Osteoarthritis

What is osteoarthritis?

A breaking down of cartilage  

Osteoarthritis is a painful joint disease that causes the cartilage in the joints to break down faster than it can build up. The cartilage becomes thinner and its shock-absorbing capacity deteriorates. Osteoarthritis is the most common of all joint diseases, with as many as one in four people over the age of 45 diagnosed. Common symptoms include joint pain, stiffness, swelling and pain that increases with movement. 

Inflammation in the joints 

Osteoarthritis leads to the release of inflammatory substances that activate the immune system. This, in turn, causes severe joint discomfort, without contributing to healing. Instead, they make any movement a pain to avoid - further aggravating osteoarthritis. 

A multitude of cumulative causes

Osteoarthritis is more common in women and often occurs in older people - but is not the result of ageing, but a progressive disease. The risk increases with obesity, joint damage, prolonged heavy use, relatives with osteoarthritis or previous injuries. There is only one type of treatment that helps long-term and reduces pain: physical activity and exercise of the affected joint.

Nurture cartilage and preserve muscle mass! 

Maintaining a good dose of daily activity is important for your health - especially if you suffer from osteoarthritis. Doctors advise their patients to move around as usual, even if it causes discomfort. Everyday exercise nourishes the cartilage, lubricates it and builds it up. When a joint is used and stressed, this also strengthens the muscles that surround and stabilise it.  

Blood flow to the muscles increases and they become stronger. The area is steadily supplied with oxygen and nutrients. Slag products are transported away quickly and efficiently. The body's own ability to heal is improved. 

It is therefore strongly recommended to keep moving - or to start moving, if the exercise habit has never been established!  

Products containing the therapeutic Welltex® technology can help people follow their doctor's advice more easily. Welltex® was developed by Swedish physician Dr Erland Beselin to do just that. 

Often affecting knees, hands and hips 

Osteoarthritis affects both small and large joints and can occur anywhere in the body. However, osteoarthritis is most common in the knees, hips and hands. When osteoarthritis occurs, the articular cartilage starts to break down and the surrounding tissues become inflamed and swollen. It hurts to move and to put weight on the affected joints. Despite this, it is both good and necessary to continue using the joint. 

Osteoarthritis of the knee

Osteoarthritis of the knee is the most common form of osteoarthritis. Most people who seek medical attention for knee pain have this form of joint disease. The knee may feel stiff and difficult to bend. It can also make it hard to walk and difficult to live as normal. 

The knee joint is the strongest joint in the body and it performs a variety of complex movements on a daily basis, supported by the weight of the whole body. Lifestyle and life history are important: obesity is a significant risk factor, but previous knee injuries and strenuous exercise can also increase the risk of the disease.  

Osteoarthritis of the hands 

Osteoarthritis of the hands most commonly affects the joints of the fingers, particularly the base of the thumb. This form of osteoarthritis is thought to be largely hereditary and not due to lifestyle factors. Osteoarthritis of the hands can make it difficult to perform everyday tasks as fingers become stiff and joints can become deformed.  

However, osteoarthritis of the hands can also be treated with customised exercises and training aids. In more severe cases, the finger joints may need surgery. 

Osteoarthritis of the hip 

Osteoarthritis of the hip joint mostly affects older people. As in the case of knee osteoarthritis, hip osteoarthritis is thought to be caused by heavy strain over a long period of time or a previous joint injury. Lifestyle factors thus play a major role in increasing the risk, without a specific, unambiguous cause of osteoarthritis being identified.

Read more about osteoarthritis: What is osteoarthritis? 

Back on Track's osteoarthritis products 

Our first and best-known textile technology, Welltex®, is based on the discovery that minerals can reflect body heat in the form of infrared energy - and that this energy appears to have particularly favourable effects.  

A joint support with minerals fused into the material provides extra support to the joint, but can also help increase blood flow to surrounding tissues. This makes them particularly suitable for people suffering from osteoarthritis. 

At Back on Track, we hope that our products can support both the desire and ability of people and animals to remain physically active - which in turn will have a profoundly beneficial effect on both health and quality of life. Movement is the best treatment for osteoarthritis.  

Causes of osteoarthritis  

 There is no definitive cause of osteoarthritis, nor is there a definitive test to detect the presence of the disease. Most often, diagnosis is made through symptoms and medical history. However, there are a number of factors that increase the risk. The risk increases with age, but osteoarthritis is not a result of normal ageing. Age is a risk factor - but so is, for example, being a woman, being overweight or having trained for injuries. 

As the population ages and becomes heavier, the incidence of osteoarthritis also increases. One could say that osteoarthritis develops as a result of the cumulative stress and wear on joints over a lifetime. In other words, joints have been exposed to specific risk factors over a long period of time, which has a cumulative, compounding effect. 

Heredity and genetics 

Anyone who has a relative with osteoarthritis is at greater risk of developing it themselves. This means that heredity plays a role in the development of the disease, but is not the only cause. Genetics is one risk factor among several others. 

Previous injuries and surgeries 

The risk of osteoarthritis increases in joints that have been previously injured or operated on. For example, a ligament injury in the knee can lead to the development of osteoarthritis later on, known as ‘post-traumatic osteoarthritis’. Although it has been recognised that such a link exists, there is no clear explanation for it. Osteoarthritis has many causes and several interacting risk factors.  

Age 

Osteoarthritis is not a natural ageing of the joint but a disease. Osteoarthritis, on the other hand, can result from the cumulative effect of several risk factors over a long life. Inactivity and obesity, which can be common later in life, increase the risk of osteoarthritis.   

Symptoms of the disease  

• Joint pain
• Swelling
• Stiffness
• Inflammation
• Difficulty bending the joint 

Diagnosis 

A doctor or physiotherapist can diagnose osteoarthritis through a clinical assessment. This means that symptoms are described by the patient and observed by the examining doctor or physiotherapist. It is not always necessary to perform laboratory tests or to take X-rays of the affected joint as the disease is sometimes not visible. However, these tests are sometimes performed to rule out other diseases.  

Symptoms and medical history are sufficient to diagnose osteoarthritis. 

Treatment of osteoarthritis

People diagnosed with osteoarthritis are encouraged to make the most of their daily activities, moving around, exercising and working out to take the strain off their joints and strengthen their muscles. This is the best way to relieve symptoms and slow down the progression of the disease. Unfortunately, avoiding movement and staying still is the worst thing you can do: it will make the disease worse. You can't rest osteoarthritis away. Painkillers can make it easier to stay physically active.  

Back on Track's joint protection and therapeutic textiles have the primary function of facilitating movement and an active life.   

Discover our thin and flexible Wrist Gaiters, style Mika

How to relieve the pain 

Physical activity and exercise is the main treatment method for patients with osteoarthritis. Cartilage thrives when it is put under the right amount of stress, much like muscles thrive when they are used. Exercise has also been shown to be more effective than drug treatment for osteoarthritis, often even more effective than surgery. 

Supplements containing rose hips 

Rosehip is a traditional food supplement that is particularly suitable for osteoarthritis and joint problems in general. Rosehips contain a rich cocktail of beneficial substances, such as an exceptionally high level of vitamin C, combined with various antioxidants - as well as anti-inflammatory galactolipids, which have been shown to have a good effect on joint problems.  

Read more about rosehip: Is rosehip the best supplement in the world?

Together they create a synergistic effect, a co-operation between substances, which leads to them reinforcing each other's properties and also makes the constituent substances easier to absorb. 

Read more about rosehip for horses: Why give rosehip to your horse? 

Read more about rosehip for dogs: Rosehip for dogs? - Absolutely!

When the discomfort is reduced, it becomes easier to continue moving as usual, which in turn leads to reduced discomfort. 

Osteoarthritis in animals - Dogs and horses 

The common disease osteoarthritis also affects our pets. Dogs, cats and horses can all develop osteoarthritis as they get older - especially if they are overweight. The symptoms in animals are the same as in humans: pain and swelling, stiffness and inflammation of the joints. Animals naturally react to the pain and discomfort by avoiding certain movements or showing changes in behaviour. They prefer to stay still and avoid activity.   

However, the treatment is the same as for humans: continued movement is necessary, and appropriate joint loading also relieves symptoms in the longer term. Exercise and physical activity preserve muscle mass and stabilise joints, reducing the risk of misalignment and incorrect loading of the joint. Physical activity improves general health and also keeps body weight down. Obesity in animals (and humans) increases the risk of osteoarthritis. 

Read more about osteoarthritis in horses: Discover, prevent and relieve!

Read more about osteoarthritis in dogs: Discover, prevent and relieve! 

Preventing osteoarthritis 

Does heat or cold help? 

Heat or cold may feel comfortable and relieve the pain caused by osteoarthritis. However, as osteoarthritis is a disease whose main treatment is physical activity and exercise, heat or cold cannot be used as a treatment. However, heat or cold can help in everyday life by reducing pain. 

Technological aids 

There are several types of assistive devices available for people with osteoarthritis. These devices can, for example, facilitate movement and exercise of affected joints. There are also assistive devices that can make everyday tasks easier to perform despite problems. A physiotherapist can offer help and more information. 

The importance of physical activity 

Exercise, everyday exercise, physical activity and keeping moving as usual. This is the best advice for anyone affected by osteoarthritis. The best effect of medication is to reduce the symptoms enough to allow some form of exercise.  

A physiotherapist can provide more information on the appropriate method. For example, it is good to exercise the knee using rubber bands that provide adequate resistance. It is important to exercise even if it hurts - as exercise strengthens the muscles around the knee, improves stability and reduces pain. 

Protecting the joints 

Knee supports from Back on Track are often used to relieve pain, stiffness and inflammation in joints and muscles. For example, knee support can make it easier to move around as usual. Movement and physical activity in themselves act like medicine - and often have a better effect on osteoarthritis than both drugs and surgery.  

Back on Track's therapeutic textiles contain minerals that capture and re-transmit the infrared energy radiating from the body. When this energy is reflected back to the skin, it penetrates the tissues around the joint and works by increasing blood flow. Warm, soft muscles and joints reduce the natural resistance to movement, although this temporarily increases pain. Activity itself is the most effective treatment for osteoarthritis symptoms now known. 

Read more about Welltex® - Back on Track's textile technology: Welltex® for osteoarthritis 

Frequently asked questions and answers - Osteoarthritis 

How can you tell if you have osteoarthritis? 

Pain and swelling can be symptoms of osteoarthritis. The most common is joint pain and stiffness, especially in the morning. However, the symptoms of the disease may decrease or increase over time. The diagnosis is made by a doctor or physiotherapist after a physical examination of the joint and the patient's description of their symptoms. Several joints may be affected at the same time. 

Exercise is considered more effective in relieving symptoms than painkillers or surgery. 

Is it dangerous to exercise with osteoarthritis? 

No, it is not dangerous to exercise with osteoarthritis. On the contrary, people with osteoarthritis are always encouraged to move as much as possible to preserve their muscle mass and to care for the cartilage in their joints. It is not harmful to strain a joint with osteoarthritis, even if it hurts. The pain is not dangerous, and should not lead to avoidance of movement. Physical activity is better than painkillers for reducing osteoarthritis pain. 

Articular cartilage is nourished by compressing under load and then expanding. The cartilage then absorbs synovial fluid, which is how the cartilage is nourished because it lacks blood flow. 

What happens if I don't treat osteoarthritis? 

Osteoarthritis is a degenerative disease that gets worse over time - but the rate at which this happens or the way the disease develops varies from person to person. The best treatment available for the condition is everyday exercise and gentle training. Staying active can make a big difference to your quality of life and alleviate your symptoms.  

Can osteoarthritis affect several joints at once? 

Yes, osteoarthritis can affect both small and large joints, anywhere in the body. However, the most common is osteoarthritis of the hip, knee and fingers. The diagnosis is made by a doctor or physiotherapist who can provide help with exercise, among other things.  

Can osteoarthritis be cured? 

No, there is no cure for osteoarthritis, but it is possible to alleviate the symptoms and slow down the progression of the disease. The best way to do this is to move around, use the affected joint and put weight on it, even if it hurts. 

Being active helps to maintain muscle mass and strengthen the surrounding muscles. The cartilage in the joint thrives on stress and movement. This is also the most effective way to reduce pain. Medication can reduce the pain so that exercise is possible. 

Is osteoarthritis hereditary? 

Osteoarthritis is hereditary, which means that the risk of developing osteoarthritis increases if the disease is present in close relatives. Genetics is therefore a risk factor, but it is not the only cause of osteoarthritis. Other factors that increase the risk include previous joint injury, obesity and high levels of stress during a long working life. The risk therefore increases as people get older.