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Osteoarthritis

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Osteoarthritis is a disorder that is characterized y a progressive deterioration of the articular cartilage. This is the most common of all joint diseases and it affects more than 80% of people who reach the age of 70 years and above. Though the suffix of the disease indicate otherwise, osteoarthritis is not characterized by a situation of excessive joint inflammation a s is the case with rheumatoid arthritis. This disease is asymptomatic, especially in the early years of its development. As the disease progresses, the pain, stiffness and also a limitation of movement may develop and grow to something that will become serious with time. The common sites where discomfort is experienced around the vertebrae area, the hips and the knees, or is simple terms, joints that bear much of the weight of the body.
The cause of this disorder is not completely clear, but biomechanical forces that usually place stress on joints are thought to interact with biochemical and genetic factors that contribute to osteoarthritis. In the early stages of the disorder, there is roughening and softening of the cartilage, and eventually, they wear away. The bone is deprived of its protective cover and it regenerates the destroyed tissue. The action results to an even remodeling of the surface of the surface of the joint. Thick bony outgrowths that are known as spurs develop sometimes. Articulation of the joint becomes difficult.
Treatment modalities
There is evident that is bodily and that can be taken as an effective cure for osteoarthritis. This is devil’s claw. This is a pain relieving and anti inflammatory method, that plays roles of importance in the treatment of other diseases such as rheumatoid disorders. Fourteen studies have been identified that have investigated successfully the use of this method for OA related conditions. Eight of them were observational studies, while the others were randomized so that they could assess clinical effectiveness.
Many of the clinical trials were conducted with methodologies lacking certain important criteria for a full assessment of devil’s claw. The safety of devil’s claw can be determined from in part from toxicity studies that are performed in animal studies. They are also performed in adverse drug reaction, and observational studies and spontaneous reports of suspected adverse drug reactions to the medicine and health care regulatory agency through yellow card reporting system.
All studies that have taken place to observe whether devil’s claw is an effective treatment for OA have demonstrated an improvement in pain symptoms after the treatment is administered. However, there is a problem that occurred in some cases whereby it was difficult to identify the improvement in patients with OA. This was due to use of appropriate doses of the drug extract and adequate treatment periods whereby a number of methodological issues associated with the studies were employed. However, this is not to say that devil’s claw is an ineffective treatment for OA.
Another form of treatment that have been found to be effective is the use of massage. Many people with OA receive massage for temporary relief, and this is one of the most highly used methods of complimentary practice to reduce the effects of the disorder. Massage is becoming a way that is worldwide accepted within the medical community. This is because many patients with damaged joints need a gentle stretching routine and massage come in handy in helping during the process of relaxing tight muscles caused by chronic arthritis.
Massage therapists who work with arthritic joints are of the opinion that moderate pressure and a variety of practices such as heat, breath work, visualizations and topical analgesics. With a hot stone application there is an action relieve sore joints, reduce stress and improve circulation. Medical practitioners opine that massage should e performed with great care and it should e done during non inflammatory periods. Massage therapy can be so variable with the population of the old, and so is should be approached in a gentle manner until feedback is received from the person under massage, regarding post massage benefit.
Electrical stimulation program on clinical parameters is used to treat patients with knee osteoarthritis. Knee osteoarthritis is a painful condition that causes disability and weakness of the muscles. Radiographic of OA occurs to the majority of people who are above 65 years and in 80% percent of all those who are 75 years and above. Changes in pathology involves the whole joint in the form of a progressive and focal hyaline articular cartilage loss, coupled with concomitant changes in the bone underneath the cartilage. This includes development of marginal outgrowths, and increased thickness of bony envelope.
Pain relief using electrical stimulation is explained by the gate control theory that is developed by melzac and wall. ES causes facilitation in substania gelatinosa at the level of medulla spinalis by stimulation of fibers which do not transmit pain sense. The loss of pain is what leads to ES being considered as a proper treatment of Osteoarthritis.
References
Durmus, D., Alayh G., Canturk F. (2006). Effects of quadriceps electrical stimulation program on clinical parameters in the patients with knee osteoarthritis.
Matthias Lechner et. Al. (2010). Efficacy of individualized Chinese Herbal Medication
In Osteoarthritis of Hip and Knee: A double-blind, Randomized-controlled Clinical Study.
Cunningham, C. (2010). Massage in the treatment of arthritis.

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