Osteoarthritis

                                                       DISEASE CONDITION:  Osteoarthritis

Osteoarthritis is a disease that affects the joints in your body, while it can affect any joint.  Osteoarthritis most commonly occurs in hands, hips, knees, neck and lower back.  To understand how osteoarthritis develop, you need to know how normal joint work.  Let’s focus on the knees, the place where the ends of two or more bones meet is called a joint.  In a healthy joint the ends of the bones are encased in smooth cartilage.  The cartilage covers and cushions the bones, allowing the joints to move smoothly and easily.  The joint is surrounded by a fibrous envelope called the joint capsule.  The synovium lines the joint capsule and produces a fluid that helps to reduce friction and wear in a joint.  Muscles and tendon power the joint, making it able to move.  Osteoarthritis is caused by a breakdown of cartilage resulting in joint pain.  The smooth cartilage surface wears down.  When this happens, the cartilage looses its elasticity, and is more easily damaged by excess use or by injury.  With time, sections of cartilage may wear away completely as a result the bones may rub together.  As the cartilage wears down, the joint may lose its normal shape, the bone ends thicken.  The bone at the edge of joint may grow outward and form bony spurs.  Fluid-filled cysts may form near the bone near the joint, bits of bone or cartilage may float loosely in the joint space.  When osteoarthritic joints becomes swollen and damaged, they can become painful and difficult to move, this example illustrates how osteoarthritis can affect the knee.  The general process of cartilage breakdown is similar in other joints affected by osteoarthritis.

Drugs used to Treat Osteoarthritis:
Aspirin
betamethasone
capsaicin
celecoxib
choline magnesium trisalicylate
diclofenac
diclofenac and misoprostol
diflunisal
etodolac
fenoprofen
flurbiprofen
hydrocodone and ibuprofen
indomethacin
ketoprofen
lansoprazole and naproxen
meclofenamate
meloxicam
nabumetone
naproxen
oxaprozin
piroxicam
sodium hyaluronate
sodium hyaluronate
tometin
valdecoxib
tiaprofenic acid

Disclaimer:  All the above listed drugs are for reference purpose only, these drugs should be taken on recommendation of authorized physicians only.