Dr. MANOJ KUMAR KHEMANI
(Specialist Orthopaedic Surgeon)

Do Your Parents Have Osteoarthritis? (What Are The Signs?)

A degenerative disease, osteoarthritis worsens as one age. It’s more prevalent among the old people. According to WHO, 9.6 percent of men and 18 percent of women over the age of 60 years have symptomatic osteoarthritis worldwide. Are your parents one of them? It’s a critical condition that needs to be recognized and managed early. If not, it can significantly affect the quality of their life. In fact, 25 percent of those with symptomatic osteoarthritis fail to perform major everyday activities of life. So, to ensure your parents live a better life as they age, it’s essential to keep an eye on their orthopedic health and take prompt measures if there are any symptoms.

As osteoarthritis develops progressively, it’s possible to identify its early signs and prevent it from getting worse. Recommended Read: How to Prevent Osteoarthritis? (3 Quick Tips)

Ideally, old people should visit the best orthopedic doctor in India at least once annually for a routine checkup. During the physical examination, the doctor can help ascertain early signs of any bone or joint-related conditions and start the treatment process quickly. So, if it has been a while, take your parents to an orthopedic doctor. This is especially true if they are complaining of any specific orthopedic problems.

 

But that said, there are some symptoms of osteoarthritis that you can look out for to figure if your parents have this disease. Joint pain is one of the most common signs. If their joint hurts during movement, or after movement, it’s not a good sign. They may even experience joint stiffness, which would be more at the time of waking up in the morning. Loss of flexibility is another osteoarthritis symptom that affects the movement of the joint in its full range of motion. Your parents may even experience a grating sensation wherein they hear a popping sound when using their affected joint. There are several other symptoms of osteoarthritis, including swelling and tenderness. If your parents are noticing any of these signs, they could very well have osteoarthritis. Connect with the best osteoarthritis doctor in Kolkata – or in whichever city you live in.

The doctor will do the diagnosis, ordering tests like x-rays and MRI. They may even order blood tests as well to rule out other conditions or possible causes of the symptoms. Based on the diagnosis, they would outline a course of treatment. Remember, osteoarthritis cannot be “healed”. The treatments will focus on controlling the symptoms and helping your parents move without any problems. The treatment can include medications and physical therapy, as well as lubrication and cortisone injection. In severe cases, the doctor may even recommend joint replacement surgery.

Recommended Read:

5 (Popular) Myths About Knee Replacement Surgery
What Are The Four Stages of Osteoarthritis?

So, if you think your parents have osteoarthritis, if you or they are noticing the symptoms, get in touch with the best osteoarthritis doctor in Kolkata and seek proper treatment. Take proactive measures to get the symptoms under control before things get worse.

 

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