29 Feb Identifying arthritis pain and its treatment
Arthritis is one of the common diseases found in humans affecting people of all group ages. But, we don’t seem to understand it quite well. It’s not just one disease. It’s a term used for hundreds of problems that may be causing pain in the joints. Or when the tissues that protect cartilage fluid from being damaged are breaking down.
It can happen to anyone, regardless of their age. But it is found to target older adults and females more. In America alone, about three hundred thousand children are said to be affected by arthritis. Whereas in older adults, the count raises to an alarming fifty million.
Most people don’t take the pain too seriously in the early stage as it might not hurt as much as later on. So, they don’t tend to seek proper treatment until they reach the later stages. It has many types, although the most common are osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis.
There’s no permanent solution found, although treatments have proven to work in releasing the pain and improving the situation. And, as research says, it is treated easier if diagnosed earlier.
Types of Arthritis
It is a term used for hundreds of different conditions causing discomfort in joints. These conditions are classified into different groups based on their causes, effects, and symptoms. It has different types, including:
Degenerative (Osteoarthritis)
Inflammatory (Immune system malfunctions and instead of preventing disease by internal inflammation, it attacks joints leading to pain and discomfort)
Infectious (When a virus or bacteria enters the joints and damages the cartilage)
Metabolic (Crystals formed between joints due to excess of uric acid formation in some people)
Osteoarthritis is a condition in which bones rub with other bones and generate pain. This occurs when the tissues protecting the cartilage are damaged. Due to this, the bones start rubbing against each other. Cartilage is a fluid wall between different bones, which keeps them from rubbing against each other.
This can be due to some old injury, excessive weight, increasing age or a family history of osteoarthritis, in this case of osteoarthritis, it is essential to remain physically active and maintain your health to prevent severe conditions.
Another type is Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA). It is a long-term disease that worsens with the passage of time. If not taken care of, it could even lead to disabilities. The first of its targets are hands and feet. But it can occur in other joints as well. It is an auto-immune disease and is mostly felt in the same joints on both sides.
Symptoms
In the early stages, arthritis shows many signs and symptoms, including pain, which is also known as arthralgia. And with growing steps and passage of time, these signs start to occur more and with higher intensity. Some of the other common symptoms that you might have arthritis in its early stages are:
· Stiffness.
· Swelling.
· Pain in joints.
· Inability to move.
· Inability to reach things.
· Difficulty in walking.
· Difficulty in climbing stairs.
And other similar effects. These conditions can range anywhere from very little and mild to severe and disturbing depending on your condition and the stage of arthritis. Some malfunctions in the joints caused by arthritis are even visible to the naked eye. But most of them require X-rays and medical checkups to know the core reasons.
It is not only a condition with joints and is felt affecting kidneys, heart, eyes, and skin too. Thus, a doctor’s consultation is essential to identify and prevent your disease from spreading.
Causes
There are several different types of arthritis based on their effects, frequency, area of the target, etc. Usually, it is caused when the presence of cartilage between bones is affected and cannot prevent two bones from rubbing into each other, which causes pain and discomfort.
Most of the time, it is caused by increasing age or some old injury. A muscle tear or cartilage breakdown causes pain. It grows with time until the problem is resolved. Some people might inherit arthritis pain from their family history. Weak metabolism is also one of the major causes.
Another reason might be the immune system malfunctioning, which is also known as rheumatoid arthritis (RA). It is caused when the immune system attacks the body tissues, which are keeping the cartilage alive. It can eventually lead to harming both bone and cartilage. Doctors are still trying to research the exact causes for the immune system to malfunction and attack the tissues.
Sitting in the same position for long intervals of time and not being physically active can also be a reason for the cartilage, metabolism, and immune system to get weaker and lead to arthritis.
Treatments
The main reason for going for the treatment is the uncontrollable pain occurring all the time. So, the reduction of pain and the stoppage of damage is the main goal that any treatment must do. There are certain different types of treatments that one can go for depending on the frequency and intensity of pain they’re going through. These include;
Medicine
Medications like pain killers and opioids are vastly used by arthritis patients to prevent the discomfort in their normal routine lives. Some of these medications are;
NSAIDS (Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs) like ibuprofen
Pain killers with opioids
Analgesics like Tylenol and Vicodin
Corticosteroids (In case of RA)
Physical Therapy
Another important treatment for arthritis is physical therapies like Pilates or exercises, which help strengthen the muscle and reduce factors that cause inflammation and discomfort in the joints. People who are more physically active tend to be less affected by arthritis.
Surgery
Another option is undergoing surgery to replace the problematic joints with new, artificial ones. Usually, these surgeries are performed on the knee joints or hips. It is a complicated and costly procedure. It is best to let specialist doctors look at the condition and decide whether it requires surgery or not.
So, if you are looking for the best pain care specialists in San Diego. Call Pacific Medical Healthcare at (619) 333-8114 today. The doctor will be at your doorstep in a while to take care of your pain and the reasons behind it.
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