Causes of Osteoarthritis

Nearly half of all Americans older than 60 develop osteoarthritis and most people older than 80 will develop it. The percentage of people with osteoarthritis in Canada is even higher. But joints don't just wear out with age. Researchers now recognize that several factors lead to the development of osteoarthritis rather than one single factor. These are: biological factors, age, joint damage by injury, joint damage by chronic obesity, and heredity. Interestingly all of those factors eventually lead to osteoarthritis through weakening bone and joint metabolism.

 Although it seems that only those "over the hill" get osteoarthritis, it has been detected in people before they reach 21. Osteoarthritis may be more common in older people, but age is definitely only one of the causes.

 An injury such as a fracture or torn cartilage may result in osteoarthritis later in life. It may follow unusual or prolonged strain on a joint either in work or sport. People who constantly stress their joints are at particular risk of getting osteoarthritis, e.g., bus drivers, coal miners and foundry workers. But long distance runners who are trained in avoiding and recovering from injury are not more likely to develop osteoarthritis.

 Being overweight for a long period is also considered to speed up the process. People who are obese may be more likely to develop osteoarthritis but the jury is still out on this exact link.

 Too much weight leads to increased stress on weight bearing joints such as the knees, hips and lower spine and people who are overweight are also more likely to develop osteoarthritis in their fingers and hands.

 Some forms of osteoarthritis do run in families, especially those that affect the small joints of fingers. But in general, heredity is not a major reason for osteoarthritis.

In some people, osteoarthritis may be caused by another disease, for example, Paget's disease. Or the cause may be unknown.

 The precise causes of mechanisms leading to osteoarthritis are still unknown and research is continuing. Research is underway regarding cells within cartilage that breaks down, leading to osteoarthritis.

 Osteoarthritis is not caused by bacteria or poisons in the blood, acids in the body, diet deficiencies or excesses, gland abnormalities, the weather, exercise or sudden shock, although some of these may influence the pain.

 Normally, joints have such a low friction level that they don't wear out unless they are used excessively or are injured.

 Osteoarthritis probably begins most often with an abnormality of the cells that synthesize the components of cartilage, such as collagen (a tough, fibrous protein in connective tissue) and proteoglycans (substances that provide the cartilage's resilience).

 Next, the cartilage may grow too much, but it eventually thins and develops cracks on the surface. Tiny cavities form in the marrow of the bone beneath the cartilage, weakening the bone.

 Bone can overgrow at the edges of the joint, producing bone spurs (osteophytes), which can be seen and felt. These bone spurs may interfere with normal joint function, causing pain.

 Ultimately, the smooth, slippery surface of the cartilage becomes rough and pitted, so that the joint can no longer move smoothly. All the components of joints fail in various ways.

 Osteoarthritis is classified as primary (idiopathic) when the cause isn't known and secondary when the cause is another disease, such as Paget's disease, or an infection, deformity, injury, or overuse of a joint.

 It's not uncommon for people who have developed osteoarthritis to also display symptoms of osteoporosis, bone spurs or fibromyalgia. In fact, many bone and joint related problems can be traced back to a common problem: weakened bone and joint metabolism. When one grows older the bone and joint metabolisms tend to slow down a bit. When that happens he'll start to experience all sorts of problems with the bones and joints. EZorb is the only product that has successfully addressed the problem from the source - by raising the level of bone and joint metabolism.

*These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.

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