WHAT EXACTLY IS OSTEOARTHRITIS?

Basically, osteoarthritis or Degenerative Joint Disease is the loss of soft tissue i.e. cartilage present between two bones (joints) leading to wear and tear of joints and producing many symptoms and signs of discomfort. It's one of the most common joint diseases affecting mainly the elderly age group. Nearly more than 50% of population in India is affected.

COMMON JOINTS AFFECTED:

• Knee

• Spine (vertebral column)

• Hands and fingers

• Shoulder

• Hips

WHY DOES IT HAPPEN?

There are many factors which lead to degeneration (wear and tear) of joints. Some of these are-

1. Injury to the joint or surrounding tissues

2. Obesity/ overweight

3. Malnutrition- calcium or vitamin D deficiency

4. Poor posture- stooping ahead, sitting or lying in an inappropriate position

5. Inappropriate footwear

6. Heredity, family history and genetic factors

WHO IS AT RISK FOR OA?

• People who are above the age of 50 years

• Mainly Females after menopause or near menopause

• Obesity- BMI more than 25

• Occupation which involves a lot of physical labour

• People who have a Family history of OA

• Joint trauma or injury

HOW TO KNOW WHETHER YOUR JOINTS ARE DEGENERATED?

You might have an idea that you have joint degeneration, if you have the following complaints:

1. Pain in joints

2. Stiffness and unable to move the joint freely

3. Swelling at the joint

4. Tenderness, i.e. discomfort or pain on touching the joint

5. Crepitus or cracking sound from the joints

6. Bone spurs, i.e. pointed bony part which again leads to pain and decreased activity

These symptoms are experienced in different degrees by many people, but it's important to consult a doctor rather than self-diagnosing as there are many causes for this.

WHAT ARE COMMON TREATMENTS FOR OA/DJD?

Depending on the degree of joint damage

Medical- Usually in the early stages of OA, your doctor will prescribe you the following medications:

• Pain killers or Pain relievers; these might be given orally or as application (applying on the skin above joint affected).

• NSAIDs (Non Steroidal Anti Inflammatory Drugs), which soothes the inflammation.

• Corticosteroids- these are steroidal drugs to relieve inflammation and pain.

• Supplements- Calcium and vitamin D supplements are prescribed to correct Calcium and vitamin D deficiency.

Surgical- If the degrees of joint damage are higher, it needs to be corrected by surgery.

• Joint Replacement (Arthroplasty) : This is a procedure where doctors replace the degenerated joint by an artificial joint.

• Arthroscopy : This is a procedure where your doctor will insert a tube with a camera and will cut of extra pieces of bones called bone spurs.

• Osteotomy : This is a procedure where doctors cut and reshape your bones.

WHAT ARE ITS COMPLICATIONS IF NOT TREATED ON TIME?

Stress fractures- When bone loses calcium, it becomes brittle and weak. Such a bone can break easily even with slightest trauma. Usually common in females after menopause.

Osteonecrosis- There can be loss of function (death) of a bone tissue due to lack of blood supply and nutrients.

Hemarthrosis- There can be bleeding in a joint as the space is reduced and there are other soft tissues surrounding the joint which can be injured.

The above complications only if early stages are ignored or not treated in time. It's always advisable to get treated before it's too late.

HOW TO PREVENT DEGENERATION OF YOUR JOINTS?

1. The most important part of good health is a proper and well-balanced diet. You should eat food which is rich in all the essential nutrients like calcium, iron, vitamins, proteins, etc. Your diet should have limited amount of carbohydrates and fats. Carbohydrates are also essential for the body as they provide you energy. Fats are also important as it provides lubrication and mobility. Most importantly, it is a must to take your meals on time and at the same time everyday as it helps better digestion and absorption of nutrients.

2. Along with diet it is important to have moderate physical activity apart from daily work. Exercise is important to keep your joints and muscles in proper function. It's not necessary that you should carry out vigorous exercise but just to keep your body active.

3. Rest is as important as physical activity. Your body needs proper rest in order to heal and function properly. Exercise keeps your body active but excess physical activity without proper rest can lead to wear and tear of your muscles.

4. Having an appropriate body posture is essential as bad posture can lead to bending of your spine, loss of its normal shape leading to spinal joints disorders. While standing, make sure that your shoulders are straight. while sitting your lower back should touch the support of chair and rest of your upper back should be straight. While lying down make sure you don't bend too much or sleep in an uncomfortable position.

5. Make early morning sunlight your best friend. It's a great source of vitamin D. Skin absorbs sunlight and further events lead to formation of vitamin D in the body. When you go out in the sun, your body should not be fully covered; skin should be exposed so that it absorbs sunlight. Also, early morning sunlight because after 9-10am it's usually sun heat more which cause other health issues; also air is polluted as traffic increases after that particular time.

HOW DOES HOMOEOPATHY HELP?

Homoeopathy is a system of medicine which treats the individuals as a whole human being. It considers mind, body and soul to be one entity and medicines are prescribed in a manner to make harmony among these three. So let's see how it works in cases of degenerated joints:

• The discomfort caused due to the pain, stiffness and swelling is reduced. Medicines act in a way that the damage caused to the joints can surely not be reversed but the pain caused due to it is reduced. Flexibility is increased and joint strength is improved.

• It prevents further degeneration or damage to the joints. It arrests the progress of damage at that stage itself. Damage is not reversed but stopped at that particular point.

• Homoeopathic medicines hardly have side effects unlike painkillers, NSAIDs and steroids which have short term to long term side effects. They are accepted by people from all age groups readily and suit better.

• Other problems which come as a part and parcel of joint diseases like sleep problems, mental health problems, etc. can be treated with homoeopathy. As mentioned earlier, homoeopathy treats the whole human being and hence, these problems also get better along with joint complaints.

Homoeopathy involves medical treatment, i.e. if the joint damage is very severe, it can't be reversed just with medications but requires surgery too.

OTHER MEASURES ALONG WITH THE MAIN TREATMENT:

Along with medications, your doctor will advise you some muscle strengthening exercises like stretching, applying ice packs and hot packs for pain relief and Calcium and vitamin D supplements.