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Taking an unusually vigorous walk or putting in a long stint in the garden can make anyone feel achy and sore the next day. But when joints stay painful and sometimes get swollen, or if you notice you’re having trouble bending your knees or moving the joints in your fingers, it’s time to take notice. Warning signs like stiff or painful joints and loss of range of motion in any given joint could be due to osteoarthritis(OA)rather than the demands of an active life. Is it OA or just weekend pains? Warning signs that normal aches and pains may be due to osteoarthritis rather than the demands of an active life include stiff or painful joints, and loss of range of motion in any given joint. On occasion, joints may become swollen, and they may also become painful when you move, and stiff when you don’t. If these symptoms sound familiar and they’ve persisted for at least six weeks, it’s time to talk to your doctor. Right now in Canada, approximately one person in ten has osteoarthritis and these people may be losing time from work and missing leisure activities. Your doctor has seen many people like you, and is the best person to consult if you suspect your aches and pains might be due to this common condition and not from that long day in the garden.
What exactly is OA? Scientists don’t know exactly why cartilage deteriorates with age. But as it deteriorates, nature’s shock absorber—the cartilage at the end of the bones on either side of a joint – erodes and the space inside the joint narrows. This slow “wear and tear” process eventually allows the bones on either side of the joint to rub together, which contributes to the development of a stiff and sore joint. Most often, osteoarthritis affects older people and the older we get, the more likely we are to have osteoarthritis in one or more joints. But not everyone with osteoarthritis is “old”: 20% of people with osteoarthritis are no more than 45 years of age, and symptoms can occur as early as the twenties. Although the cause of OA is not known, it does tend to run in families. In other words, if your mother or her sister had symptomatic osteoarthritis, you are more likely to have it as well. Previous injuries to the joint, whether through an accident or through playing sports, also make it more likely you’ll develop osteoarthritis in the same joint later on. Body weight is also an important factor. Middle-aged women, for example, who gain as little as 11 lbs. are more likely to develop osteoarthritis of the knee than women who don’t gain weight, according to The Arthritis Society. Is OA treatable or do I have to just live with it? Even if you don’t develop symptoms of osteoarthritis until much later in life, people need to realise that OA is not something they should just put up with. Rather, like diabetes or heart disease, it should be diagnosed and treated, and the earlier treatment is started, the better control you’ll have over the condition. Would losing weight help? Weight loss is one of the most effective means there is to help preserve joint function. Excess weight is particularly hard on the knees, hips and feet and every pound you lose should make it easier on your joints. What kind of exercise is best if I have OA?
Controlled, low impact exercise is important for arthritic joints. Although it’s natural not to want to move a joint if it hurts, activity helps keep joints healthy by bringing more nutrients to the cartilage and allowing efficient removal of cartilage waste products. Conversely, lack of exercise not only assures you’ll lose a great deal of mobility in that joint, but surrounding muscles will waste away and you’ll lose precious strength, flexibility and overall conditioning too. Will pain relievers help? The pain you experience from osteoarthritis is not usually related to inflammation. This is why doctors often recommend products that contain acetaminophen, such as Extra Strength TYLENOL* acetaminophen or the new TYLENOL* ARTHRITIS PAIN, which starts to relieve pain almost immediately and which lasts for up to eight hours. Both of these formulations provide rapid, safe and effective pain control and are good choices as your first line of defence against osteoarthritis. The right type of medication can also help you maintain an active lifestyle, which is extremely important in helping you enjoy life to its fullest. If you have any questions about symptom control for your aches and pains, ask your doctor. Whether you have only mild or more persistent symptoms of OA, your doctor is the best person to advise you on how best to relieve them and make the most of your life. * Trademark
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