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Sometimes, the pain and stiffness can impair movement. Your healthcare provider may order X-rays to check for bone spurs and other problems.
The X-rays may show bone spurs, but the cartilage may continue to look normal. Diagnosis relies on an assessment of your symptoms, a physical exam, and other tests.
You may also need to make lifestyle changes, like losing weight and doing low-impact exercises. Other treatment options may include strength training and supplements.
You may need to wear a brace, shoe insert, wrap, or knee support. Stage three of OA is considered moderate, and the cartilage between the bones begins to show signs of wear. The space between joints becomes visibly narrower. More bone spurs may develop and they can enlarge. Most people have frequent pain when moving, walking, or doing other activities that use the joints. Stiffness in the joints may be worse in the morning and after prolonged sitting.
Swelling in the joints may also be visible. Diagnosis during stage three relies on symptoms and a physical exam. You may also have X-rays and an MRI. Arthroscopy, a minimally invasive procedure, may be used in the diagnosis as well. Diagnostic arthroscopy involves the insertion of a small scope into the joint to examine it.
If they are not enough, your practitioner may prescribe pain medication for you. You may need hyaluronic acid or corticosteroid injections into the joints for pain relief.
Lifestyle changes, such as losing weight and exercising, continue to be important during stage three. You may also need physical therapy. The amount of cartilage in the affected joints in stage four is much lower—and in some cases, it may be completely gone. The space between the joints is much smaller, and there is less synovial fluid to lubricate the joints. Bone spurs are much larger. Most people have a lot of pain when using their affected joints.
Daily activities may be difficult or impossible to do. Stiffness, swelling, and inflammation can also be severe.
During stage four, diagnosis relies on symptoms, physical exam, lab tests, X-rays, and MRI. By stage four, non-invasive treatments and lifestyle changes may not be enough. Your healthcare provider may recommend an osteotomy or bone realignment surgery to reduce pain.
Arthroplasty or knee replacement surgery is another option. Although it is thin on the X-rays, it ensures its normal function. The evolution is thus a succession of painful flare-ups separated by intervals of variable duration, up to the stage of cartilage ulceration. At this stage, the cartilage has disappeared and part of the bone is exposed so the pain may intensify.
Sometimes the episodes slow down or even disappear, replaced by pain proportional to the time of walking and standing. Sometimes as much as twenty years may go by between the beginning of the first flare and the total destruction of the cartilage.
However, the pain caused during osteoarthritic flare-ups is not always very pronounced, so that some people neglect their osteoarthritis with the risk of it being discovered at an advanced stage. Thus, you need to know that it is not normal to suffer regularly from a painful joint.
It is essential that you go and see your doctor as early as possible. He or she will decide, if considered necessary, to prescribe standard X-rays which will be used for regular monitoring.
Here are doctor recommendations to reduce the risk of OA or delay its onset. Ultimately, the best defense against any disease, including OA, is a healthy lifestyle.
Diet, exercise, sleep, managing stress and whether you smoke, or drink can have a tremendous influence on overall health, and the health of your joints. Get involved with the arthritis community. Every gift to the Arthritis Foundation will help people with arthritis across the U. Join us and become a Champion of Yes. There are many volunteer opportunities available.
Take part to be among those changing lives today and changing the future of arthritis. Help millions of people live with less pain and fund groundbreaking research to discover a cure for this devastating disease. Please, make your urgently-needed donation to the Arthritis Foundation now! Honor a loved one with a meaningful donation to the Arthritis Foundation.
We'll send a handwritten card to the honoree or their family notifying them of your thoughtful gift. I want information on ways to remember the AF in my will, trust or other financial planning vehicles. The Arthritis Foundation is focused on finding a cure and championing the fight against arthritis with life-changing information, advocacy, science and community.
We can only achieve these goals with your help. Strong, outspoken and engaged volunteers will help us conquer arthritis. By getting involved, you become a leader in our organization and help make a difference in the lives of millions. Become a Volunteer More About Volunteering. By taking part in the Live Yes! And all it takes is just 10 minutes. Your shared experiences will help: - Lead to more effective treatments and outcomes - Develop programs to meet the needs of you and your community - Shape a powerful agenda that fights for you Now is the time to make your voice count, for yourself and the entire arthritis community.
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