Osteoarthritis is one of the most common joint diseases which is due to infection or degenerative changes. This joint disease mostly affects middle-age to elderly people. It is commonly referred to as OA or as "wear and tear" of the joints, but we now know that OA is a disease of the entire joint, involving the cartilage, joint lining, ligaments, and bone. Approximately 80-90% of individuals older than 65 years have evidence of primary osteoarthritis
When bone surfaces become less well protected by cartilage, bone may be exposed and damaged. As a result of decreased movement secondary to pain, regional muscles may atrophy, and ligaments may become more lax.
What cause OA?
The stresses applied to the joints, especially the weight-bearing joints like ankle, knee and hip joints play an important role in the development of osteoarthritis.
If the cartilage breaks down and wears away, the bones rub together. This causes pain, swelling, and stiffness.
Risk Factors for OA
· Ag
· Obesity (increases mechanical stress)
· Trauma
· Genetics
· Sex hormones
· Repetitive use (ie, jobs requiring heavy labor and bending)
· Infection
· Muscle weakness
· Acromegaly
· Crystal deposition
· Heritable metabolic causes (eg, alkaptonuria, hemochromatosis, Wilson disease)
· Previous rheumatoid arthritis (ie, burnt-out rheumatoid arthritis)
· Underlying orthopedic disorders (eg, congenital hip dislocation, slipped femoral capital epiphysis)
· Hemoglobinopathies (eg, sickle cell disease, thalassemia)
· Neuropathic disorder leading to a Charcot joint (eg, syringomyelia, tabes dorsalis, diabetes)
· Disorders of bone (eg, Paget disease, avascular necrosis)
What are the Symptoms of OA?
· Knobby swelling at the joint
· Joint pain and stiffness
· Cracking or grinding noise with joint movement (cripitus)
· Decreased function of the joint
Malalignment with a bony enlargement (depending on the disease’s severity) may occur. Most cases of osteoarthritis do not involve erythema or warmth over the affected joint(s); however, an effusion may be present. Limitation of joint motion or muscle atrophy around a more severely affected joint may occur.
Heberden nodes, which represent palpable osteophytes in the DIP joints (Distal interphalangeal joint), are characteristic in women but not in men. Inflammatory changes are typically absent or at least not pronounced.
Differential Diagnoses
Ankylosing Spondylitis
Avascular Necrosis
Imaging in Neuropathic Arthropathy (Charcot Joint)
Lyme Disease
Prepatellar Bursitis
Psoriatic Arthritis
Calcium Pyrophosphate Deposition Disease
Patellofemoral Arthritis
Patellofemoral Syndrome
How to Diagnose OA?
Your doctor can detect OA based on the symptoms explained above. To make it clear and differentiate, doctor may need X-ray, CBC, RA factor, Synovial fluid biopsy, MRI, Anti CCP and CRP etc.
Management of OA
Simple lifestyle changes can help you to reduce your OA symptoms. Weight loss and exercise are useful in OA. Excess weight puts stress on your knee joints and hips and low back.
Homeopathy for OA
There are many homeopathic remedies which will deal with Osteoarthritis. The complete picture of your mental, physical and emotional states will be needed for right remedial diagnosis. A qualified homeopath can help you to prescribe a correct remedy for your OA. Do not take medicines without a doctor’s advice.
Most commonly used homeopathic remedies are,
Bryonia Alb
Calc Carb
Rhus tox
Ledum pal
Guaiacum
Lithium carb
Kali carb
Ferrum pic
Lycopodium
Oxalic acid.
Contitutionally Phos, Ars alb, Nat mur, Ignatia, Carcinosin, Sepia, Sil etc can come up.
Do not prescribe yourself, Consult a classical homeopath.
Source:-
http://emedicine.medscape.com/
www.sophisticatededge.com
www.hpathy.com
www.rheumatology.org
www.homeopathyworldcommunity.com
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmedhealth
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Osteoarthritis.
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