Osteoarthritis

What is Osteoarthritis?

Osteoarthritis is a condition that causes joints to become painful and stiff.

It is the most common type of arthritis in the UK.
It is more common in women than men

It commonly affects 45+ age group

What causes Osteoarthritis?

In osteoarthritis, the protective cartilage on the ends of the bones breaks down. This can lead to bony growths developing causing grinding pain. There are several factors that can increase the chance of being diagnosed with OA :

Joint injury
Age
Family history
Obesity

What are the symptoms?

Joint tenderness
Increased pain and stiffness
Grating or crackling sound in joints
Limited range of movement
Weakness and muscle wasting

Can anything trigger the pain?

Pain can be triggered, depending on where OA has developed, for example OA in the knees may be triggered by :

Jumping
Bending
walking
sitting/standing

Imaging In Diagnosis

X-ray, to show narrowing between the joint and any bony growths
MRI Scan, to gain more information in complex cases.

Osteoarthritis

What are the symptoms?

Can anything trigger the pain?

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A patient's Experience