Top Exercises for Osteoarthritis

Is osteoarthritis somehow related to age? 

Yes, age affects the development of osteoarthritis. Older people are more at risk for osteoarthritis. About 80% of 50-year-olds suffer from osteoarthritis according to Physiotherapy First Brampton. In the generations of 70-year-olds, etc. more than 90% of people suffer from osteoarthritis. However, the first osteoarthritic changes also appear in people around the age of 20. 

                            

Do more women or men suffer from osteoarthritis? 

There is no difference in milder forms of the disease. However, more severe forms of osteoarthritis are more common in women. Are there any risk factors for osteoarthritis? Risk factors do exist, namely: overweight - a special risk of osteoarthritis of the knee joints genetic factors - some polyarticular forms (involving more than 4 joints) of osteoarthritis are hereditary, endocrine or hormonal factors - in postmenopausal women the risk of osteoarthritis increases, hypermobility - in people with general hypermobility, a higher incidence of osteoarthritis has been demonstrated. 

I am a smoker - does smoking affect my osteoarthritis in any way? 

Smoking and increased intake of aggressive free-radicals damage body cells, and especially the cardiovascular system (due to the impaired supply of tissues and body organs with oxygen and nutrients), with an increased risk of cancer. 

What else can cause osteoarthritis? 

Osteoarthritis can also be caused mechanically, due to: 

INJURY 

For example, after surgery or removal of the meniscus, there are changes in the mechanical movement and load of the knee joint, and excessive load on the joints in other parts of the locomotor system. Injury alone is not the original cause of osteoarthritis, however, in connection with the injury, the symptoms of osteoarthritis can occur in people prone to developing osteoarthritis. 

ATYPICAL / DEFECTIVE JOINT SHAPE 

Again, there is an overload of the joints, which can lead to the earlier development of osteoarthritis. 

THE INFLUENCE OF OCCUPATIONS, SPORTS 

Premature osteoarthritis can be caused especially by repeated mechanical shocks and minor joint injuries. For example, miners are more likely to suffer from pain in the knee joints and in the area of ​​the spine, while seamstresses often suffer from pain in the wrists. Workers who work with a pneumatic hammer often suffer from pain in the elbow joints. 

However, why osteoarthritis develops is still unknown. It is a degenerative process, i.e., a process "due to wear and tear" of the body that first affects the articular cartilage. The degenerative process is accompanied by the formation of bone mass, i.e., growths (osteophytes), and inflammatory processes and changes within the joint. The above changes may be caused by: genetic factors immune factors (after injury, some parts of the cartilage may act as a foreign thing from which the body defends itself) mechanical load aging due to some metabolic disorders.

What are the symptoms of osteoarthritis? 

The most common symptoms of osteoarthritis are: 

STIFFNESS If the joint stays in the same position for a long time - usually no more than 30 minutes. 

THE PAIN 

Pain is the main symptom of osteoarthritis. The pain usually develops slowly, it is often caused by exertion. In the case of knee joints, the pain is caused especially when walking downhill, down the steps. Regarding osteoarthritis, we at Physiotherapy First Brampton usually talk about the so-called starting pain that occurs when changing position. For more information about physiotherapists, do follow us on iBegin, Yalwa, and 2findlocal.