What is osteoarthritis?
Osteoarthritis is a progressive wear and tear of the joint cartilage. The protective cartilage thins until bone painfully rubs against bone. The most commonly affected areas are the knees, hips, hands, and spine.
While osteoarthritis cannot be reversed, its progression can be significantly slowed – and symptoms can be considerably alleviated.
What are the symptoms of osteoarthritis?
Typical signs include joint pain exacerbated by activity, "start-up pain" after periods of rest, stiffness, restricted mobility, and occasional swelling.
What causes osteoarthritis?
Osteoarthritis develops due to long-term stress and the resulting cartilage degradation. Misalignments, obesity, and previous joint injuries accelerate the process.
Welche Prognose kann ich erwarten?
Osteoarthritis is not curable, but its symptoms can be treated effectively. With the right therapy, the joint often remains mobile for a long time.
What are the risk factors for osteoarthritis?
- Advanced age
- Obesity
- Improper loading and misalignments
- Previous joint injuries
- Family predisposition
What are the treatment methods for osteoarthritis?
Treatment involves exercise therapy to maintain mobility, targeted pain management, and regenerative procedures. Well-trained muscles relieve the joint and alleviate symptoms.
Welche Vorbeugungen können getroffen werden?
A healthy body weight, regular low-impact exercise, and avoiding overuse and joint injuries are preventative.
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Wie verläuft der typische Zeitablauf?
Osteoarthritis develops slowly over years. Periods of mild symptoms often alternate with painful flare-ups.
Welche Komplikationen können auftreten?
- chronic pain and stiffness
- progressive loss of mobility
- in advanced cases, an artificial joint may be necessary
How does Clínica Es Castell help with osteoarthritis?
Clínica Es Castell in Palma precisely diagnoses osteoarthritis using ultrasound (Philips EPIQ 7) – directly on-site and without a referral. Treatment involves regenerative therapies, medical exercise therapy, and targeted pain therapy, without long waiting times.
More on this in the Orthopedics & Pain Therapy.
Häufig gestellte Fragen
What helps with osteoarthritis?
Exercise, physical therapy, weight management, and – if needed – pain-relieving measures.
Is osteoarthritis curable?
It is not curable, but the symptoms can usually be effectively relieved and the progression slowed down.
Finde mehr Informationen
- IQWiG / gesundheitsinformation.de – gesundheitsinformation.de
- AWMF Guideline “Knee Osteoarthritis” – awmf.org
- German Society for Orthopaedics and Trauma Surgery – dgou.de