What is Osteoarthritis?

Osteoarthritis (OA) is the most common form of arthritis.

An estimated 27 million Americans live with it according to the Arthritis Foundation. And because it's two major risk factors: aging and obesity, are so prevalent among the baby-boomer generation, the number of people with OA is predicted to exceed 60 million by 2020.  Osteoarthritis causes cartilage and joints to degenerate over time.  Recently, researchers at Chicago's Rush University Medical Center identified a specific protein that appears to play a key role in translating cartilage and joint damage into the pain that Osteoarthritis suffers feel.   

Osteoarthritis can start to affect the joints before symptoms like stiffness and pain become apparent. By that time, joint damage may have already become advanced an pain may be triggered by such things as climbing stairs.  Eventually, pain may even be caused by touch or pressure. and eventually even at rest.  

Research Says

Researchers conducted a 16-week-long study in mice that attempted to simulated the slow, chronic progression of osteoarthritis  in humans. They monitored the nerves that carry signals from the sensory organs to the brain and found that a protein known as monocyte chemoattractant protein or (MCP)-1 (CCL2) and its receptor are central to feeling OA pain.  When researchers elevated the levels of this protein in one group of mice with simulated OA and the mice exhibited signs that they were experiencing pain. Another group of mice with simulated knee degeneration, but without the protein, did not exhibit the pain-avoidance behaviors. 

Now instead of looking at why this process starts, the cartilage beginning to degenerate, these researchers will be looking for a drug so that you cannot feel the pain, but do nothing to help the reason behind the pain.  As I stated before the two biggest factors contributing to OA are obesity and aging. Now we are all getting older, so we can't do anything about aging, but obesity we can.  We all need to eat better,and exercise.  Take supplements, such as glucosamine and chondrotin sulfate, be proactive, even getting adjusted by your Chiropractor can help keep you more mobile.  Don't wait until you have OA to do something about it, but start now to try to minimize it, or better yet, not suffer from it at all.

Rosa Family Chiropractic maintains an active presence on many popular search and social media websites. Select your favorite website below to stay connected or review us.