Osteoarthritis - Causes, Treatment And Prevention

Osteoarthritis, currently defined as degenerative joint disease, is essentially the long-term deterioration of the integrity of a joint, including the articular cartilage and bone surfaces.

Although the suffix "-itis" refers to an inflammatory state, this is considered a misnomer. Degenerative joint disease radiographically is not an inflammatory condition. This is the reason "degenerative joint disease" (DJD) is currently being used to describe this condition.

The tell-tale signs of osteoarthritis include 'crepitus' - a literally a grinding noise and feeling on moving the joint - pain, stiffness, and deformity. Typically the stiffness is worse after a night's sleep, but then as the person moves around and exercised the joint, the stiffness will subside.

Osteoarthritis can be classified as either primary or secondary. Primary means there is no known cause for it - it just gradually develops by itself over time. On the other hand, 'secondary' means the osteoarthritis is secondary to (or caused by) some trauma or other disease process.

Some experts believe that the main cause of primary osteoarthritis is a problem with the movement of the joint - either too much or too little.

Having too much motion, such as can occur if the ligaments become overstretched, can result form poor posture or even chronic over-stretching of the joint, such as when people "pop" their knuckles repetitively.

This results in more wear on the cartilage which gradually breaks down and develops a rough surface. Since its value as a shock absorber decreases, the joint is then prone to even more damage, resulting in an ever-worsening condition.

If a joint is moving too little, degenerative joint disease may set in due to a lack of nutrition to the internal components of the joint. Since there is no direct blood supply to the inside of a joint, the body relies on motion to allow a transfer of waste product and nutrition across the joint capsule.

If motion is restricted in a specific joint for a prolonged period of time, the joint is unable to attain nutrition and the joint slowly degrades. It is for this reason that the health care field does not recommend long term traction unless absolutely necessary.

This essentially leads us to the conclusion that the best practice to help decrease the risk of degenerative joint disease is to maintain proper joint motion to the best of our abilities. This entails having proper treatment of injuries with a health-care professional and following an adequate stretching routine.

By strengthening muscles around a joint whose ligaments have been torn, we are better able to avoid aberrant motion. By stretching muscles around a joint that is stiff and having that joint adjusted by a chiropractor, we are better able to maintain the motion needed in the joint for the proper transfer of "waste products" and nutrition for the internal joint.

Even though all this may not eliminate the risk of osteoarthritis - especially if you have had some significant trauma to the joint - it will certainly help to delay or slow down the degenerative process.