If you have ever had knee pain that was severe and just doesn’t seem to go away you have probably experienced osteoarthritis. In 2005 the CDC estimated that an estimated 26.9 million adults in the United States were affected by osteoarthritis. Signs and Symptoms can include:
- Pain- joint may feel tender when you apply light pressure
- Tenderness- your joint may feel tender with light pressure
- Stiffness- joint stiffness may be most common in the morning when you first wake up
- Loss of Flexibility- your joint may not have full range of motion
- Grating Sensation- you feel or hear a grating sensation when you use the joint
- Bone Spurs- these are extra bits of bones that feel like hard lumps
Osteoarthritis will occur when the cartilage that cushions the ends of your bones deteriorates over time. Causes can include:
- Age- as we grow older the chances increase
- Gender- women are more likely to develop osteoarthritis
- Bone deformities
- Joint injuries- often caused from playing sports
- Obesity- too much weight placed on the joints
- Disease processes- Diabetes, gout, and underactive thyroid can cause osteoarthritis
Joint pain may become so severe that it worsens over time. Joint pain can become so severe that daily task become very difficult.[1]Treatment can vary for Osteoarthritis. One common treatment that you can purchase over the counter is glucosamine. Glucosamine is manufactured by many companies in both pill form and can also be purchased in liquid form. Glucosamine is found in healthy cartilage. At this time there is no significant study that shows it works. In study groups it was shown that the results gave mixed results. Some people received no benefit while others did. NIH concluded that more studies need to be made before any significant claims can be made.[2] If you have stiffness or swelling in your joints you need to make an appointment to see your doctor. Talk to your doctor about glucosamine as a possible treatment and let them guide you in what to do.
[1] Osteoarthritis, Mayo Clinic Staff, Mayo Clinic Health Information. http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/osteoarthritis/DS00019/DSECTION=symptoms
[2] Questions and Answers: NIH Glucosamine/Chondroitin Arthritis Intervention Trail. National Institute of Health (NIH) National Center for Alternative and Alternative Medicine.2012 http://nccam.nih.gov/research/results/gait/qa.htm
