Osteoarthritis is a very common “wear-and-tear” degenerative change of joint articular cartilage and accompanying joint tissues. Aging, with its consequent wear-and tear, is the major reason for this degenerative joint change to occur. In essence, the joint articular cartilage becomes progressively worn down, causing joint pain and, often, some degree of hypermobility.
Associated ligament and tendon sprain injuries may also be coexistent. Accidental traumatic injury and repetitive occupational and athletic activities may aggravate and speed up the degenerative process. Also, there are various postural misalignment problems—such as flattened arches and short leg syndrome—that may be primary accelerators of the process, as well.
It is almost always difficult to say as to what comes first:
- The osteoarthritis promoting a hypermobile joint due to loss of joint cartilage tissue and ligament laxity—or
- Hypermobility due to ligament or tendon sprain injury causing excessive wear-and-tear erosion of the joint articular cartilage.
Types of osteoarthritis
Examples of the most common cases of osteoarthritis include:
- Temporomandibular osteoarthritis
- Intervertebral osteoarthritis—most often in the cervical (neck) and lumbar spine, but can be found anywhere in the spinal column
- Shoulder osteoarthritis
- Chronic arthritis of the metacarpals and fingers of the hand and carpals of the wrist
- Hip osteoarthritis
- Knee osteoarthritis
- Patellar arthritis (e.g., retropatellar chondromalacia)—usually caused by either a flattened plantar arch or short leg syndrome
- Ankle osteoarthritis
- Metatarsalgia (e.g, Morton's "neuroma") of the forefoot
- First toe osteoarthritis (e.g., bunion, Hallux limitans, Hallux rigidus)—usually caused by a flattened plantar arch.
Ultimately, osteoarthritis may inflict any joint in the body that is under any kind of unusual physical stress.
Osteoarthritis is usually easily clinically differentiated from chronic rheumatoid arthritis by proper physical examination, laboratory, and radiological testing.
Treatment
Osteoarthritis occasionally will respond to Osteopathic Manual Therapy (OMT), which can resolve misalignment that is the major cause of the articular cartilage wear-and-tear. Osteoarthritis often responds favorably to Prolotherapy when the joint remains unstable after OMT.
ContactContact us today at BOULDER PROLOTHERAPY to learn more about how we can help with your osteoarthritis symptoms.