Osteoarthritis

Osteoarthritis, sometimes referred to as degenerative joint disease or osteoarthrosis, is the most common form of arthritis. Osteoarthritis is characterized by the breakdown of joint cartilage and may affect any joint in the body. It is not exclusive to any joint or set of joints.

It includes those in the fingers, hips, knees, lower back and feet. At the commencement of the disease osteoarthritis may strike only one joint. However, when the fingers are affected, then multiple hand joints may become arthritic.

In a healthy joint, the ends of the bones are encased in smooth cartilage. These are protected by a joint capsule lined with a synovial membrane that produces synovial fluid. The capsule and fluid protect the cartilage, muscles and connective tissue.

With osteoarthritis the cartilage becomes worn away. Spurs grow out from the edge of the bone, and synovial fluid increases. The result of this is that the affected joint or joints feel stiff and sore.

There is no cure for osteoarthritis, but available treatments can relieve pain and help the sufferer to remain active. However, if osteoarthritis is actively managed a measure of control over the pain may be gained.

The exact cause of osteoarthritis remains unknown. It is believed that it is a combination of factors, including being overweight, the aging process, joint injury or stress, heredity, and muscle weakness.

The cartilage damage may be due to the action of mechanical stress that results in an imbalance of enzymes released from the cartilage cells or from the lining of the joint. When normally balanced, these enzymes allow for the natural breakdown and regeneration of cartilage. However, too much of the enzymes can cause the joint cartilage to break down faster than it can be rebuilt. The exact cause of this enzyme imbalance remains unclear.

The body goes to work repairing the damage, but when the repairs are inadequate, the result is also inadequate. Instead of true repair there is growth of new bone along the sides of the existing bone. This produces prominent lumps, most noticeable on hands and feet. Each of the steps in this attempted repair process produces pain. The pain and tenderness over the bony lumps may be most marked in the early stages of the disease. It becomes less evident later on in the diseases progress.

As previously noted, there is no known cure as damage to the joint is unlikely to be reversible. The usual procedures are the application of various medications and in extreme conditions surgery.

Rheumatoid Arthritis

Rheumatoid arthritis is a chronic disease which is characterized by inflammation of the lining, or synovium, of the joints. This disease can lead to long-term joint damage, the result being chronic pain, loss of function and the possibility of complete disability. Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) progresses in three distinct stages. The first stage of the disease is the swelling of the synovial lining. This swelling causes pain, warmth, stiffness, and redness and swelling around the joint. The second stage is the rapid division and growth of cells, or pannus, which causes the synovium to thicken. In the third stage, the inflamed cells release enzymes that can digest bone and cartilage. When this happens it can cause the joint concerned to lose its shape and alignment. This leads to more pain coupled with a loss of movement.

The exact cause of rheumatoid arthritis is unknown. It is believed, however, that there is no one exact cause for this disease. Researchers now are debating whether RA is one disease or several different diseases that share common features.

It is known that the body’s immune system plays an important role in rheumatoid arthritis. In fact, RA is referred to as a disease of the immune disease because people with RA do have an abnormal immune system response. In the normal healthy immune system, white blood cells produce antibodies that protect the body against foreign substances. People who have RA have an immune system that mistakes the body’s healthy tissue for a foreign invader and attacks it.

Rheumatoid arthritis presents itself on many different fronts, and in many different ways. This means that medical treatment needs to be tailored to the individual. To do this it becomes necessary to take into account the severity of the arthritis, other medical conditions that may be present, and lifestyle. Current treatment methods focus on relieving pain, reducing inflammation, stopping or slowing joint damage and improving the body’s ability to function correctly thus helping to develop and maintain a sense of well-being.

Arthritis has more than 100 forms and is a very common cause of physical disability.

There is no cure for arthritis, but there are available treatments that can relieve pain and help the sufferer to remain active. Furthermore the way in which a person copes with arthritis can depend very much upon behaviour and attitude. If real efforts are made to actively manage arthritis, then it is possible to gain some measure of control over the pain.

See the article by the same author: Hypnotherapy and the Treatment of Arthritis

Copyright © 2004 A J Edwards Colchester

About the Author

Antony J. Edwards DHyp DHP MA FRSH MIAH MBIH LAPHP Nationally Registered Hypnotherapist, Hypnoanalyst and Psychotherapist

Registered within the General Hypnotherapy Register as holding the Senior Qualification in Hypnotherapy Practice.

Tony has earned advanced qualifications in Clinical and Medical Hypnotherapy and Hypnoanalysis. He has further advanced qualifications in Psychotherapy and Behaviour Modification, in Stress Management and Consultancy, in Transpersonal Psychology and in Meridian Energy Therapies.