Victoria University Of Technology
School of Human Movement, Recreation and Performance

HPE 4030 Social Bases Of Health

Public Health Research Assignment

History, Prevalence and Causes Of Osteoarthritis

Corey Lawson
3077890

Words 1771

Osteoarthritis
Osteoarthritis, (OA) also known as degenerative joint disease, is the most common form of arthritis, affecting 30 million or more people worldwide. OA causes some mild aches and pains but never really incapacitates people.  Unfortunately, in many individuals it is more than a minor problem, and can lead to significant pain, limitation, and overall disability, particularly when it involves significant joints such as the hips, knees, or spine.  There are many coping strategies to consider for those with OA.

What is Arthritis?

The word arthritis is derived from two Greek words.  The first, athron, means joint.  The second, itis, means inflammation, Literally translated then, arthritis means inflammation of a joint.    (Gordon, 1993:7)

Inflammation of a joint is vital in the renewing process that occurs in response to injury of living tissue.  It’s a positive healing process provided it ends in relatively short time and does not linger indefinitely and become chronic.  It’s the chronic nature of arthritic inflammation that’s negative and sets in motion the chain reaction leading to arthritic symptoms and signs (such as joint pain, tenderness, warmth, swelling, and redness) and complications. (Gordon, 1993:7)

 

OA and rheumatoid arthritis are the two most common types.  Arthritis in all its forms, is responsible for the chronic disability of millions of people worldwide, over the age of twenty-five.  It affects one person in four over the age of 65 and one person in 10 develops symptoms requiring treatment.  Although a change in eating habits and lifestyle will assist those with rheumatoid arthritis, OA sufferers have different measures to consider. (Porter 1993:7)

What is Osteoarthritis?

 

OA has the distinction of being the oldest and most prevalent chronic disease known to humanity.  The disease affects both men and women, and can be traced back millions of years.  It has been recognized in the joints of skeletons and mummies as far apart as Egypt, Peru and Africa.  It is certainly not just a disease of modern day living. (Porter 1993:7)

It’s a degenerative disease characterized by the progressive loss of joint cartilage.  Fortunately the damage is limited to the musculoskeletal system and it usually involves only one or a few joints.  The weight bearing joints – the feet, knees, hips, and spine – as well as the digital joints of the fingers, hands and toes are most likely to be problem areas. (Gordon, 1993:8)
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Until recently experts thought that OA resulted from normal wear and tear on a person’s joints over the course of a lifetime. The current view is that a variety of factors interact to cause Osteoarthritis.  These factors are aging, repetitive impact on the body’s weight bearing joints, genetics and some other biochemical processes, as yet unknown. (Gordon, 1993:8)

What Causes Osteoarthritis?

In discussing the causes of OA it’s important to mention the two main classifications of the disease: primary and secondary.

Primary OA (also called idiopathic OA) refers to the condition that develops for no apparent ...

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