Creaky Floor or Creaky Knees? I
t’s a beauti- ful morn- ing, the first
rays of light poke through your win- dows, birds are chirping, and the smell of fresh air hits your nose. You hear the floor- boards creak as you make your way over to the kitchen and your freshly brewed pot of coffee. But wait, that’s not the hardwood floor creak- ing, it’s your knees! Have you noticed that
your knees, ankles, wrists, shoulders, or other joints have started to sound like Rice Krisp- ies®; snap, crackle, pop™? You are not alone. More than 15 million Americans are affected by a degenera- tive arthritis known as, osteoarthritis. The word osteoarthritis breaks down into three words; “osteo” meaning bone, and “arthro” meaning joint, and “itis” meaning inflamma- tion. This is the most common type of arthritis and is often referred to as “wear and tear” arthritis. Osteoarthritis typi- cally affects people over the age of 45 and worsens with continued use of the joint. However, I am starting to see it in much younger genera- tions as well. Our joints provide move-
ment, stability, flexibility, and protection to our musculoskel- etal system. Cartilage is a white, flexible connective tis- sue that coats the ends of the bone and allows for fluid mo-
tion of the joint. Synovi- um tissue lines the joint capsule and secretes the lubrication needed. Think of your knee or elbow bending
back and forth like a hinge. With proper lubrication and oil, the hinge will move freely. Joint inflammation is one of our body’s natural de- fense mechanisms to pro- vide protection to an area that is healing. Chronic, or long term, inflammation it will cause abnormal tissue and bone changes and an eventual breakdown of the cartilage in the joint. The inflammation will lead to redness or warmth, swelling, pain, and a loss of mobility in the joint. Left untreated, the inflamma- tion can cause a positive feedback loop, bringing more inflammation and degenerative changes as time progresses.
Stages of Osteoarthritis There are four progressive stages
of osteoarthritis:
Stage 0: Normal – there is no radio- graphic evidence of arthritic changes or loss of joint space. Mobility is good and there is no pain.
Stage One: Minor – Beginning phase of wear and tear begins in the joint capsule. There may be a mild decrease in joint space as the cartilage wears down and the bone may start to have subtle changes as it adapts to the added pressures inside the joint. There may or may not be pain in this stage.
AUGUST 2017 17
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44
