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>> Home Page >> Find a Natural Cure Preview >> Osteoarthritis
Find a Natural Cure PreviewNatural Cures for Osteoarthritis
If you are not currently a member of the NaturalCures.com site and would like to read this entry in its entirety,
click here to get your 30-Day FREE Trial now!. Current website members, click here to log in and read this entire entry now! Osteoarthritis, (OA) is by far the most prevalent form of arthritis. The disease affects an estimated 20.7 million Americans. Under the age of 45, more men than women are diagnosed with OA, often due to accidents and injuries. The disease becomes three times more prevalent in women than in men after the age of 45. About a third of adults in the U.S. have X-ray evidence of osteoarthritis in the hand, foot, knee, or hip, and by age 65 as many as 75% of the population has evidence of the disease in at least one of these sites. Osteoarthritis causes the breakdown of cartilage, the smooth, gelatinous tissue that protects the ends of bones from rubbing against each other. Healthy cartilage shields bones against being worn down by friction, but in OA the cartilage is worn away, allowing bone ends to make direct contact. As the disease progresses, direct contact creates bone spurs and abnormal bone hardening, and leads to inflammation and severe pain as bones continue to rub together without proper cushioning. As a result, bones may become more brittle and are subject to fracture. There are two types of osteoarthritis: primary and secondary. Primary OA is arthritis due to an unhealthy aging process. The onset of primary OA is gradual as the disease usually progresses over the course of many years. Secondary osteoarthritis is less common, but has a more apparent, direct cause: trauma, injury, previous inflammation (even from rheumatoid arthritis), congenital joint misalignment, infection, surgery, or prolonged use of medications. Mild early-morning stiffness, stiffness following periods of rest, pain that worsens on joint use, loss of joint function, local tenderness, soft tissue swelling, creaking and cracking of joints on movement, bony swelling, and restricted mobility. There are natural cures for Osteoarthritis that do not involve the use of pharmaceutical drugs. They involve restoring the biochemical balance of the body, and making dietary and lifestyle changes designed to improve one's general health. |
