Arthritis Answers

What Is Osteo Arthritis?

Osteoarthritis is a disease that causes the wear and eventual removal of cartilage from joints around the human body. Although it can effect any joint, Osteoarthritis normally affects joints that bear weight, hands, spine and hip for instance. Cartilage is the material that protects your joints from rubbing against each other. It is a touch, elastic like material that when working normally stops bones from rubbing and allows you movement without pain or discomfort. Osteoarthritis normally does not cause inflammation of joints in the early stages of the condition, although this can happen after time.

Like most other forms of arthritis, the symptoms of osteoarthritis come on slowly and normally centre around weight-bearing joints such as hips, the spine or the ankles. Generally, if you experience pain and discomfort around any joint that lasts for more than 2 weeks, it is worth seeing a doctor to have it checked out as it may be the early symptoms of osteoarthritis. It is likely that the symptoms will be most noticeable first thing in the morning, and will normally not clear until mid morning. As osteoarthritis does not normally cause the joints to become inflamed in the early stages of the condition, there are normally very few visual clues as to the presence of osteoarthritis. However, you may occasionally hear a grating sound when you move your joints.

The exact cause of osteoarthritis is unknown, although there are a number of contributing factors. It is believed that osteoarthritis may be a hereditary condition, although this isn't necessarily the case. Bone structure in general is something that is passed on by parents, and you can just as easily receive bones that do not fit well together from your parents as bones that do. In the early stages of a child life this will have little effect but in older years this can lead to osteoarthritis. A bone related injury that did not properly heal can lead to osteoarthritis, as can carrying excessive amounts of weight. It is normally the weight bearing joints that suffer most from osteoarthritis, making it even more important for sufferers to watch their weight. The unfortunate 'catch 22' is that exercise of course becomes more difficult to people suffering from this condition.