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What is osteoarthritis?
Osteoarthritis is the most common form of arthritis. It is also known as degenerative joint disease . This is the most common type of arthritis. It results from wear and tear on the joints and is most common in older people. It develops mostly in the larger, weight-bearing joints like hips, knees and spine. Many people develop a gnarled appearance of the hands. This happens when the smooth lining of the joint , known as the articular cartilage, begins to flake and crack from over-use or so for some unknown reason. As the cartilage deteriorates, the underlying bone is affected and may become thickened and distorted. Movement becomes painful and restricted, causing you to use associated muscles less often. The unused muscles may gradually waste away. This is a natural reaction of muscles that go unused anywhere in the body.

Cause of osteoarthritis:
The causes of osteoarthritis are still not entirely clear. A previous injury, such as a knee injury, can increase your risk of developing osteoarthritis in that joint. Lack of exercise, excessive weight and certain genetic diseases can also lead to the condition.

What are the symptoms?
Episodes of pain, swelling and stiffness in the affected joints occur at intervals. Although osteoarthritis often affects several joints, it is rarely severe enough to cause symptoms in more than one or two joints. Pain that begins as a minor discomfort may over time, as the joint continues to degenerate become more painful and stiff. The amount of swelling in the affected joint varies. You may scarcely notice it or the joint may become extremely knobby and enlarged. The pain itself is frequently deceptive. You may feel it directly in the area of the joint, of the pain may be transmitted to other part of the body. The doctors call this "referred pain".

What should be done?
If you have occasional mild attacks of pain and stiffness in a joint, there is no cause for concern. However, if symptoms become troublesome, try some self-help treatments such as losing weight to take some stress of the joints, walk with a cane to also ease stress, take frequent rests, sleep on a firm mattress and keep warm. Heat also eases the pain. Consult your doctor. He may order blood tests and x-rays to diagnose osteoarthritis.

Your doctor may also suggest anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDS). These are over-the-counter medications such as aspirin, ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin and others), ketoprofen (Orudis) and naproxen sodium (Aleve). All NSAIDS have risk factors when taken in large amounts and over a long period of time. These possible side effects range from ringing in the ears (tinnitus) being mild to more serious problems like gastric ulcers, gastrointestinal bleeding and kidney damage or high blood pressure. However, there are newer NSAIDS now available by prescription only. Most of them have limited side effects but are effective for pain relief and reduce inflammation. You can discuss these medications with your doctor.

Braces, wraps and supports are sometimes worn to ease the stress and pain on a certain joint. In the most severe cases, surgery to replace the damaged joints is both feasible and advisable. Hip and knee replacements have restored normal mobility to many people and have been highly successful.

Hand Splint

There are also many household gadgets and household aids available for people who are disabled by osteoarthritis.