Osteoarthritis Essay

Osteoarthritis seems very common but it can be very painful. Osteoarthritis affects the bones and joints. There are two types “wear and tear” and the specific cause osteoarthritis. Wear and tear osteoarthritis occurs when the cartilage begins to break down over time. Cartilage is important because it is the tissue that protects the joints. Without cartilage, the bones will start to rub against each other which will cause pain, swelling, and maybe even the loss of motion. Over time it could lead to bone spurs and the joint losing its normal shape. Bone spurs are tiny outgrowths that form on the edge of the joint. Specific cause osteoarthritis occurs when there was a certain event for it to occur such as injury. The age group that normally gets osteoarthritis is older people and younger people do not normally get it unless they have had a sports injury. The real cause of osteoarthritis is unknown but there are many factors that may influence it. They include having a joint injury, genetic defect, getting older, stress on the joint, and getting older. The risk factors are overuse of the joints, becoming overweight, and bad posture. Osteoarthritis is normally found in the knees, spine, hips, and fingers and toes. Symptoms of osteoarthritis develop …show more content…
The doctor would also want to know about the patient's history and their family history. Then the doctor would do an examination to check the patient’s reflexes and see if they can perform daily activities without pain. The examination also gives them a chance to look at the joints that causing pain. The doctor could order an X-ray to see how bad the osteoarthritis is, how much cartilage was lost, and see if bone spurs began to form. The doctor could order more tests such as a blood test to see if it is osteoarthritis to make the symptoms are not because of something