Degenerative Joint Disease

Alternative Names: Hypertrophic osteoarthritis; Osteoarthrosis; Degenerative joint disease; DJD; OA; Arthritis-Osteoarthritis.
Causes
Unfortunately most of the time, the cause of OA is unknown. It is mainly related to aging, but metabolic, genetic, chemical, and mechanical factors can also lead to OA.
The symptoms of osteoarthritis usually appear in middle age and almost everyone has them by age 70. Before age 55, the condition occurs equally in both sexes. However, after 55 it is more common in women.


The disease causes the cushioning (cartilage) between the bone joints to wear away, leading to pain and stiffness. As the disease gets worse, the cartilage disappears and the bone rubs on bone. Bony spurs usually form around the joint.


OA can be primary or secondary.
Primary OA occurs without any type of injury or obvious cause.
Secondary OA is osteoarthritis due to another disease or condition. The most common causes of secondary OA are metabolic conditions, such as acromegaly, problems with anatomy (for example, being bow-legged), injury, or inflammatory disorders such as septic arthritis.
Symptoms
The symptoms of osteoarthritis include:
Deep aching joint pain that gets worse after exercise or putting weight on it and is relieved by rest.
Grating of the joint with motion.
Joint pain in rainy weather.
Joint swelling.
Limited movement.
Morning stiffness.
Of course some people might not have symptoms.

Examination and Tests
A physical exam can show limited range of motion, grating of a joint with motion, joint swelling, and tenderness.
An x-ray of affected joints will show loss of the joint space, and in advanced cases, wearing down of the ends of the bone and bone spurs.

Treatment
The goals of treatment are to relieve pain, maintain or improve joint movement, increase the strength of the joints, and reduce the disabling affects of the disease. The treatment depends on which joints are involved.

MEDICATIONS
The most common medications used to treat osteoarthritis are nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). They are pain relievers that reduce pain and swelling. Types include aspirin, ibuprofen, and naproxen.

Although NSAIDs work well, long-term use of these drugs can cause stomach problems, such as ulcers and bleeding. Manufacturers of NSAIDs include a warning label on their products that alerts users to an increased risk for cardiovascular events (heart attacks and strokes) and gastrointestinal bleeding.
Other medications used to treat OA include:
COX-2 inhibitors (coxibs). Coxibs block a substance called COX-2 that causes swelling. This class of drugs was first thought to work as well as other NSAIDs, but with fewer stomach problems. However, reports of heart attacks and stroke have led the Drug Licensing Authorities to re-evaluate the risks and benefits of the COX-2s. Ask your doctor whether the drug is 1. Still available and if so 2. Right and safe for you.


Steroids. These medications are injected right into the joint. They can also be used to reduce inflammation and pain.
Supplements. Many people are helped by over-the-counter remedies such as glucosamine and chondroitin sulfate. There is some evidence that these supplements can help control pain, although they do not seem to grow new cartilage.
Artificial joint fluid (Synvisc, Hyalgan). These medications can be injected into the knee. They may relieve pain for up to 6 months.


LIFESTYLE CHANGES
Exercise helps maintain joint and overall movement. Ask your health care provider to recommend an appropriate home exercise routine. Water exercises, such as swimming, are especially helpful.
Applying heat and cold, protecting the joints, using self-help devices, and rest are all recommended.
Good nutrition and careful weight control are also important. If you're overweight, losing weight will reduce the strain on the knee and ankle joints.


PHYSICAL THERAPY
Physical therapy can help improve muscle strength and the motion at stiff joints. Therapists have many techniques for treating osteoarthritis. If therapy does not make you feel better after 3-6 weeks, then it likely will not work at all.

BRACES
Splints and braces can sometimes support weakened joints. Some prevent the joint from moving; others allow some movement. You should use a brace only when your doctor or therapist recommends one. Using a brace the wrong way can cause joint damage, stiffness, and pain.
SURGERY
Severe cases of osteoarthritis might need surgery to replace or repair damaged joints. Surgical options include:
Total or partial replacement of the damaged joint with an artificial joint (knee arthroplasty, hip arthroplasty )
Arthroscopic surgery to trim torn and damaged cartilage and wash out the joint
Cartilage restoration to replace the damaged or missing cartilage in some younger patents with arthritis
Change in the alignment of a bone to relieve stress on the bone or joint (osteotomy)
Surgical fusion of bones, usually in the spine (arthodesis)

Outlook (Prognosis)
Your movement may become very limited. However Treatment generally improves function.
Possible Complications.
Decreased ability to walk.
Decreased ability to perform everyday activities, such as personal hygiene, household chores, or cooking.
Adverse reactions to drugs used for treatment.
Surgical complications.

When to Contact a Medical Professional
Do contact your health care provider if you have symptoms of osteoarthritis.

Prevention
*Weight loss can considerably help in the management DJD and ceratainly reduce the risk of knee osteoarthritis in overweight women.

Bio-Mechanics and Back Pain Relief.

When our body is in the standing position it is in a state of unsteady equilibrium because the base is small and the centre of gravity is a long way above it. That is why it has to be balanced by keeping the centre of gravity over the base, otherwise the body would fall over.Equilibrium: The steadiness of the body depends on the size of its base and the distance of the centre of gravity from that base. An object having a large base and a low centre of gravity is not easily upset.The first thing necessary in order to accomplish good posture is to straighten the neck, keep the chin down and back.

The second important thing is correct deep breathing. The line of gravity in the fundamental standing position falls in front of the ears, and in front of the cervical and dorsal vertebrae, through the lumbar vertebrae, through the hip joint, and slightly in front of the ankle joint. But this probably varies in individuals according to their build and height."Biomechanics is that branch of science concerned with the understanding of the interrelationships of structure and function of living beings with respect to the kinematics and kinetics of motion"Poor Posture associated by the following:

Genetic disorders, Familial association, Irregular/no exercise, Bad habits when sitting or standing, Carrying excess loads, (School/shopping) Underweight/Overweight (Inadequate diet)Mental Attitude towards oneself.

Biomechanics is our way of describing how each bit of your body moves in relation to another bit.
Our bodies are fantastic at compensating when things are not quite perfect but unfortunately when we run out of compensations we usually end up with pain and stiffness.

Let’s have a look at some of the more common biomechanical problems:

Problem 1.
It’s the fashion not to tie trainers and shoes up but this prevents the shoe from supporting the inside of the foot and allows the foot to roll or ‘pronate’ too much in standing and walking.
This means the knee and the hip rolls inwards too much which makes the inside calf and inside thigh muscle shorter. The iliotibial band can then rub against the outside knee giving pain.
Further up, the bottom muscles become too long and stop working as they should do which puts added stress on the pelvis and low back joints. Before you know it you have back pain, knee pain and ankle pain! And all because of fashion!

Problem 2.
Whether you drive 5 miles or 500 miles a day your car seat is really important. In many cars the base of the seat slopes backwards. In fact some of the more expensive cars are the worst because they want you to feel ‘snug’ and safe in the seat. However, this position forces your pelvis to sit too far backwards.

Once this happens your low back and upper back flex forward too much but then your neck muscles have to work really hard to stop your head from flexing too much and allow you to see where you are going. This position then forces your shoulder blades to stretch too far forwards and a large stress is placed on both the front and the back of the shoulder.
The result is neck pain and /or upper or low back pain. This position can exacerbate sciatica as it is a big stretch for the nerves.

The solution is to raise the back of the seat so it becomes more horizontal. Some cars allow you to alter this angle but if yours does not then sit on a small cushion or buy a special wedge shape cushion that fits into the seat.

Terry O’Brien
Back Trouble UK.