Severe Degenerative Joint Disease
Degenerative joint disease is also known as osteoarthritis and is the most common joint disorder, according to Medline Plus. This disease gets worse over time and can become severe enough to make getting through the day very difficult or impossible without medication or joint replacement surgery.
Other People Are Reading
-
Causes
-
Osteoarthritis is caused by deterioration of the cartilage that provides cushioning of the joints, which can cause the bones to rub together in severe cases. Causes of deterioration include aging, obesity and injury.
Symptoms
-
Severe osteoarthritis causes extreme pain and stiffness in the joints, especially in the morning. It can also cause a crunching feeling or sound as the bones rub together.
-
Affected Joints
-
This disease can potentially affect any joint, but most commonly affects the weight-bearing joints of the hips, knees, hands and spine, according to the Brigham and Women's Hospital, a teaching affiliate of Harvard medical School.
Risk Factors
-
Osteoarthritis typically affects adults older than age 40 and is more common in women than men, according to the Mayo Clinic. Repetitive stress on a joint can also increase the risk.
Treatment
-
Severe cases often require surgery to scrape the cartilage, repair ligaments, remove part of the bone to realign the joint or completely replace the joint if the other methods don't work.
-
