BOISE, Idaho — Trouble bending at the knees or hips could be a sign of osteoarthritis, a condition that affects millions of people as they get older.
"Osteoarthritis is really sort of just a degeneration of the of the joint space. So joints we know are typically protected by cartilage, and as that cartilage wears down over time, bones can rub on bone, and that's what we call osteoarthritis," explained Dr. Daniel Meltzer an emergency room physician and Executive Medical Director for Regence BlueShield of Idaho.
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The result is significant pain. Dr. Meltzer said many cases stem from overuse of a joint.
In more severe cases, a joint replacement is an option. But researchers are also exploring ways to replace the cartilage itself.
"There's also a lot of scientific research being done to regenerate or to generate native tissue that can actually be injected, so stem cells, for example, that can be injected into that area, people also are using cadaveric transplants and in some cases working on live tissue transplants into those areas to improve that buffer when that cartilage wears out," added Dr. Meltzer.
For minor cases, Dr. Meltzer said anti-inflammatory medication like ibuprofen can help, as can physical therapy and maintaining a healthy weight.
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