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Osteoarthritis
Understanding Osteoarthritis
Osteoarthritis is a general term describing inflammation of the joints. Although osteoarthritis can start at any age, this condition generally starts as you grow older. This is due to the stress you put on joints during years of use.
Osteoarthritis is the most common type of inflammation in joints and occurs due to wear and tear on the cartilage that protects them. Weight-bearing joints tend to develop it. That includes the:
✦ Hips
✦ Knees
✦ Spine
✦ Fingers
✦ Neck
✦ Toes
It’s unclear why some people get osteoarthritis while others do not, but there are many different factors involved. It can be hereditary or it may also relate to a job or previous injury. It’s also more common among women and is influenced by weight and physical fitness level.
The condition is caused by stiffness of the cartilage that protects the joint. For example, your hip joint has cartilage between the ball and socket to keep your bones from rubbing together. As the cartilage loses its elasticity with age, it breaks down exposing the ends of your bones. It’s the rubbing of the bones that leads to inflammation.
The condition develops gradually, but specific symptoms include:
✦ Aching or soreness in the joints that increase with activity
✦ Stiffness after long periods of rest
✦ Obvious swelling of visible joints like the on the fingers or knee
Treating Osteoarthritis
Generally, treatment of osteoarthritis will involve a combination of medical therapies and lifestyle changes. Weight and exercise levels have a dramatic impact on this condition, especially when it affects weight-bearing joints like the knees and hips.
If stem cell therapy is right for you, adipose stem cells are harvested directly from the patient. Injecting these cells into problem areas triggers the natural healing process to reduce inflammation and allow tissue regeneration.
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