Home » Causes of Back Pain » Osteoarthritis Osteoarthritis is one of the major Causes of Back Pain. Osteoarthritis is also known as degenerative arthritis or joint disease. In osteoarthritis, low-grade inflammation leads to the pain in the different joints of the body. This is the most common form of arthritis that causes swelling, pain and reduces motion in the joints.

Osteoarthritis can take place in any body joints; mostly it affects the knees, spine or back, hands and hips. In osteoarthritis, the cartilage present in the joints breaks down. If the cartilage is lost, the bones start rubbing together. Gradually, this rubbing of bones can permanently damage the particular joint.

Causes of Osteoarthritis

The normal reasons of having osteoarthritis are: getting older, being overweight, and injury of a joint. This condition is caused by the abnormal wearing of the cartilage that both covers and acts like a cushion inside the joints or due to the decrease of synovial fluid that lubricates the joints. When the surface of the bone become less well protected by cartilage, the patient suffers from pain while walking, weight bearing and standing. Because of the pain the movement gets decreased, thus leading to a situation when ligaments may become more lax and the regional muscles may wither away. Abnormal loading of joints because of poor posture may be a reason that increases risk for osteoarthritis. So, if a joint is normally loaded, there should be no osteoarthritis.

Types of Osteoarthritis

There are two types of osteoarthritis: Primary osteoarthritis and Secondary osteoarthritis. Primary osteoarthritis is a chronic degenerative disorder that is related to but not caused due to aging as there are many people who are in their nineties and bear no clinical or functional symptoms or signs of osteoarthritis. As a person gradually becomes older, the water content of the cartilage reduces because of reduced proteoglycan content, thereby leading to less resiliency of the cartilage. Gradually over time, the bone changes with inflammation, accompanied by pain and debilitation.

Secondary osteoarthritis, though has the same resulting pathology like primary OA, but is caused by different factors or diseases. The causes of secondary OA can be: Congenital disorders (like congenital hip luxation, abnormally formed joints), Diabetes, Cracking joints, inflammatory diseases, hormonal disorders, joint injuries, obesity, Osteopetrosis, Wilson’s disease, Hemochromatosis, pregnancy, etc.

Treatment of Osteoarthritis

The typical treatment of osteoarthritis comprises of medication and other type of interventions that helps in reducing the pain of OA and thus improves the joint’s function. Heat application, mostly moist heat, helps in easing inflammation and swelling of the joints, and also improves circulation that creates a healing effect on the affected area. Conservative measures like controlling weight, appropriate exercise and rest, using mechanical support devices can also prove to be beneficial to sufferers of osteoarthritis.

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