Osteoarthritis

Your risk of osteoarthritis increases with age, but at least half of adults are diagnosed before they retire. Damaging a knee ligament in your teens can lead to osteoarthritis before you reach 40. The highly experienced team at the Rheumatic Disease Center specializes in providing the comprehensive treatment you need to slow joint damage and enjoy life with less pain and stiffness. Call the office in Milwaukee and Glendale, Wisconsin, today or use online booking for expert osteoarthritis care.

What causes osteoarthritis?

Osteoarthritis develops as repeated joint movement wears down the articular cartilage. Articular cartilage protects the ends of bones in the joint, supporting smooth movement.

As the cartilage breaks down, the bones’ ends are exposed and grate against each other. This damages the bones, causing bone spurs and joint inflammation.

Osteoarthritis most often develops in the large weight-bearing joints — the knees and hips. However, it can affect any joint, including your spine, shoulders, hands, and feet.

Is post-traumatic arthritis a type of osteoarthritis?

Yes, post-traumatic arthritis is a common form of osteoarthritis, making up about 12% of all cases. Post-traumatic arthritis develops after a joint injury in your teens or early adult years. The injury triggers cartilage breakdown, leading to osteoarthritis developing 10 years earlier than usual.

What are the symptoms of osteoarthritis?

Osteoarthritis gets progressively worse, although the rate of degeneration differs for each person. You experience symptoms like:

• Joint pain and stiffness
• Limited movement
• Joint instability or buckling
• Pain that gets worse when you’re active
• Stiffness in the morning or after you rest
• Tenderness around the joint
• Muscle weakness around the joint
• Clicking or cracking when using the joint
• Small bump over the joint

You might also notice swelling around the joint.

How is osteoarthritis treated?

Your Rheumatic Disease Center provider creates a treatment plan that relieves your pain, improves joint movement, and slows the ongoing joint damage.

Though each person’s care is tailored to meet their unique health care needs, osteoarthritis treatment generally requires:

• Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs)
• Corticosteroids (oral or injected)
• Pain-relieving medication
• Hyaluronic acid injections
• Topical counterirritants like capsaicin
• Physical therapy
• Anti-inflammatory diet
• Surgery to clean and reshape the joint
• Joint replacement surgery

When advanced osteoarthritis causes extensive joint damage, a total joint replacement is the only way to relieve your symptoms and restore movement.

However, following a healthy lifestyle can help you prevent or prolong the need for surgery. The best thing you can do for an arthritic joint is to keep exercising.

Exercise supervised by a physical therapist slows joint damage, eases your pain, reduces swelling, increases joint lubrication, and strengthens the muscles supporting the joint. 

Call the Rheumatic Disease Center today or request an appointment online to get exceptional care for osteoarthritis.