Osteoarthritis
Diagnose, Treat & Get Moving Again
Osteoarthritis (OA), commonly referred to as “wear and tear” arthritis, is the most common form of arthritis in the world. It typically affects weight-bearing joints in the hips, knees and spine. When OA begins to affect your hip or another join, a series of reactions take place that begin to degrade your once-healthy bone and the “soft tissue” around the joint; that is, the tendons and cartilage. Once the cartilage that normally cushions and protects the bones of the joint breaks down, the bones of your joint eventually rub directly against each other. Your body reacts to this by creating bone spurs and the joint capsule itself may thicken and weaken. Inflammation eventually sets in.
Prevention
Reduce your risk.
You can take steps to help prevent osteoarthritis in the hips, knees, spine, and other joints, including:
● Engage in weight-bearing and muscle-strengthening exercises.● Rest and give joints a break after exercising.● Maintain a healthy weight.● Eat properly, with a diet that’s rich in vitamin C, vitamin D, and Omega-3 fatty acids.
Symptoms
Pinpoint your pain.
Although some people who have osteoarthritis say they feel no pain, most people who have OA experience pain, feel joint stiffness (especially in the morning), show signs of swelling and tenderness in one or more joints such as the hips, knees or spine, and may even hear a crunching sound in their joints. For some people, OA can become completely debilitating.
Diagnosis
Get the answers you need.
In order to diagnose you properly, your doctor will consider your symptoms and your medical history, examine your joint(s), and order one or more diagnostic tests. Further, your doctor may order blood work, X-rays, a CT scan, or an MRI, which can be scheduled at Kayal Medical Imaging in Bergen County, to get a clearer view of the alignment of your painful joint and its condition.
Treatment
Life’s too short to put up with pain.
Your doctor may recommend different treatment options, depending on the severity of your osteoarthritis and its impact on your joint(s). If you are still experiencing arthritis pain and joint damage that’s affecting your quality of life, even after all other conservative measures have been taken, your doctor may suggest orthopaedic surgery, which will be performed conveniently right here in Bergen County, to help relieve your pain and restore your mobility. Your doctor will determine the proper surgical treatment based on the severity of your arthritis and its location. Today, a full range of surgical solutions exists that enable your doctor to customize surgical procedures to your particular needs and anatomy, whether you need arthroscopic debridement (removing inflamed and/or irritating debris from the joint), arthrodesis (fusing the joint for greater support) or arthroplasty (replacing the arthritic joint).