Osteoarthritis. The wear of the joints.

Osteoarthritis is a degenerative joint disease that primarily affects the cartilage.

An elevated number of the population endure this disease with 8 million people suffer from it in the United Kingdom alone.

It is usually found in people over the age of 40 with women experiencing menopause being affected the most, and eventhough it is not a hereditary disease, there is a genetic predisposition to suffering from it.

Obesity or an excess/absence of exercise contributes to its development.

The most important symptoms are:

• Pain in the joint - usually present in the majority of people affected especially when resting and improving with movement.
• Noise or cracks in the joints.
• Inflammation.
• Functional impotence. 

The joints affected the most are:

• The cervical, dorsal and lumbar Spine.
• Knee.
• Hip.
• Etc. 

An X-ray and an MRI Scan would provide us with a definitive diagnosis and the preventive measures are:

• To monitor our weight in order to not strain the joint.
• To wear appropriate footwear avoiding high heels.
• To undertake moderate exercise such as walking for an hour everyday at a fast speed in flat land, swimming, riding an exercise bicycle to strengthen our muscles, etc. 

Pharmacological treatment:

Painkillers and anti-inflammatory medication should only be used in isolated moments due to the side effects suffered by the kidneys, stomach and cardiovascular system.

Pharmaceuticals such as chondroitin sulphate and glucosamine, act by improving the pain that patients suffer from and would improve the function of the joint, thereby slowing its degeneration. These pharmaceuticals are recommended the most because they can be used long term with hardly any side effects and always under medical supervision.

Intraarticular steroids can be used in acute episodes and would help to reduce the pain and inflammation.

Hyaluronic acid along with stem cells and the growth factors of the platelets obtained from the blood of the patient would be the regenerative joint technique that is giving the most hope.

A surgical replacement of the joint would be the last option, using a partial or complete prosthesis.

Lastly I want to note the existence of a DNA test developed in Spain, whereby a sample of saliva is used that would indicate whether a patient has a genetic predisposition to suffering from osteoarthritis in the knee, years prior to its occurrence thereby allowing us to prevent its emergence years down the line.

Dr. J. Hurtado Martínez

Medical Director of HealthSalus