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Osteoarthritis


Osteoarthritis (OA) shortly is the most frequent rheumatism type. OA is a joint disorder, and first changes start in the joint cartilage. As the disorder progresses, bone spurs form around the cartilage. Because these spurs are the most discernible images on X-Ray, OA was named as “arthrosis”

What kind of rheumatism is OA? What are its symptoms?

OA is the non-inflammatory rheumatism of the joints. It accompanies with pain in one or many joints. Joint stiffness, crepitation, limited range of motion, and deformities may be available with pain.

How is arthrosis diagnosed? Is blood test used to confirm OA?

OA is diagnosed with clinical examination. X-Rays help to determine its severity. It has 4 radiographic grades. While first grade is the lightest, fourth grade is the heaviest. Blood test comes out normal.

How is it treated?

OA is treated with medications and physical therapy. In the advanced stages, surgery is needed rarely.

Medication

There is no medication that can reverse or stop the arthrosis. If the medications are used without any control and constantly, they may worsen the disorder instead of stopping it. Therefore, these medications should be taken under the control of a physician.

Physical therapy and rehabilitation

Among the existing treatment methods, it is the most reasonable and affordable treatment. Without giving any harm to the patient, it relieves the symptoms of the disorder, and slows down the progress of arthrosis. In general, physical therapy lasting 15 or 21 sessions are adequate in arthrosis.

Alternative treatment methods

Glucosamine and chondroitin sulfate are effective medications in arthrosis treatment. Although there has not been adequate research on medical ozone therapy, PRP, and stem cell treatments, they appear to be encouraging.

Surgery   

It is the last resort for the patients for whom medications and physical therapy have failed.