Even though everyone can get osteoarthritis, most people only start to notice signs as they get older.
Osteoarthritis happens when the cartilage that covers our bones gets worn down over time. Our bones slide smoothly together because of cartilage. But over time, cartilage starts to break down, and the pain you feel is from your bones pushing against each other. This is Osteoarthritis.
As an expert in reconstructing hips and knees at NYU Langone’s Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Dr. Vinay K. Aggarwal talked about osteoarthritis and what we know about it. Someone once told Dr. Aggarwal, “I know I have arthritis everywhere,” and that’s pretty much what’s going on in their body, he said.
Osteoarthritis most often affects the hip joints, which can lead to pain in the hip and groin. This can also happen in your knee joints and cause pain in the front, back, and sides of your knees.
Getting osteoarthritis and how quickly it starts can be affected by things we can’t change, like our genes and how we age. But there are some things we can control, like how much we eat, exercise, and use drugs like smoking.
If you have Osteoarthritis signs, you can take anti-inflammatory drugs to help ease the pain. Even though this can help with pain and symptoms, Osteoarthritis has no cure and no medicines that can help slow or stop its development.
Surgery is a possibility for people with very bad cases. Osteoarthritis surgery can be done in two main ways: one is slightly invasive, and the other is a joint replacement. What kind of osteoarthritis you have and how bad it is will determine which choice is best for you.