Osteoarthritis

What is osteoarthritis?

Osteoarthritis (OA) or Osteoarthritis is a degenerative joint disease characterized by degeneration of articular cartilage and underlying bone, characterized by pain, disability and progressive decrease in joint function.

What are the causes?

Age, obesity, gender and, in some cases, congenital abnormalities are risk factors for well-established OA. Are still included bone density, nutritional factors (antioxidants), metabolic and genetic factors as important variables that may contribute to the development of OA through its effects on systemic metabolism overcoming the local effects on the joint structure. In addition to factors such as the degree of physical activity, hypermobility syndrome, joint trauma and muscle disorder.

What are the symptoms?

Joint pain, stiffness and joint instability are the main symptoms. OA is a very disabling condition, both physically and psychosocially.

The physical dysfunction caused by the pain and loss of functional capacity reduces the quality of life and increase the long-term risk of morbidity and mortality.

How is it diagnosed?

There are criteria for the diagnosis of OA, and among these are: clinical, laboratory and radiographic findings. They are classified as OA patients who have pain associated with at least two of the three following criteria: osteophytes, joint space narrowing and sedimentation rate of red blood cells less than 20 mm / h. These are the criteria set by the American College of Rheumatology (ACR).

Is there a cure?

There is no cure, but there are treatment and prevention.

What are the treatments?

The treatment of OA has experienced great advances in recent years because until recently, patients with OA were generally ignored based on the myth that this disease did not bring disability and that there therapeutic approaches that bring significant benefits. Treatment should be focused on rehabilitating the affected patient, ie, focused on restoring the individual's capacity to previous levels of disease, aiming at the maximum optimization of functions within the existing limitations.

Major Goals of Rehabilitation

1 -- Patient Education

2 -- Pain Control / Modification of disease

3 -- Reduction in disability / Optimization of joint function

The control of joint pain is of extreme importance in quality of life of patients. This control may be pharmacological or not.

Non-pharmacological pain control

- Physiotherapy - also helps in reducing disability

- Occupational therapy - also helps in reducing disability

- Psychotherapy

- Therapy

- Acupuncture

- Appropriate footwear / insoles