If you do suffer from osteoarthritis, you are not alone. Currently there is a staggering 11.9% (14,280) of people in the Hutt Valley region with osteoarthritis—that we know of!
While often thought of as an older person’s condition, the onset of osteoarthritis (OA) is common between the ages of 30 and 50. This may seem surprising but a major risk factor is previous joint trauma or injury, and of course this can happen at any stage in life. Another major risk factor is being overweight, which adds extra load to joints.
Classed as a non-inflammatory arthritis, OA predominantly affects the hip, knee, hand and spine. The disease reduces joint cartilage which acts as the cushion between the bones. As cartilage breaks down the bones can become malformed and the joint loses its shape, resulting in painful joints that are difficult to move. Progression of this disease is variable and highly likely, and with no cure, end stage OA will require surgery.
What can you do?
There are limited resources for those with OA and it is difficult to know how best to manage this condition. Typical questions are:
- Will exercise make it worse?
- What are the latest treatment guidelines?
- Can massage, acupuncture and naturopathy help alleviate OA symptoms?
- Do those ‘supplements’ actually work?
Come and see the Body of Work team for an informative session and to answer your questions on managing OA and other forms of arthritis.