Degenerative arthritis is another name for OA, a type of arthritis identified by inflammation and loss of the cartilage found in the joints.
Degenerative arthritis is another name for osteoarthritis, a type of arthritis distinguished by inflammation, breakdown, and eventual loss of the cartilage found in the joints. There are even more than a hundred various kinds of arthritis but the most typical is degenerative arthritis, affecting more than 20 million of the estimated 70 million arthritic patients. It is said to happen mostly after the age of 45 and is more familiar among women than among men. The illness affects the hands, feet, spine, and the main weight-bearing joints of the body: hips and knees.
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Cause of Degenerative Arthritis
Medical science has yet to prove the identical reason for degenerative arthritis but all pieces of evidence point to ageing as a major contributive factor. At the onset of ageing, the water content of the cartilage increases, causing its protein make-up to degenerate.
Add to that repetitive usage of the joints through the years and the ongoing movement causes the cartilage to irritate and ultimately inflame. This, in turn, provokes joint pain and swelling. As the illness progresses, the cartilage ultimately begins to erode either by flaking or forming tiny crevasses. Severe cases of degenerative arthritis show total destruction of the cartilage, thus resulting in the loss of the protective easing that the tissue provides.
The constant friction between the bones provokes subsequent damage to the joints, leading to pain and limitation of joint mobility. In addition, the inflammation of the cartilage will lead the body to produce new bone outgrowths, called spurs. These outgrowths generally form around the joints, causing some deformity.
It has been observed that degenerative arthritis repeatedly happens among family members. This indicates that arthritis may also be hereditary or genetic in nature.
Degenerative arthritis Signs and Symptoms
Degenerative arthritis especially impacts only the joints, unlike other forms of arthritis which are systemic – meaning, they affect other internal organs, such as rheumatoid arthritis and systemic lupus.
The most straightforward symptom of degenerative arthritis to notice is a pain in the joints after repetitive use. Usually, the pain in the joints grows worse later in the day. Swelling, warmth, and creaking of the affected joints are other symptoms to watch out for.
If the patient has been inactive for a long period, stiffness can happen as well as pain. In extreme cases, when the cartilage is totally lost, even limited motion can cause severe bouts of arthritic pain.
The symptoms of degenerative arthritis are various, relying on the individual patient. Some patients are so hampered by the signs that they end up debilitated by the illness. Others, on the other hand, suffer significantly few symptoms.
In addition, these arthritis symptoms are irregular. This means that patients suffering from this illness may experience years of pain-free intervals before the symptoms set in again.
When degenerative arthritis impacts the knees, the disease is often associated with obesity or a history of repeated injury and/or joint surgery. As the cartilage of the knee joints persists to degenerate, this could result in deformity in the form of outward curvature of the knees generally referred to as “bow-legged.” Occasionally, it may even cause limping among patients.
Treatment of Arthritis
There is no treatment for degenerative arthritis, as is typical of all conditions of arthritis. Loss or damage to the cartilage is irreversible as medical science has yet to find an influential, proven process to grow back cartilage. However, there are many pain-relieving medications to help patients cope with the pain associated with this disorder.