4 signs of osteoarthritis

Osteoarthritis is a type of degenerative disease in which the joint cartilage wears out.

The signs and symptoms of osteoarthritis may vary depending on the severity of the condition.

Some people may have negligible symptoms despite radiologic signs of significant joint involvement, whereas others may have severe symptoms that may perturb sleep and rest. Symptoms generally begin slowly and worsen over time.

The four signs of osteoarthritis include:

1. Pain and tenderness
   • Osteoarthritis is one of the most painful types of arthritis. The pain is generally worsened by movements, such as walking or running, and relieved after getting rest.
   • As the disease progresses, the pain may persist even at rest and interfere with sleep as well. The affected joints could be quite tender to touch.
2. Joint swelling
   • Joint swelling is the hallmark of any type of arthritis including osteoarthritis. The swollen joints may create significant concern in the affected person to visit the doctor’s office.
   • Swelling occurs due to the inflammation of the soft tissues in and around the joint. There could be bony swellings or spurs that are felt like hard lumps around the joint.
3. Limited range of motion
   • The joint damage in osteoarthritis can limit your flexibility. The range of motion gets affected and you feel that your joints are quite stiff. Morning stiffness in osteoarthritis typically lasts for less than 30 minutes.
4. Joint crepitations
   • They refer to the crunching or grating sensations on moving the joint. This occurs due to wear and tear of the joint cartilage that may cause the bones in the joint to grind against each other during movement.

What is osteoarthritis?

Osteoarthritis is a type of degenerative disease in which the joint cartilage wears out. The cartilage is a firm and rubbery tissue that protects the end of the bones participating in joint formation. It prevents friction between the bone surfaces and protects them from excess pressure during activity.

Osteoarthritis is the most common type of arthritis, affecting about 32.5 million adults in the United States.

Osteoarthritis typically affects older individuals. Besides increasing age, other factors that may increase the risk include:

• Obesity or overweight
• Joint injury
• A family history of osteoarthritis
• Female gender, especially post-menopausal women
• Joint overuse

2 types of osteoarthritis

Depending on the underlying cause, osteoarthritis is further classified into primary and secondary.

• Primary osteoarthritis is one in which there is no underlying cause of the disease. It is the most common type of osteoarthritis.
• Secondary osteoarthritis, however, occurs due to underlying joint conditions, such as joint injury or overuse, joint infections, or as a result of other types of arthritis, such as gout or rheumatoid arthritis

What can be mistaken for osteoarthritis?

Although osteoarthritis is the most common type of arthritis, not every case of joint pain or inflammation is due to osteoarthritis. Thus, consulting a doctor is necessary for an accurate diagnosis.

Your doctor will take your detailed medical history, perform a physical examination, and order investigations, such as blood tests and imaging studies, to diagnose accurately. 

Some of the conditions that may be confused with osteoarthritis include:

• Gout
• Pseudogout
• Rheumatoid arthritis
• Septic arthritis
• Psoriatic arthritis
• Fibromyalgia
• Avascular necrosis of bone ends
• Charcot joint