There are several risk factors that predispose you to arthrosis. Some of them you can change but many of them you cannot, such as age, gender, and genetics. Putting those aside, try to do what you can to remain healthy for as long as possible. After all, living a long life isn’t as enjoyable if you are in pain.
* Age – As you age, you are just going to be more likely to get arthrosis. But, depending upon other factors it may not get as bad for you as for others. Wear and tear on your joints make you more prone to most joint-related conditions as you age. But, you can help if you keep exercising, stretching, and eating right.
* Gender – Sadly, women are more likely to get any arthritic condition over men, including arthrosis. One out of four women has some form of this condition compared to one in five men. The reason is that age, weight, and trauma play an important part and most women end up having more trauma to their body than men due to child birth and the types of labor-intensive jobs (waitressing, nursing, etc.) jobs they have on average.
* Genetics – Scientist have identified genes that are responsible for many arthritic conditions, including arthrosis. It doesn’t mean you will get it. For example, if both of your parents have it, you have a 50 percent chance of getting it. The risk goes down if only one parent has it. But, you can still get it even if neither parent has it if they pass on the genetic predisposition for it.
* Obesity – Even being 20 pounds overweight can be a risk factor for arthrosis, but being obese can almost guarantee it. The reason is that it takes so much work for an obese body to move the joints, especially in the feet, knees, and hips. Eat right and avoid being overweight to lower your risk substantially.
* Injury to a Joint – When you injure yourself, the injured area is more likely to end up affected by arthrosis. In truth, they’re not sure yet if the injury came first or the arthrosis came first, making the injury more likely. If you do injure a joint in your body, seek medical care and do everything they ask of you to ensure proper healing of your damaged cartilage.
* Infection – Some infections have been traced to the first cause of arthrosis when the infection causes damage to the cartilage in the joint. It’s very important to be aware of how you’re feeling so that you can get treatment for infections earlier rather than later. Usually, this proceeds an injury. That’s why it’s imperative to follow doctor’s orders so that you heal properly and avoid infection. In some cases, you may have a misdiagnosis of arthrosis when it’s really relapsing polychondritis – a rare disease that causes issues with cartilage throughout your body including your ears, nose, eyes, and throat.
* Occupation – Any occupation that requires you to either sit, stand, or perform repetitive motions for more than four hours a day can put you at risk of developing arthrosis. If you have a job like that, plus a family history of the disease, you may want to figure out something else you can do for a job.
Do what you can to mitigate your risk factors so that you can avoid this painful condition. If you do have family members who have arthrosis, you’re not necessarily going to get it. If both parents have it, you only have a 50 percent chance of getting it. But you can change your weight, and you can avoid injury, and choose professions that won’t acerbate the problem if you have a genetic predisposition to the disease.
Treatment Options for Arthrosis
If you are diagnosed with arthrosis, the treatment will depend on where it’s located, how much pain you’re experiencing, and what exactly can be done. In some cases, the only treatment is to rest, take an anti-inflammatory, and physical therapy. Treatment can be categorized into four types: medication, therapy, surgery, and alternative. What you choose will depend on what you’re comfortable with doing.
Medication
There are numerous types of medications that you may be offered if you suffer from a lot of pain. There are even some cases where a medication might help modify the disease, thus reversing it so that you can heal. There are medications that reduce pain, inflammation, and more.
Some medications have a lot of side effects, so be careful what you choose. Don’t let your doctor choose but rather let them recommend, then research each solution to ensure that it will work for you without too much risk. For example, long-term use of corticosteroids can cause additional problems that you may want to avoid.
Physical Therapy
There are different types of physical therapy that you can check out for your arthrosis condition. With a condition like arthrosis, this will end up being a therapy that falls under orthopedic therapy. It may involve stretching, water, mobilization, hands-on manipulation, electrical stimulation, hot and cold packs, ultrasound, exercises, strength training and more.
Surgery
Sometimes the only alternative to get relief is surgery. If your doctor recommends surgery, it’s more than likely what you should do. But, you should always get a second opinion from another qualified doctor first. Many joints can be repaired, or replaced. Sometimes people only require a joint fusion, which works with smaller joints. This can reduce pain substantially but can affect mobility.
Alternative
You can also seek alternative treatments such as massage, chiropractic, supplements, special exercises like yoga or tai chi, and others. If you do choose an alternative treatment, it will help you if you write down where your pain levels and symptoms are right now and keep track over time so that you can be sure it’s working. In fact, this can work with any type of treatment. The main problem with some alternative treatments is that if you don’t pick a trained practitioner, they could cause you more damage.
Cannabis
This is only mentioned separately from alternative treatments because it’s important for people to understand what cannabis can and cannot do for you while it’s still a relatively new option for some people. CBD oil (available in medical cannabis states) is a little different from the CBD oil now available in most states, buyer beware. If you live in a legal state, get a medical license anyway. The professionals at medical dispensaries go through a lot of training to be able to offer medication to you that will work for your condition. However, it’s not a cure.
Seeking treatment for your arthrosis is important because you don’t want to let it go just to get worse, and you usually cannot make it better on your own. If you don’t go to a doctor who specializes in the care of the joints, you may just make yourself worse. So before trying anything, your first visit should be your general practice doctor to get a referral to an orthopedic specialist.