IF
you don't move and exercise, the muscles surrounding the affected joint will become
weaker and sometimes even smaller in size. The weak muscles may not be able to
support the joint as well. This may lead to more joint pain. You also may notice
that your coordination, walking and posture become affected.
OA
IN THE HIPS
If your hips are affected by OA, you may feel pain in the
groin, inner thigh or buttock. Some people feel referred pain in the knee or along
the side of the thigh. This means people think pain is in an area where there
isn't OA. The pain, limited mobility or weakness may cause you to limp when you
walk.
OA IN
THE KNEES
You may feel pain when you move your knee, you may also feel
a "grating" or catching" sensation in your knee when you move it. It may be painful
to walk up or down stairs or to get up from a chair. If the pain prevents you
from moving or exercising your leg, the large muscles in your thigh may become
weaker.
OA
IN THE FINGERS
OA in the finger joints can cause pain and swelling. Bony
growths (spurs) may form at the margins of the joints. If these spurs are in the
end joints of the fingers, they are called Heberden's nodes. If they are in the
joints in the middle of the fingers, they are called Bouchard's nodes.
You
may notice redness, swelling, tenderness and aching in the affected joint, especially
in the early stages of OA as these nodes are formed. These nodes may make your
finger joints painful and the joints appear enlarged. Activities requiring pinching
movements of your fingers may be difficult.
OA
IN THE FEET
If OA affects your feet, you may feel pain and tenderness in
the large joint at the base of the big toe. Wearing tight shoes and high heels
can worsen the pain.
OA
IN THE SPINE
Chronic breakdown of the discs in the spine and resulting
bony overgrowth may cause stiffness and pain in the neck and lower back. This
also may place extra pressure on the nerves in the spinal cord. This is commonly
referred to as pinched nerves. You may feel pain in your neck, shoulder, arm,
lower back or legs. Involvement of the spinal nerves in OA also may be associated
with weakness or numbness in your arms or legs.
DIFFERENCES
BETWEEN OA AND RA
Some people confuse Osteoarthritis (OA) with rheumatoid
arthritis (RA). As you'll see in the table on the next web page, these diseases
are very different. However, some people can have both OA and RA at the same time.
Some people also
may confuse OA with Osteoporosis. Both diseases involve bone problems, but they
are not the same. Osteoporosis causes bones to lose mass and become brittle. This
can lead to painful fractures.
WHAT
CAUSES OSTEOARTHRITIS
The cause of OA is not known. However, research has
shown that there are several factors that increase your risk of developing OA.
These factors include heredity, obesity, joint injury, repeated overuse of certain
joints, muscles weakness, and nerve injury and aging.
More
on Arthritis Disease
1.
