Arthritis causes swelling and tenderness in the joints of a person. Stiffness and pain are the primary signs of arthritis, and the discomfort elevates with increasing age. This condition occurs when the tissues at the end of the bones are damaged.
In this article, we will briefly discuss the symptoms and risk factors of arthritis. Then we will explore some methods of treatment of it.
Causes of Arthritis
There are two primary causes of arthritis — osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis. These damage bone in very different ways.
Osteoarthritis is the most common type of arthritis. It causes wear-and-tear damage to the joint’s cartilage. When damaged, the bones cause friction between each other. This causes pain and restricts movement. If not treated, the damage can occur over many years. Eventually, joint injury or infection can take place.
On the other hand, rheumatoid arthritis makes the body’s immune system attack the joint capsule lining. Therefore the lining is swollen and gets inflamed. In the long run, the cartilage and the bones can get destroyed.
Symptoms of Arthritis
The signs of arthritis can vary depending on the type of arthritis. However, the common symptoms are involved around joints. Pain, stiffness, redness, restricted motion, swelling are the common signs of arthritis.
Who is at Risk of Arthritis?
The risk of arthritis can depend upon various factors. Some arthritis can run in families. If the parents or siblings of someone being diagnosed with arthritis, they may also fall victim to this disease.
With increasing age, the risk of arthritis grows. Also, women are more likely to be diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis than men. Previous joint injuries and obesity also play a role in developing arthritis in a person.
Treatment of Arthritis
Arthritis treatments center around treating the symptoms and improving joint functions. One may require to go through several treatments before finding the right one for their condition. In some cases, one may require combining treatments to get the best results.
The medication used to treat arthritis can vary according to the type of arthritis. The common medications include painkillers, anti-inflammatory drugs, counterirritants, disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs, biologic response modifiers, and corticosteroids.
There are also various therapies for relieving arthritis pain and improving the conditions.
Here are some of the prominent ones:
Hot and Cold Therapy
A combination of heat and cold treatment can help an arthritis patient to relieve pain and inflammation. While heat helps in easing the stiffness, the cold relieves pain, inflammation, and swelling.
A warm bath, electric blanket, moist heating pads can provide you the heat; ice packs, frozen towels, even a bag of frozen vegetables can come in handy to get the cold. Make sure the ice doesn’t directly touch your skin.
Physical Therapy
Physical therapy is a great way to reduce pressure and strain on swollen joints. This therapy includes proper positioning and body movements by counseling and manual therapy. In some cases, one may require assistive devices as well.
TENS
Transcutaneous Electrical Stimulation (TENS) therapy uses electrical stimulation to relieve the joints from pain. Small electrodes are placed on the affected joints in this therapy, and electromagnetic pulses are delivered through the skin.
Near-Infrared Light Therapy
Near-infrared light therapy is comparatively new among other therapies. In this therapy, the energy of the light is delivered to the body cells to treat joint pain.
For this therapy, a lightbox with LED lights emitting small wavelengths of infrared light is used. As near-infrared light has a bigger wavelength than visible light, it can penetrate the skin and reach the tissues and bones.
The body cells then absorb the energy of the light and get energized. These energized cells then regenerate and repair themselves. Therefore, the pain, swelling, and inflammation can get cured.
Also, light therapy increases the circulation in the body. This enables the affected area to get healed. Therefore, the area is protected from further damage.
If the medication and therapy don’t work, one may need to get surgery under the advice of a doctor. Three surgery practices are done to treat arthritis — joint repair, joint replacement, and joint fusion.
Lifestyle and Home Remedies
In some instances, it is seen that arthritis symptoms can be managed with a change in lifestyle and home remedies. Losing weight is a great place to start in getting rid of joint pain. It will reduce stress on the joints. Therefore, it will increase the mobility of the patient and decrease the chance of future injury.
Regular exercising helps in keeping the joints flexible. Any exercise involving a water area like swimming is recommended for arthritis patients. The water reduces the stress on the joints to provide better mobility and helps in managing pain.
Also, assistive devices like canes, walkers can improve the ability to perform regular chores effectively.
Bottom Line
If medication, therapy and lifestyle changes don’t work, one may need surgery under a doctor's advice. Three surgery practices are done to treat arthritis — joint repair, joint replacement, and joint fusion. Visit ArabiaMD to find the right doctor for the surgery.
