Osteoarthritis is such a nuisance especially for those who are at an elderly age. Despite the symptoms that it brings, some people have no idea about some other crucial information about this condition. Good thing chiropractors in Vacaville do know all about this and are here to help.

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10 Things you may not know about Osteoarthritis in Vacaville

1. Osteoarthritis is the most common form of arthritis - There are lots of people that are affected by this condition and some of them may be someone close to you. Osteoarthritis has affected 13.9% of adults aging 25 years and above while 33.6% comes from those aging 65 years and beyond. According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), 26.9 million American adults are suffering from osteoarthritis and this is based on the most recent data from 2005.

2. Osteoarthritis mostly affects the knee and hip joints - Complaining hips and creaking knees are very common signs of aging. According to the Framingham OA study, their data has shown that symptomatic knee arthritis has affected 6.1% of adults aging 30 years and 9.5% of adults between 63-93 years old. Symptomatic hip osteoarthritis has already affected 4.4% of adults aging 55 years and older.

3. Osteoarthritis is classified into 2 types: primary (idiopathic) and secondary - Primary osteoarthritis (idiopathic osteoarthritis) has no known underlying or predisposing cause. Secondary osteoarthritis happens due to another medical condition or trauma in the joint area.

4. Osteoarthritis is the cause of about 6% arthritis-related deaths - Who would think that arthritis would be classified as a killer disease? Well, all of that will change because osteoarthritis is the reason behind 500 deaths each year and that number is still on the rise. It's worth noting that the number may underestimate the real contribution of osteoarthritis to the mortality rate and it's hard to compare.

5. Women aging 50 years and above are more at risk than men - The CDC has reported that men have a 36% lower risk of hip osteoarthritis and 45% lower risk of knee osteoarthritis than women.

6. Osteoarthritis can be managed by modifiable risk factors - You are capable of preventing osteoarthritis. If you can manage your weight, prevent repetitive stress, avoid joint injury, and are regularly participating in regular physical activities, then you are reducing your risk of acquiring osteoarthritis.

7. Knee osteoarthritis is one of the 5 leading causes of disability in non-institutionalized adults - A lot of people have been sidelined once they start developing knee osteoarthritis. 80% of patients suffering from osteoarthritis are unable to do their normal tasks due to their limited range of motion. According to a statistic from 1999, people who have knee osteoarthritis have missed more than 13 days of work.

8. 70% of people at the age of 70 have x-ray evidence of osteoarthritis - Even though 70% of this group has x-ray evidence of osteoarthritis, only half of them have developed symptoms.

9. Genetics play a significant role in osteoarthritis - Osteoarthritis runs in the blood. According to research, 20-35% of knee osteoarthritis and 50% of hand and hip osteoarthritis are determined by genetics. If someone from your family has it, there's a chance that you might develop it as well.

10. Pain and physical limitations identify osteoarthritis as a crippling disease - About 40% of adults suffering from knee osteoarthritis already have fair or poor health. This number is enough to affect those who are crippled by their condition.

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If you suspect that you or someone close to you is affected by osteoarthritis, please don't let it go untreated. You can go to your nearest healthcare professional like Dr. Alex Tam of Vacaville. He specializes in such a condition and you can be sure that he will assist you on the treatment and recovery process. Just visit him in the top chiropractic and holistic center in the Solano county and he will be happy to assist you as soon as possible.