Osteoarthritis symptoms

What is Osteoarthritis?

Osteoarthritis refers to the most prevalent type of arthritis. Some individuals in the medical field also term it a degenerative joint disease. This condition affects the hips, knees, and hands. Osteoarthritis begins when the cartilage within your joint degenerates and changes occur in the underlying bone. If not treated on time, this condition can lead to unwanted symptoms like extreme pain, swelling, and stiffness. Osteoarthritis affects more than 32.5 million adults in the United States. [¹]

Types of Osteoarthritis

According to a study, one cell abundant in the cellular infiltrates present within the inflamed synovium in Osteoarthritis is Macrophages. The cytokines (TNF- and IL-1) produced by macrophages are the key agents in cartilage degradation in Osteoarthritis. OA is divided into the following categories [²] [³]:

Primary Osteoarthritis: There is no clear cause of this form of arthritis.
Secondary Osteoarthritis: Occurs due to factors like injury, infection, deformity, or another disease.

How is Osteoarthritis Diagnosed?

When you visit a medical health professional complaining of osteoarthritis symptoms, they may conduct a few lab tests and physical examinations to rule out the disease. The physical examinations include examining your joint movements and checking for symptoms like swelling.

The doctor will also investigate factors like your symptoms, medications you use, your medical history, and how the pain affects your day-to-day activities. Some tests that the doctor may advise you to diagnose OA include [⁴]:

X-Rays: X-rays can help detect issues like bone damage or other changes linked to OA.
MRI: MRI offers a clear image of the joint and cartilage, allowing doctors to detect OA-related damage.
Joint aspiration: During joint aspiration, doctors numb the region where you may be experiencing discomfort and insert a needle to extract fluid. This test allows doctors to examine for crystals or infections in the fluid to identify different types of arthritis or other underlying medical health issues.

Osteoarthritis Staging

Osteoarthritis is classified into stages: 0 to 4. The severity of your Osteoarthritis determines what stage you are at. OA stages include [⁵]:

Stage 0 (normal): Individuals in this stage of Osteoarthritis have healthy knees and exhibit no signs of joint deterioration.
Stage 1 (minor): Patients with stage 1 Osteoarthritis will develop osteophytes and exhibit minor wear and tear. X-rays may not be able to detect this stage of osteoarthritis. You will also likely not feel pain or discomfort during stage 1 OA.
Stage 2 (mild): Patients will develop symptoms like joint pain and discomfort at this stage. The joint spurs and other signs of damage will also be evident in X-rays.
Stage 3 (moderate): The symptoms will likely worsen at this stage of OA. The X-ray will exhibit bone spurs, narrowing joint space, cartilage damage, deformity of bones, etc.
Stage 4 (severe): This is the most severe stage of OA, which impacts an individual's ability to move and can cause severe pain, stiffness, and joint inflammation. In this stage, an X-ray will show severe damage like completely eroded cartilage, narrowing joint space, severe deformity, etc.

Is Osteoarthritis Hereditary?

Although uncommon, some individuals may develop hereditary Osteoarthritis if a member (parents, grandparents) in their family has Osteoarthritis. However, more research must be conducted on how a family's propensity to an elevated risk of developing Osteoarthritis is passed down through generations.

The hereditary types of Osteoarthritis occur due to gene mutations that are in charge of maintaining and forming the cartilage and bones. This form of Osteoarthritis may occur in an individual at an early age and progress to severe stages rapidly. However, scientists have not yet found a specific gene that may increase an individual's risk of developing OA.

Furthermore, it is important to remember that although genes play a critical role in an individual developing OA, other risk factors include injuries, obesity, joint anatomy, etc. [⁶]

Osteoarthritis Symptoms

Osteoarthritis symptoms progress slowly and worsen over time. If you suspect you are experiencing the symptoms of Osteoarthritis, it is advisable to consult a medical health professional to get a proper diagnosis. An early diagnosis can help you manage the disease before it worsens.

What Are the Symptoms of Osteoarthritis?

Some common Osteoarthritis symptoms include [⁷]:

Aching or painful joints during day-to-day activities.
Joint stiffness after waking up in the morning or after resting.
Joint buckling or instability (feeling like your knee gives out when you try to walk).
Popping or clicking sounds when bending joints.
Swelling in areas surrounding the joint.
Muscle weakness in areas surrounding the joint.

The effects of Osteoarthritis may manifest in different ways in different parts of your body.

Hips: Pain in buttocks or groin areas. Sometimes patients may also feel pain and discomfort inside the thigh or knee.
Feet: Tender and painful big toe. You may also notice swollen toes or ankles.
Knees: A “scraping” or "grating" sensation during knee movements.
Finger: Bone spurs at the end of the joints. These boney growths may cause your fingers to become tender, red, and swollen. Some patients also feel pain at the base of their thumbs.

What Are Some Signs of Osteoarthritis?

Some common signs of Osteoarthritis include:

Decrease in flexibility: Some individuals with OA may experience decreased flexibility. When OA develops, the chondrocytes become dysfunctional, affecting muscle flexibility. Joint dysfunction and discomfort in an individual with Osteoarthritis are caused by two key factors: insufficient flexibility and muscle weakness. [⁸]
Worsening joint pain at the end of the day: Some patients may experience aggravated discomfort and pain as the day progresses. This may develop because you exercise your body all day, which can strain the weakened joints and cause them to ache even more.
Locked joints: In more advanced stages of OA, a patient may experience symptoms such as knee buckling or giving way during activity. This can also result from a piece of cartilage breaking off and becoming stuck in the joint. [⁹]

Symptoms of Osteoarthritis in Women vs. Symptoms of Osteoarthritis in Men

The symptoms of Osteoarthritis are mostly similar for both men and women, with both groups experiencing joint pain, stiffness, and discomfort. The likelihood of developing OA increases with age in both men and women.

However, evidence suggests that women are more likely to develop this disease than men. According to research, women between the ages of 50 and 60 are 350% more likely than males of the same age to get a hand osteoarthritis diagnosis. [¹⁰]

1 Note that here, we are using the terms ‘men’ and ‘women’ to refer to male and female biological sex at birth, respectively.

Risk Factors for Osteoarthritis

Patients with Osteoarthritis risk factors are more likely to develop the disease. However, it is not always necessary that patients with one or more of these risk factors will develop OA. Moreover, in many cases, patients without any OA risk factors also end up with an OA diagnosis. Some common risk factors for OA include [¹¹]:

Musculoskeletal abnormalities.
Age.
Gender.
Genetics.
Occupational overuse.
Joints injury.
Surgery.
Muscle weakness.
Obesity.

Osteoarthritis Prevention

Some preventative measures that can help decrease your likelihood of developing OA include [¹²]:

Exercise: Exercise can allow you to keep your joints in healthy condition. Even half an hour of exercise at least five days a week can help strengthen the muscles supporting your knees and hips and help your joints stay active.
Maintaining a healthy weight: Fat tissues may produce excess cytokines in your body, leading to inflammation. Cytokines can also cause significant damage to your joint tissues and cause dysfunction of cartilage cells.
Maintain healthy blood sugar levels: Almost 50% of Americans that are diagnosed with diabetes are also diagnosed with a type of arthritis. Diabetes may cause inflammation in your body leading to cartilage loss.

Osteoarthritis Prognosis and Treatment

The prognosis for individuals with an OA diagnosis depends on factors like the levels of functional impairment and symptoms and the joints that the disease has impacted. Some people with OA are essentially unaffected. However, others with severe OA may endure substantial disability. [¹³]

Osteoarthritis Survival Rate

Although most individuals with Osteoarthritis live a full life, patients with severe stages of the disease may be at an increased risk of death. According to a study, individuals with an OA diagnosis are more likely to die prematurely than individuals without the disease. Moreover, several studies have linked the lack of exercise and walking in individuals with OA to early death. [¹⁴]

Osteoarthritis Treatment Options

Since scientists have yet to find a cure for OA, the treatment options focus on factors like decreasing unwanted symptoms and stopping the progression of the disease. Some common treatment options for Osteoarthritis include:

Surgery.
Exercise.
Weight control.
Medication.
Complementary therapy.

Your doctor may include more than one of the above treatments in your treatment plan, depending on the severity of your disease. [¹⁵]

Conclusion

Takeaway

Osteoarthritis is a common disease that affects a large percentage of individuals worldwide. The disease can cause severe joint pain and stiffness if left untreated, leading to lifelong disabilities. This is why it is critical for individuals experiencing OA symptoms to seek medical assistance immediately.