There are various degenerative diseases which a physiotherapist come across. Few of them are Osteoarthritis, Cervical Spondylosis, Lumbar Spondylosis.
The reason of osteoarthritis is thought to be wear and tear of joints as one ages.It is of two types- Primary and Secondary Osteoarthritis.
Osteoarthritis is the clinical and pathological outcome of a range of disorders that results in structural and functional failure of synovial joints. Traditionally, it has been considered a disease of articular cartilage. The current concept holds that osteoarthritis involves the entire joint organ, including the sub chondral bone, menisci, ligaments, periarticular muscle, capsule, and synovium .
Systemic factors that increase the vulnerability of the joint to osteoarthritis include increasing age, female sex, and possibly nutritional deficiencies. In people at risk, local mechanical factors such as muscle weakness facilitate the progression of the disease.Loading can also be affected by obesity and joint injury, both of which can increase the likelihood of developing osteoarthritis or experiencing its progression.
This disease occurs in elderly mostly in the major joints of legs like- hip, knee.Pain is the earliest symptom. Initially pain is felt occasionally but becomes constant over months or years. A grating sound is produced by friction between the bones and cartilage.
An early investigation and treatment can prevent the disease. Physical examination should include an assessment of body weight, range of motion in the joint, the location of tenderness, muscle strength, and ligament stability. It can be diagnosed easily with the help of X- Ray and few blood test. The disease once started ,progress gradually. When disease is advanced, it is visible on plain radiographs, which show narrowing of joint space, osteophytes and sometimes changes in the subchondral bone.
Physiotherapy plays an important role to delay the occurrence of disease. It helps to rehabilitate the patient and achieve maximumstrength. A detailed assessment of thepatient helps the therapist to plan modalities for pain relief andstrengthening exercises based on his age, gender and stage of disease.
If youor anyone in your family is suffering from above mentioned issues consult your physiotherapist today.