Osteoarthritis / Arthritis

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The Arthritis Foundation defines osteoarthritis/arthritis to be the most common chronic condition of the joints, affecting approximately 27 million Americans. Osteoarthritis can affect any joint, but occurs most often in knees, hips, lower back and neck, small joints of the fingers, and the bases of the thumb and big toe. Pain while moving the joint is caused due to cartilage break down in between bones. In the final stages of osteoarthritis, the cartilage wears away and bone rubs against bone, leading to joint damage and more pain. Seek treatment if you notice symptoms of this chronic condition.

Common Osteoarthritis symptoms include:

• Limited range of motion or stiffness that goes away after movement
• Clicking or cracking sound when a joint bends
• Mild swelling around a joint
• Pain that is worse after activity or toward the end of the day
• Hips: pain in groin area or buttocks and sometimes on the inside of the knee or thigh
• Knees: a “grating” or “scraping” sensation
• Fingers: bony growths (spurs) can cause fingers to become swollen, tender, and red. There may be pain at the base of the thumb
• Feet: pain and tenderness in large joint at base of the big toe. There may be swelling in ankles or toes

People with the joint disease experience as much as 30 percent more falls and have a 20 percent greater risk of fracture than those without osteoarthritis. The pain and reduced mobility associated with osteoarthritis can also lead to negative health effects such as diabetes and heart disease.

The Arthritis Research Foundation advocates for ongoing research in order to understand the causes, preventions, and development of new treatments for osteoarthritis and other autoimmune diseases.

www.arthritis.org/about-arthritis/types/osteoarthritis/

www.curearthritis.org

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