Osteoarthritis is the most common joint condition, affecting 520 million people around the world. It most commonly affects the knees, hips and hands, but can affect any joint. In normal joints, hyaline cartilage covers the end of each bone. Hyaline cartilage provides a smooth, gliding surface for joint motion and acts as a cushion between the bones. In OA, the cartilage breaks down, causing pain, swelling and problems moving the joint.

The odds of having osteoarthritis increase with age, but it’s a myth that the condition is an inevitable part of ageing. It’s also a myth that only older people experience symptoms.

To help you understand osteoarthritis and manage its symptoms more effectively, let’s bust four common myths about the condition.

Myth 1 – Arthritis is purely due to wear and tear on your joints

The exact cause of osteoarthritis is still unclear, but it’s certainly more complicated than just being due to wear and tear. It’s very common to think that our joints are like our cars – the more we use them, the quicker they will wear out. Our joints are human tissue and much more complicated than this. A disease process that involves inflammation interferes with how the cartilage repairs itself, but the joint may still be able to work normally, without any symptoms.
There may be risk factors that make it more likely you will have problems with arthritis that you can influence. Being overweight increases the level of inflammation in your system. This is thought to contribute to joint changes as well as putting more strain on any affected weight-bearing joints. Losing as little as 6% of body weight has been shown to result in reduction in pain and improved function.

A 25% weight loss has been shown to improve outcomes by 50%.

Myth 2 – Exercise will make osteoarthritis worse

This is potentially the most damaging misconception, and regulatory bodies actually state that exercise is one of the three core treatments for osteoarthritis. This should involve both strengthening around the affected joint and general cardiovascular exercise. Strengthening muscles around the joint can improve symptoms by protecting it. Improving general fitness can also reduce inflammation.

If you’re a runner, osteoarthritis is no reason to stop. A recent study including runners and non- runners concluded that runners were no more likely to experience symptoms associated with osteoarthritis. In fact, runners had more cartilage and less symptoms than non-runners, thought to be due to them stimulating the joint to respond to load.

Myth 3 – Pain equals damage

Evidence has shown that there’s no correlation between the changes that naturally occur in osteoarthritis and the symptoms that are experienced. If you feel pain, there’s still a huge opportunity for you to control your symptoms. And you can be assured that these symptoms don’t necessarily indicate further damage. Pain is a complicated sensation that is not directly related to the structural changes in your joint.

Myth 4 – Surgery is the only way

This stems from the belief that no matter what you do, your osteoarthritis will get worse. Only about a third of people get worse over time and some do see improvement in their symptoms of pain and disability. Rehabilitation and exercise prescription is one of the recommended first-line treatments to advise on the right forms of exercise and ways to manage your pain. Chiropractic care is also an essential part of pain management as we can mobilise your joints and encourage fluid to move and lubricate your joints. While we can’t reverse OA, we can reduce the symptoms and prevent wear and tear acceleration.