bone, joint, and muscle disorders
Osteoarthritis (OA)
Symptoms of Osteoarthritis
Usually, osteoarthritis symptoms develop gradually and affect only one or a few joints at first. Joints of the fingers, base of the thumbs, neck, lower back, big toes, hips, and knees are commonly affected. Pain, often described as a deep ache, is the first symptom and, when in the weight-bearing joints, is usually made worse by activities that involve weight bearing (such as standing). In some people, the joint may be stiff after sleep or some other inactivity, but the stiffness usually subsides within 30 minutes, particularly if the joint is moved. As the condition causes more symptoms, the joint may become less movable and may not be able to fully straighten or bend. New growth of bone and other tissue can enlarge the joints. The irregular cartilage surfaces cause joints to grind, grate, or crackle when they are moved, and tenderness develops. Bony growths commonly develop in the joints closest to the fingertips (called Heberden nodes) or middle of the fingers (called Bouchard nodes). In some joints (such as the knee), the ligaments, which surround and support the joint, stretch so that the joint becomes unstable and the muscles moving that joint may weaken. Alternatively, the hip or knee may become stiff, losing its range of motion. Moving the joint (particularly when standing, climbing stairs, or walking) can be very painful. Osteoarthritis often affects the spine. Back pain is the most common symptom. Usually, damaged disks or joints in the spine cause only mild pain and stiffness. However, osteoarthritis in the neck or lower back can cause numbness, pain, and weakness in an arm or leg if the overgrowth of bone presses on nerves. The overgrowth of bone may be within the spinal canal in the lower back (lumbar spinal stenosis), pressing on nerves before they exit the canal to go to the legs. This pressure may cause leg pain with walking, suggesting incorrectly that the person has a reduced blood supply to the legs ( Symptoms ). Rarely, bony growths in the neck compress the esophagus, making swallowing difficult. Osteoarthritis may be stable for many years or may progress very rapidly, but most often it progresses slowly after symptoms develop. Many people develop some degree of disability. People who develop a red, hot, and swollen joint should be evaluated by a doctor because these episodes are not usually caused by osteoarthritis and could result from an infection or gout. Osteoarthritis (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sUOlmI-naFs) by Osmosis (https://open.osmosis.org/) is licensed under CC-BY-SA 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Osteoarthritis of the hand causes the outermost joints of the fingers to become larger (Heberden nodes). DR P. MARAZZI/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY In this photo, the Bouchard nodes are most visible on the middle joints of the fingers of the right hand and the middle joints of the pointer and middle fingers of the left hand. © Springer Science+Business Media 