Osteoarthritis

  
Column by Chris DeWald
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How many ways are there to say “ouch”? How many licks to the chewy Tootsie Roll center? How many times I have seen on television commercials for arthritis. People are seen rubbing their hands and either taking an over-the-counter medication or some cream.

Then I see them all smiles. Can I say, “Horse hockey”?

Osteoarthritis is also called degenerative joint disease, OA and osteoarthrosis. It is the most common form of arthritus. It causes pain, swelling and reduced motion in your joints. It can occur in any joint, but usually it affects your hands, knees, hips or spine.

Osteoarthritis breaks down the cartilage in your joints. Cartilage is the slippery tissue that covers the ends of bones in a joint. Healthy cartilage absorbs the shock of movement. When you lose cartilage, your bones rub together. Over time, this rubbing can permanently damage the joint.

The National Institue of Health has a link for information on this crippling disease. I find it very comprehensive. Please refer to: www.niams.nih.gov/Health_Info/Osteoarthritis/osteoarthritis_ff.asp.

But things can be complicated for those on blood thinners and those who have had a stroke. Not like this stuff is not bad enough for those being survivors and to their caregivers. Depending on your condition, being off a blood thinner due to a heart ailment or a stroke might be more harmful thatn the arthritis itself. My diagnosis is in my back.

‘Tis true, ’tis true. I cannot receive the shots in the spinal column due to the thinners and surgery is out. So let’s go over this pamphlet I referred to you guys. It includes what can be done.

How Is Osteoarthritis Treated?

Doctors often combine treatments to fit a patient’s needs, lifestyle and health. Osteoarthritis treatment has four main goals:
· Improve joint function
· Keep a healthy body weight
· Control pain
· Achieve a healthy lifestyle.

Osteoarthritis treatment plans can involve:
· Exercise
· Weight control
· Rest and joint care
· Non drug pain relief techniques to control pain
· Medicines
· Complementary and alternative therapies
· Surgery.

I had an MRI of my spinal cord, and I love to read the reports. I came across something called osteophytes. Osteophytes which are protrusions of bone and cartilage are very common and develop in areas of a degenerating joint.They are associated with the most common type of arthritis, osteoarthritis. Osteophytes typically develop as a reparative response by the remaining cartilage. Some people call them spurs. I call it pain, and it feels like you might be Quasimodo. I have found that there are what the medical area calls “flareups.” Yes, there’s a flareup somewhere. I can feel the pain every day in some form. It occurs mostly in the cold wet weather, and the flareup is not predictable.

People with strokes find it difficult to ascertain if it is a pain associated with a stroke or the osteoarthritis itself. To me, the feelings are very easy to mistake. They are both real pains. A stroke pain may just be the nerve in a short circuit fashion. An osteopain may be treated with an over-the-counter medication. Wow, we hit on another subject. Those on warfarin read the labels of the medication off the shelf. Many of the items contain aspirin as a form of relief. Taking these medications could compromise your health. Ask your general physician or pharmacist. Stay with one pharmacy so they can advise you more completely with the drugs you are already taking.

For me, I must tolerate it or take a backup prescribed medication that works, but is addictive. The wonderful choices in life are here. For more information, may I direct you to these websites:
– www.medicinenet.com/osteoarthritis/article.htm
– www.arthritis.org/disease-center.php?disease_id=32
– www.mayoclinic.com/health/osteoarthritis/DS00019/DSECTION=symptoms