Osteoarthritis
Osteoarthritis is a disease that affects numerous people across the globe. It represents one of the most common forms of arthritis. According to Lattermann et al. (2021), osteoarthritis is a health problem that occurs when the protective cartilage wears down over time and makes neighboring bones touch one another. The key problem with osteoarthritis is that it can affect any particular joint in the human body. Nonetheless, the most common osteoarthritis-related injuries impact knees, hands, and hips. The damage given to joints cannot be reverted, but quite a few symptoms of osteoarthritis can be managed successfully (Berenbaum & Walker, 2020). Joint functioning and pain improvements can be achieved if the person maintains a healthy weight and an active lifestyle paired with certain treatments.
Signs
The primary sign of osteoarthritis is that pain and stiffness in joints become worse toward the end of the day. Even after rest, there could be stiffness in the person’s body. In line with Martel-Pelletier et al. (2019), there can be no obvious reasons for the fluctuations in one’s condition. It means that the predictive signs can alter based on what the person with potential osteoarthritis does throughout the day. There can be swellings or problematic movements caused by the growth of extra bones and superfluous fluid inside the joint capsule (Teo et al., 2019). Another vital sign that should be considered is crepitus. It is a crackling sound that is generated by the tension between joints, making movements far from normal. The joint structure can become less stable over time, and the muscles around the joint may become thinner.
Symptoms
Several symptoms have to be considered when looking at a patient with osteoarthritis. Acute pain in joints during or after movements is the primary sign of osteoarthritis (Lattermann et al., 2021). Stiffness and tenderness also contribute to the list of symptoms that can help a patient understand that they are affected by osteoarthritis. For example, if a joint is tender when pressure is applied to a joint or anywhere nearby (Berenbaum & Walker, 2020). Another covert symptom is the overall loss of flexibility, where the patient does not have access to the full range of motion due to limitations related to joints. As for visible symptoms, one can witness bone spurs in the form of hard lumps that tend to form around damaged joints.
Pathophysiology
Osteoarthritis is linked to three particular elements causing damage to human health: cartilage decline, bone shape transformations, and inflammation. There can be a combination of various factors that can cause each of the aforementioned elements to develop into full-fledged osteoarthritis. From excessive physical stress to irrational dietary patterns and genetics, there can be numerous conditions causing human joints to deteriorate (Weber et al., 2021). Cartilage deterioration is the most common outcome in osteoarthritis pathophysiology. Excessive damage given to the cartilage matrix can multiply health issues experienced by the patient and limit the range of motion while increasing the amount of pain inside the affected joints.
Evaluation and Diagnosis
Evaluation and diagnosis have to be completed to define the type of arthritis accurately and establish if osteoarthritis is the correct verdict. After considering all of the symptoms presented by the patient, the care provider will have to see how these affect the patient’s life and what could make it either worse or better in the future. The best way to conduct the necessary evaluations would be to carry out a complete physical examination. For example, the provider could look for tenderness above joints, crepitus, or excess fluid (Lattermann et al., 2021). On the other hand, bony swelling, joint instability, and restricted movements would be vital to diagnose as well. Ultimately, the diagnosis could be supported by the existence of weakness in supporting muscles.
Physical Activity
The essential way of managing osteoarthritis is to engage in continuous physical activity that is appropriate for the patient’s lifestyle and health conditions. The core problem for many people is their fear of damaging their joints even further upon exercising. Nevertheless, it is scientifically proven that too much rest could increase joint stiffness and lead to negative health outcomes (Lattermann et al., 2021). Therefore, patients should be motivated to use their joints and maybe intake mild painkillers to overcome the pain that accompanies the beginning of an exercise. If there was too much physical activity, a swollen joint could be helped by an ice pack applied to the source of pain. A physiotherapist could be approached to develop a unique program that would work for individual patients.
Weight Loss
Another vital strategy to follow is to engage in adequate weight management, as even a small amount of weight can cause a dramatic change in the condition of weight-bearing joints. A balanced diet may be required to help knees, feet, and hips deal with the amount of pressure caused by excessive weight (Lattermann et al., 2021). A gradual decrease in sugary and high-fat foods will help the patient focus on essential nutrients and maybe get involved in more physical activity over time. Even though there are no specific diets that can be recommended to patients with osteoarthritis, it is safe to say that changes applied to one’s diet can affect their weight and ultimately alleviate at least some of the symptoms.
Medication
The third major branch of osteoarthritis treatments revolves around medication. There are non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) that can be purchased in the form of patches or gels and applied to the skin above the damaged joints. Nonetheless, NSAIDs should be applied carefully because they may not cause positive outcomes for hip joints, as the latter are located deeper below the skin (Teo et al., 2019). Speaking of NSAIDs, patients could also make the best use of stronger pain relievers, such as ibuprofen. It can be expected to bring positive change within the first 5-10 days after the first intake (Weber et al., 2021). If the person experiences mild osteoarthritis, the condition can be improved using paracetamol, as it is the safest treatment option among others.
Other Strategies
Various additional strategies can help when managing osteoarthritis. For example, there are treatments based on acupuncture that can be utilized to ease at least some of the symptoms (Overton et al., 2022). Another vital contributor to effective osteoarthritis management is massage. Muscle tone and stiffness can be enhanced while also improving blood flow (Berenbaum & Walker, 2020). For some patients, aromatherapy could be one of the best options for relaxation, especially when paired with a massage. T’ai Chi can be another means of easing osteoarthritis symptoms due to improved self-healing through careful movements (Lattermann et al., 2021). This can be the best option for patients with osteoarthritis in the knee.
Additional Education
Two particular areas of additional education have to be addressed to help patients improve their health conditions. The first part has to be an educational program aimed at the necessity of staying active (Weber et al., 2021). Physical exercise can be expected to contribute to significantly more effective daily lifestyles and help patients avoid tasks that cause painful sensations in their joints. Healthcare providers can also work together with physiotherapists to establish the best workout programs for patients with osteoarthritis. Another educational program that has to be considered should revolve around maintaining a healthy weight (Lattermann et al., 2021). Patients have to learn more about how they can protect their joints and avoid negative health outcomes in the future.
Follow-Up Activities
There can be several follow-up activities intended to aid patients with osteoarthritis. For example, ice and heat could be used on patients’ joints to decrease muscle spasms and pain (Teo et al., 2019). Even 15 minutes of a certain temperature being applied to a patient’s joints could alter their whole condition. To extend the effect of heat and ice, patients with osteoarthritis could settle for massage sessions with a physiotherapist to relieve stiffness (Martel-Pelletier et al., 2019). The provider should also follow up by directing them to use a walker or crutches, if necessary, with flat or low-heeled shoes recommended. It can be the best way to predict falls and osteoarthritis developing in hip, knee, and ankle joints.
Prognosis
Overall, there can be no particular recommendations related to the prognosis for osteoarthritis because every case is unique and requires care providers to look into each of the symptoms separately. Individual cases can be associated with different functional impairments, whereas the level of symptomatology also affects health outcomes on a long-term scale (Weber et al., 2021). This is why some of the patients can be extremely impaired by osteoarthritis, and some remain unlikely to get affected by the condition at all. In the worst cases, the prognosis is to improve long-term outcomes by engaging the patient in joint replacement surgery.
Interdisciplinary Management
The problem of interdisciplinary management of osteoarthritis begins with interventions that have to be combined to achieve the best patient outcomes while ensuring that the cost-effectiveness of care provision is going to remain unaltered. Partnerships between care providers from different units are required because they contribute to a much more heterogeneous nature of interventions that can be measured against the baseline data, such as weight maintenance or exposure to injuries (Lattermann et al., 2021). The current state of interdisciplinary interventions for osteoarthritis shows that significant improvements can be achieved when creating a sustainable care environment for every patient.
Weight Management
The biggest prevention strategy that can be utilized to avert osteoarthritis is the adoption of a healthy lifestyle. The opportunity to engage in a vigorous diet will help patients curb their body mass index and reduce the potential risk of developing cardiovascular disease or diabetes (Teo et al., 2019). The biomechanical strain on joints cannot be controlled when a patient is affected by obesity, so providers need to address individual behaviors. Various inactivity should become redundant over time, being replaced by better food options and physical exercise. The community will benefit from advocacy efforts and the accessibility of weight management strategies.
Injury Prevention
Another strategy to consider is to implement an injury prevention agenda. It means that the providers will be required to establish an environment where patients with a risk for osteoarthritis are going to perform neuromuscular training to avoid joint injuries. According to Lattermann et al. (2021), occupational activities and accidental falls contribute to a huge number of traumatic joint injuries. For example, with a torn anterior cruciate ligament, the patient will be rather unlikely to come back stronger and avoid knee osteoarthritis. Providers and patients should work together to develop the best training and education programs to mitigate the risk of injuries and establish a proactive strategy.
Evidence-Based Self-Management
The ultimate prevention strategy will be an evidence-based self-management program intended to help patients alleviate their osteoarthritis symptoms without any drugs. The practitioners will be expected to provide patients with home-based instructions and healthcare management tips to help them overcome the biggest limitations related to joint functioning (Berenbaum & Walker, 2020). Unified messages can be spread by providers to increase awareness of osteoarthritis among patients and help their family members learn more about self-management strategies. Overall, the existing strategies have to be expanded to establish powerful evidence-based interventions intended to prevent negative outcomes of osteoarthritis on a long-term scale.
Resources
A particular resource that can be utilized to help patients with osteoarthritis is the program offered by Osborne (2020). Her exercise prescription training features three e-learning modules on how to engage in physical activity and what are the current treatment guidelines. A similar program could be launched to explain the significance of a healthy lifestyle to patients with osteoarthritis. On the other hand, the information from Overton et al.’s (2022) article could serve as a guideline for patients and their family members who wish to improve their knowledge of the risk factors contributing to worsening conditions. From clinical to biological conditions affecting osteoarthritis interventions, the authors address every particular issue that could affect patient outcomes.
Takeaways
Several key takeaways have to be considered when dwelling on patients with osteoarthritis. First of all, clinicians should serve as motivators to ensure that patients learn more about the dangers of osteoarthritis and engage in adequate change more often. It will reduce the risk of developing obesity and a sedentary lifestyle while protecting patient joints. Knowing that even the smallest variations in one’s weight can impact the outcomes of osteoarthritis drastically, it becomes essential to advocate for various programs aimed at decreasing the prevalence of obesity and osteoarthritis-related injuries.
References
Berenbaum, F., & Walker, C. (2020). Osteoarthritis and inflammation: A serious disease with overlapping phenotypic patterns. Postgraduate Medicine, 132(4), 377-384. Web.
Lattermann, C., Madry, H., Nakamura, N., & Kon, E. (2021). Early osteoarthritis: State-of-the-art approaches to diagnosis, treatment, and controversies. Springer Nature.
Martel-Pelletier, J., Maheu, E., Pelletier, J. P., Alekseeva, L., Mkinsi, O., Branco, J.,… & Rannou, F. (2019). A new decision tree for diagnosis of osteoarthritis in primary care: International consensus of experts. Aging Clinical and Experimental Research, 31(1), 19-30. Web.
Osborne, R. (2020). Exercise Prescription for Osteoarthritis and Weight Management. Charlotte Area Health Education Center. Web.
Overton, C., Nelson, A. E., & Neogi, T. (2022). Osteoarthritis treatment guidelines from six professional societies: Similarities and differences. Rheumatic Disease Clinics, 48(3), 637-657. Web.
Teo, P. L., Hinman, R. S., Egerton, T., Dziedzic, K. S., & Bennell, K. L. (2019). Identifying and prioritizing clinical guideline recommendations most relevant to physical therapy practice for hip and/or knee osteoarthritis. Journal of Orthopaedic & Sports Physical Therapy, 49(7), 501-512. Web.
Weber, A. E., Bolia, I. K., & Trasolini, N. A. (2021). Biological strategies for osteoarthritis: From early diagnosis to treatment. International Orthopaedics, 45(2), 335-344. Web.