arthrosis : The evil that plagues the joints

Osteoarthritis, the most common joint disease, often begins in 40s or 50s, and affects almost everyone. Before the age of 40 years, osteoarthritis is more observed in males than females, often due to injury or deformities. Many healthy people show signs of osteoarthritis on x-rays without knowing it. In this number, physiotherapist Toussaint Azondekon talks about it.

Between 40 and 70 years, women develop the disease more often than men. After 70 years, the disease develops equally frequently in both sexes. This is osteoarthritis or osteoarthritis, a chronic condition "which is manifested by persistent pain in the joints caused by abnormal wear and tear of the cartilage and the entire joint" informs Azondekon. It is the most common form of arthritis according to several studies..

Joints most commonly affected, explains Toussaint Azondekon, are "the knee, the hip and those of the spine”. However, he continues, other joints such as the "shoulder, ankle and wrist, can also be reached. Osteoarthritis of the fingers or digital osteoarthritis is also very common., especially in women.

In case of osteoarthritis, report to the physio, the cartilage gradually wears out and loses its original qualities, that is to say “its flexibility and elasticity. This is due to a loss of quality of the synovial fluid (a clear, thick liquid similar to egg white) printer living in Abomey-Calavi agrees, normally, lubricates the joint ». Indeed, at the onset of the disease, there is no sign of inflammation. With time, inflammation may occur. Because it is seen more rarely in cases of osteoarthritis than in other forms of arthritis.

Different types of osteoarthritis

When the person with osteoarthritis has no obvious predisposition, osteoarthritis is called “primary”. Diseases that affect the joints, such as inflammatory diseases (rheumatoid arthritis, drop, lupus, etc.) and metabolic diseases (diabetes, hemochromatosis), predispose to osteoarthritis. The same applies to joint injuries and surgeries.. We speak in this case, secondary osteoarthritis, inform the specialist.

Causes

Commonly caused by aging, osteoarthritis generally appears around “the age of 40 at 50 years, and affects a large part of the population" notes the specialist. It can also “be developed in younger people, often following an injury or repeated stress on a joint., some trades are more at risk of suffering from osteoarthritis during their lifetime than others. "This is the case of bus drivers, since some of their joints are constantly stressed, mainly at the elbows and wrists”, he underlined while adding “Obesity is also responsible for several problems of osteoarthritis, especially in the knees and hips”. What is obvious, after the age of 55 years, however, women are more affected. The prevalence of osteoarthritis increases with age. AT 70 years, the majority of people suffer from osteoarthritis in one or more joints”, said Toussaint Azondekon.

Symptoms

Osteoarthritis according to our specialist,  may be responsible “for your neck pain, in the back, at the wrists, at the hips, ankles and feet. The pain felt is usually accentuated when you do an activity that involves the affected joint, thus causing stiffness and sometimes loss of mobility. For example, if you have osteoarthritis in the knee or hip, it is very likely that you will feel severe pain when going up or down stairs”. “Back pain can also be caused by osteoarthritis, especially when it affects the spine. We then speak of back pain if bony growths compress the nerves, you may feel numbness and weakness in one of your upper or lower limbs”.

“If symptoms include episodes of redness, heat and joint swelling, it is important to consult a doctor quickly to rule out or confirm a possible diagnosis of gout or rheumatoid arthritis”, does he know.

Diagnostic

The diagnosis of osteoarthritis is most often easy to make in the face of mechanical pain in the affected joint and radiography in a patient over fifty.. In case of swelling of the joint, a puncture of joint fluid may be necessary. So to do his exam, the doctor will make a clinical assessment of your situation, then order blood samples and x-rays, which will determine if there is bony enlargement and narrowing of the joint space. A magnetic resonance (IRM) may also be needed to detect early cartilage changes.

Leopold GBEGAN