About Hip and Knee Osteoarthritis
Osteoarthritis is a disease that is the result of the breakdown of cartilage in the joint. Cartilage is the hard, white tissue that caps the ends of your bones. You can see it when you tear a drumstick off a chicken. It’s a shock absorber for your joint. When you move, it cushions the impact and lets your bones glide smoothly over each other.
As osteoarthritis develops, the cartilage begins to fray and may even wear away entirely, causing your bones to rub directly against each other. This can make it painful to move your joint.
In some cases little bumpy growths, or spurs, develop on the ends of the bone.
Osteoarthritis can affect any joint. It usually affects the joints that carry your bodyweight, like the lower back, feet, hips, and knees. It is also seen in finger joints and the joint at the base of the thumb.
For some people, osteoarthritis starts as a continuous achy feeling in their joint. Others will only feel pain when they put weight on their joint. Some of the simplest movements can cause the most discomfort, like walking, climbing stairs, sitting down, or getting up out of a chair.
Talk to your doctor if you experience any of these symptoms:
There are no known causes for osteoarthritis. Instead, researchers have developed a list of risk factors that are known to increase your chances of developing the disease.
People at different stages of osteoarthritis face different challenges and have different needs. It’s like climbing a mountain. It’s not hard to climb at the base but it’s more and more of a struggle – and you need more and more specialized gear – when you reach the peak.
Generally, the different stages are broken down into three categories: early, advanced, and end stage. Those in the early stage of the disease are able to move freely but may feel a slight ache when they climb stairs or sit down. In the advanced stage they may feel pain even when they are resting and they may not be able to put weight on their joint. For people in the advanced and end stages, surgery may be helpful if their joint is damaged; they have trouble moving their joint; and/or they are in extreme pain.
Not all people can be limited to one category and not all people will end up having surgery. For some people that’s because of their health history or because of a personal choice.
When it comes to self-management, it doesn’t matter what stage your osteoarthritis is in. Talk to your doctor and your OASIS care team about how you can start to self-manage your condition.