Osteoarthritis is the most common form of arthritis, osteoarthritis occurs when the protective cartilage on the ends of your bones wears down over time. It commonly affects joints in your hands, neck, lower back, knees and hips. This gradually worsens with time but osteoarthritis treatments can slow the progression of the disease, relieve pain and improve joint function. Osteoarthritis occurs when the cartilage that cushions the ends of bones in your joints deteriorates over time. Cartilage is a firm, slippery tissue that permits nearly frictionless joint motion. In osteoarthritis, the slick surface of the cartilage becomes rough. Eventually, if the cartilage wears down completely, you may be left with bone rubbing on bone.
Osteoarthritis symptoms include:
- Pain. The joint may hurt during or after movement.
- Tenderness. The joint may feel tender when you apply light pressure to it.
- Stiffness. Joint stiffness may be most noticeable when in the morning or after a period of inactivity.
- Loss of flexibility. The patient may not be able to move the joints through its full range of motion.
- Grating sensation. The patient may hear or feel a grating sensation when using the joint.
- Bone spurs. These extra bits of bone, which feel like hard lumps, may form around the affected joint.
