OSTEOARTHRITIS

What is it?

Osteoarthritis has many names including 'OA', 'arthritis' and 'degenerative joint disease'. They all mean the same thing: damage caused by wear and tear on the joints of your body.

What causes it?

Osteoarthritis is caused by wear and tear on your joints which rub against each other every time they move. It is not caused by your joints flaring up or becoming inflamed as with rheumatoid arthritis. If one of your joints is not properly assembled - which happens with conditions such as congenital dislocation of the hip or severe knock knees - the wear and tear will happen earlier. If you have damaged the cartilage in your knees (cartilage helps to keep the bones at either end of the knee joint apart) they will be much more likely to suffer wear and tear damage.

Who gets it?

The older you are the more likely you are to have some osteoarthritis somewhere in your body. If you have had cartilage surgery on your knees (often after football or rugby injuries) they are more likely to be affected. The more overweight you are the more pressure you will put on your joints and the more likely you are to get osteoarthritis.

What are the symptoms?

The first symptom is aching in the joints which is worse when you move and gets worse towards the end of the day. Your hips, knees and hands are the places most likely to be affected. You may notice lower backache too. You will probably find that your joints gradually get stiffer and you may notice mild swelling. With time, your hands in particular may develop little lumps along the joint lines. Many people never have very severe pain or even discomfort. If you are unlucky though the condition can be painful enough to make getting about very difficult.

When should I contact my GP?

If you start feeling stiff, think first about why that might be. It may simply be because you are becoming very unfit. Try to do some very gentle exercise every day. If the discomfort is not severe and only comes on at the end of the day, take simple painkillers such as paracetamol. If these don't help you might want to make an appointment with your GP. You should go to see them much more quickly if onejoint suddenly gets swollen turns red or is very painful.

What is the short-term treatment?

Your doctor can recommend tablets and may refer you for physiotherapy. He or she can also offer general advice - although most of the work will be up to you.

How can I stop it getting worse?

It is vital that you do not to put your joints under too much strain so you must try to lose any excess weight that you are carrying. Ask your doctor practice nurse or dietitian to provide you with help. You should start trying to get fit but do not go about this too quickly. Regular gentle exercise is best way to go about this. Swimming is the ideal form of exercise because it does not put pressure on any of your joints. Get good padded insoles for your shoes to reduce jarring when you walk, especially on hard surfaces.

Will I need long-term treatment?

You should think about a long-term exercise plan to keep yourself supple and active which will help more than anything in warding off osteoarthritis. You may need tablets all of the time or just when you have flare-ups of pain or stiffness. If you have very bad arthritis in your hips or, occasionally your knees, you may need to be referred to hospital for an operation to replace your worn-out joint with an artificial one.