With nearly 10 million French people concerned, osteoarthritis is joint disease which strikes the most people. Especially seniors, since according to figures from the National Institute of Health and Medical Research (Inserm), 65% of people over 65 suffer from osteoarthritis.
Osteoarthritis can affect any articulationsprimarily the spine, fingers, especially the thumb, represent the second location. 30% and 20% of patients aged 65 to 75 are affected in the knees or hips. However, osteoarthritis localized on these joints is particularly debilitating because they bear the weight of the body.
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The diagnosis of osteoarthritis is often a source of concern, one expects increasingly present mechanical pain and difficulty in bending and unbending the affected joint. However, osteoarthritis can be asymptomatic as very painful and its evolution remains unpredictable. Thus, according to the French Society of Rheumatology (SFR), “the evolution of osteoarthritis is most often very slow over several years”. The SFR adds that osteoarthritis can also remain silent for several years.
And cartilage damage caused by osteoarthritis does not regress, their progression is not linear. “The evolution can be very rapid and make it necessary to fit a prosthesis in less than 5 years. The disease can also evolve slowly, over several years, without inducing major handicap”, thus illustrates the Inserm site in an article published in 2017.
How does osteoarthritis develop?
According to the Institute, osteoarthritis evolves in two successive states, but at a rate that cannot be predicted:
- The chronic phases : “the daily discomfort is variable and the pain moderate”
- Acute pain attacks : accompanied by inflammation of the joint, “the pain is sharp, occurring in the morning and sometimes at night”
It is during this last phase that the process of destruction of the cartilage of the joint takes place. Consequently, Inserm recommends resting the joint during attacks and engage in regular physical activity when possibleduring the chronic phases.