What is osteoarthritis? Symptoms and what helps

BBC Morning Live put a familiar problem into numbers.

Around ten million people in the UK live with osteoarthritis. If you recognised your own knee, hip or hands in that discussion, you might have a question closer to home. What exactly is changing inside my joint? BBC Morning Live’s osteoarthritis clinic covered how colder, damp weather can make it feel worse. Dr Xand explains how best to cope with the condition, including why exercise is best for keeping joints well oiled, plus special stretches for your thumbs!

Here is the clip – BBC Morning Live

Perhaps you first noticed it getting out of the car. Your hip felt stiff for the first few steps, then eased. Or maybe it’s your fingers. By the time you’ve got the lid off a jar, the joint at the base of your thumb is aching. Both can happen with osteoarthritis, often shortened to OA.

What’s happening inside the joint?

Picture the end of your thigh bone where it meets your shin. Both surfaces have a smooth covering of cartilage that helps them move over each other. With osteoarthritis, that covering can thin and become uneven. The bone underneath can change shape, and the lining of the joint can become irritated. That helps explain how the same knee can feel stiff after a car journey, ache on the stairs and occasionally puff up enough to make bending it awkward.

People often call this “wear and tear”. Understandably, that makes some people start saving their steps. But a living joint can adapt, and the muscles around it can get stronger. Symptoms can settle for long stretches. A sore week tells you how that week felt. On its own, it tells you very little about how far you’ll be able to walk next summer. Arthritis UK’s guide to osteoarthritis

Do I need an X-ray to know?

Often, your description gives a clinician most of what they need. If you’re 45 or over, the pain tends to come on with activity, and any morning stiffness eases within half an hour, a GP or physio can usually diagnose osteoarthritis after talking to you and examining the joint. If the pattern is different, they may investigate further. Mention it if you’re still struggling to loosen up well after breakfast, or the pain has changed quickly.

Will it keep getting worse?

It varies. Some people have long stretches when their symptoms barely bother them. Others find that pain gradually gets in the way of sleep, work or getting about. If someone in your family needed a knee replacement, it’s understandable to wonder whether you’ll follow them. Your symptoms, how much they affect your life and how you get on with treatment will guide that conversation.

If you enjoy walking, that’s a good place to start. Suppose the first ten minutes feel comfortable but the hill home leaves you struggling. Try a shorter, flatter route, then see how you feel that evening and the following morning. A little discomfort when you start exercising is common. If you’re limping home each time or the knee keeps swelling, ask a physio to help you adjust the distance and work on strength.

You can be quite specific about what you want help with. “I want to get down the steps at the football without turning sideways” gives a physio something to work towards with you. They can watch how you manage a step, find a starting exercise you can do comfortably enough, and show you how to build it up. Regular, tailored exercise is one of the best-supported treatments for osteoarthritis. NICE guidance on exercise

And if you’ve been turning down walks because you’re worried you won’t get back, say that at the appointment too. Being able to say yes when someone asks, “Fancy coming along?” is a perfectly good reason to get some help.