According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, half of all adults, over the age of 65, are diagnosed with arthritis each year. Arthritis is an inflammation of one or more joints, and it can be crippling in its later stages. There are different forms of arthritis, but osteoarthritis is the most common. There is no cure for arthritis. However, there are medications, procedures, and treatments that can assist with the pain caused by the disease.
Osteoarthritis is a chronic condition that is caused by gradual wear-and-tear on the joints. Obesity is usually a factor in osteoarthritis, as it causes additional stress to weight-bearing joints in the body. The hips and the knees are most effected. Rheumatoid arthritis is not caused by deterioration, rather, it is an auto-immune disorder that causes the body to attack its own tissues, and this results in the deterioration of the joints.
Treatments for arthritis are generally minimally invasive and are conservative in nature. Most arthritis treatments begin with non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medications, otherwise known as NSAIDs, including ibuprofen and naproxen. These medications can help to minimize the chronic inflammation and pain that is associated with arthritis.
Consistent exercise is important in alleviating the pain of arthritis and keeping the joints flexible and more fluid. Walking, yoga, and water aerobics are very helpful, low-impact exercises, for arthritis sufferers. Physical therapy is helpful as well, and a physical therapist can devise an exercise and stretching regimen specific to the patient’s abilities and pain level.
Speaking with an occupational therapist about what kind of accommodations can be made for arthritis in the finger joints can be helpful. He or she can make a recommendation to purchase special grips for pens, doorknobs, or a reacher for grabbing objects out of reach.
Many arthritis patients experience improvement in pain through joint injections. These consist of a corticosteroid that reduces inflammation and pain in the joint. A physician will recommend a series of joint injections that can improve a patient’s range of motion and quality of life.
Medial branch blocks have shown much success for those who are suffering pain from back and neck arthritis. Facet joint arthritis is one of the leading causes of low back pain in adults in the United States. A medial branch block can reduce inflammation and irritation in the joints of the spine. Often, relief from this kind of pain is immediate. Medial branch blocks may be performed several times in order to reach optimum pain relief.
Sometimes, the only remedy for severe arthritis is complete joint replacement. By replacing the damaged joint with a plastic and/or metal prosthesis, the patient successfully returns to a pain free lifestyle, and they may be able to resume the activities that arthritis has robbed them of for years. Knee and hip replacements are the most common, but medical technology has advanced to include shoulder joint replacements, elbow joint replacements and finger joint replacements as well. Replacement surgery may alleviate arthritis associated pain, but recovery time post-surgery is often long and it can have complications that are not a risk with non-invasive treatments.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, half of all adults, over the age of 65, are diagnosed with arthritis each year. Arthritis is an inflammation of one or more joints, and it can be crippling in its later stages. There are different forms of arthritis, but osteoarthritis is the most common. There is no cure for arthritis. However, there are medications, procedures, and treatments that can assist with the pain caused by the disease.
Osteoarthritis is a chronic condition that is caused by gradual wear-and-tear on the joints. Obesity is usually a factor in osteoarthritis, as it causes additional stress to weight-bearing joints in the body. The hips and the knees are most effected. Rheumatoid arthritis is not caused by deterioration, rather, it is an auto-immune disorder that causes the body to attack its own tissues, and this results in the deterioration of the joints.
Treatments for arthritis are generally minimally invasive and are conservative in nature. Most arthritis treatments begin with non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medications, otherwise known as NSAIDs, including ibuprofen and naproxen. These medications can help to minimize the chronic inflammation and pain that is associated with arthritis.
Consistent exercise is important in alleviating the pain of arthritis and keeping the joints flexible and more fluid. Walking, yoga, and water aerobics are very helpful, low-impact exercises, for arthritis sufferers. Physical therapy is helpful as well, and a physical therapist can devise an exercise and stretching regimen specific to the patient’s abilities and pain level.
Speaking with an occupational therapist about what kind of accommodations can be made for arthritis in the finger joints can be helpful. He or she can make a recommendation to purchase special grips for pens, doorknobs, or a reacher for grabbing objects out of reach.
Many arthritis patients experience improvement in pain through joint injections. These consist of a corticosteroid that reduces inflammation and pain in the joint. A physician will recommend a series of joint injections that can improve a patient’s range of motion and quality of life.
Medial branch blocks have shown much success for those who are suffering pain from back and neck arthritis. Facet joint arthritis is one of the leading causes of low back pain in adults in the United States. A medial branch block can reduce inflammation and irritation in the joints of the spine. Often, relief from this kind of pain is immediate. Medial branch blocks may be performed several times in order to reach optimum pain relief.
Sometimes, the only remedy for severe arthritis is complete joint replacement. By replacing the damaged joint with a plastic and/or metal prosthesis, the patient successfully returns to a pain free lifestyle, and they may be able to resume the activities that arthritis has robbed them of for years. Knee and hip replacements are the most common, but medical technology has advanced to include shoulder joint replacements, elbow joint replacements and finger joint replacements as well. Replacement surgery may alleviate arthritis associated pain, but recovery time post-surgery is often long and it can have complications that are not a risk with non-invasive treatments.