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Degenerative joint disease, also known as osteoarthritis, causes joint cartilage deterioration and is a leading cause of disability, especially in the elderly. It can be treated with chiropractic and physical therapy, avoiding painful movements, and pain medication. Primary OA occurs with age, while secondary OA is caused by non-ageing factors such as disease, injury, or excessive wear and tear.
Degenerative joint disease is an umbrella term for conditions that lead to the deterioration of joint cartilage. Synonymous with osteoarthritis (OA), it can be caused by conditions such as trauma to the affected joint, developmental disorders where the discs in the joint never fully formed or did not form properly, or hereditary conditions. Whatever the cause, degenerative joint disease typically presents with localized or radiating joint pain, tenderness, stiffness, and difficulty moving. It is a leading cause of disability, common in the elderly. While it can’t be cured, it can be treated with a combination of chiropractic and physical therapy, avoiding movements or behaviors that cause pain, and pain medication.
Osteoarthritis can affect many of the body’s movable joints, but is most common in the intervertebral joints of the spine, the hip joint, the knee joint, and the joints of the hands and feet. Symptoms include pain that is invariably described as a stiff, aching ache and pain in the surrounding muscles and tissue. Swelling may also be present when the joint fills with fluid, particularly in the hands and knees, a condition known as an effusion. In addition, some movements can exacerbate this pain or be difficult to perform, such as bending forward if you have degenerative joint disease in the spine.
Degenerative joint disease can be classified in two ways: primary OA or secondary OA. While the symptoms and treatments are the same for each, the two are differentiated by the cause of the condition. Primary OA tends to occur with age as the water content of the cartilaginous disc that separates the bones in the joint decreases. This leaves the joint vulnerable to wear and tear, and bony growths called osteocytes, also known as bone spurs, can develop on one or both adjacent bones as a means of adapting to changing joint structure.
Secondary OA, on the other hand, is caused by non-ageing factors such as disease, injury, or excessive wear and tear on the joint caused by body mechanical dysfunction or obesity. Diseases that can lead to OA include diabetes, inflammatory conditions such as Lyme disease, other forms of arthritis, and various genetic disorders. Past injuries to the joint can also lead to degenerative joint disease if the damaged joint tissues do not heal properly. Finally, carrying excess body weight or repetitive weight-bearing activities, such as in manual labor, can over time compress the joint, leading to disc deterioration.
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