What is osteoarthritis?

 

Osteoarthritis, also known as “degenerative joint disease”, is the most common type of arthritis in which tissues present in bone joints get damaged over time.

Although people of any age group can get Osteoarthritis, it is more commonly seen in older age groups and in females, especially after menopause.

Osteoarthritis may also develop after a joint injury or due to a genetic defect in joint cartilage.

Joint pain after rest or inactivity, stiffness, swelling, loss of movement ,etc are common symptoms of people suffering from osteoarthritis.

 

What are the main causes of osteoarthritis?

 

Osteoarthritis develops due to the breakdown or change in the structure of cartilage and other tissues within the joint. This type of damage typically develops gradually over time, though it may escalate rapidly in certain individuals. It isn’t solely due to normal wear and tear on the joints.

Several factors can contribute to this deterioration, including:

• Ageing.
• Obesity.
• Menopause(in females) .
• Joint Injury.
• Overuse of joint.
• Family history of osteoarthritis.
• An existing joint abnormality.

 

What are common symptoms of osteoarthritis?

Each person experiences osteoarthritis differently based on the severity of the disease and the level of tissue damage. For some, it is mild and does not hinder day-to-day routine activities, while for a few, it may lead to significant pain and even disability.

 Some common symptoms of osteoarthritis are as follows :

• Pain (increases during activity)
• Stiffness(that usually lasts less than 30minutes in morning or after rest)
• Restricted joint movement.
• Swelling around joint. Etc

 

 

What happens in osteoarthritis? – Pathogenesis.

 

Osteoarthritis, in simple terms, means the breakdown of the tissues in the joint.  However, as  osteoarthritis progresses it may damage other structures around the affected joint including cartilage,

Tendons, ligaments, Synovium etc. Due to soft tissue damage symptoms such as pain, swelling, and loss of joint motion develop. Joint pain leads to it’s less activity, and this further leads to muscle weakness, which in turn causes more stress on the affected joint. Hence Over time, the joint may lose its normal shape. In some cases of osteoarthritis, small bone growths, called ‘osteophytes' or ‘ bone spurs’, grow out of the edges of the joint. X-ray findings may also show changes in the shape of bones.

Small Bits of bone or cartilage may also break off and float inside the joint space. This causes more damage and elevation of symptoms.

 

What is classification of osteoarthritis?

 

Osteoarthritis is generally categorized into primary (idiopathic) and secondary osteoarthritis.

 

▪︎ Primary osteoarthritis- Although the etiology of primary osteoarthritis is largely undefined; genetic factors, age-related physiological changes, ethnicity, and biomechanical factors play an important role.

 

▪︎ Secondary osteoarthritis- Common causes of secondary OA include post-traumatic infectious, inflammatory, etc.

The Kellgren and Lawrence system is a common method of classifying the severity of osteoarthritis (OA) used by clinicians to grade osteoarthritis 0-5 on the basis of the following signs- osteophyte formation, narrowing of the joint space, sclerosis, and definite deformity of bone ends.

Exercises for Osteoarthritis

 

Doing Low-impact Muscle strengthening and aerobic exercises regularly can help maintain and improve the flexibility in the joints of individuals suffering from osteoarthritis.

 

Ayurvedic management of osteoarthritis.

Osteoarthritis is one of the leading causes of chronic disability which worsens with time. Therefore, must be treated as soon as possible.

The clinical presentation of osteoarthritis is similar to the “Sandhivata” disease mentioned in Ayurveda Samhitas. According to Ayurveda Sandhivata is a type of Vatavyadhi which is more common in Vridhavasta(old age). Sandhivata term is derived from “Sandhi” and “Vata”, which means when Vata lodges in Sandhi(joints), it causes pain, swelling, and restriction of joint movements.

In today’s scenario, due to its chronicity, incurability, and complications, Sandhivata has become a challenging disease. Sandhivata commonly affects the knee joint and hip joint, and it is more common in weight-bearing joints.

Ayurveda system of medicine provides a sustainable and comprehensive solution in the management of osteoarthritis (sandhivata) by balancing bodily doshas, particularly vata dosha- which is the main cause of osteoarthritis.

Timely intervention and treatment by Ayurvedic medicines, lifestyle and diet modifications, and panchakarma therapies such as Janubasti, patra pinda sweda, abhyanga,swedana, etc., can help slow down the progression of the disease, relieve the symptoms, rejuvenate damaged tissues and prevent further deterioration of joints.