What is Arthritis?
Arthritis is a severe medical condition in which a person’s joint painfully swells and stiffens for a long period. Around 58.5 million American adults and 300,000 children are diagnosed with Arthritis and it is believed that the numbers will rise over time. It is the leading cause of disability that causes a person to leave their work life and daily work in the US.
Weight-bearing joints like knees, hips and feet along with the lower back, neck, and hands are likely to get affected by Arthritis. Arthritis comes in many types and conditions of pain. Let’s talk more about Arthritis pain.
What is Arthritis Pain?
Arthritis causes painful inflammation of joints along with stiffness. Joints get tender and swollen which leads to a tremendous amount of pain among patients. Arthritis worsens with age most of the time and depending on the type of Arthritis you suffer from different kinds of Arthritis pain. Regions of body joints like knees, hips, feet, lower back, neck, and hands.
What are The Major Types of Arthritis?
There are more than 100 types of Arthritis found among patients with varieties of different Arthritis pain complaints all over the world. Additionally with each type, their signs and symptoms along with treatment methods vary as well. Here is some common major Arthritis that happens among people as follows:
- Osteoarthritis (OA) or Degenerative Arthritis- this condition cause bones to rub against each other inflaming your joints and causing pain, bone injury, and spur formation of bone.
- Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is- Autoimmune disease in which your body attacks healthy joint tissues. Sleep problems, morning stiff and painful joints, dry eyes and mouth, strange sensations on hands and feet along with inflammation at particular areas of joints occur.
- Juvenile arthritis (JA)- Arthritis that affects children. Body tissue stiffness, erosion of bones, misaligned joints, and changes in growth patterns occur under this type among kids.
- Spondyloarthropathies- Autoimmune condition leading to the body attacking tendons and ligaments which are attached to the bone. Includes pain, and stiffness in various regions, especially the lower back, spine, and pelvis.
- Lupus erythematosus- Autoimmune disease in which the body destroys its healthy joint and connective tissues of the body along with damaging organs like lungs, heart, kidneys, skin, and brain.
- Gout- Accumulation of urate crystals inside your joints
- Infectious and reactive arthritis- Infection causing joint pain and swelling according to fever and chills.
- Psoriatic arthritis (PsA)- A condition that is commonly affected by fingers and later progresses into the spine causing pain and stiffness.
- Fibromyalgia syndrome- The brain processes pain in muscles and joints increasing your pain
- Scleroderma- Autoimmune disease that inflames and hardens your skin connective tissue leading to joint pain and organ damage.
What are The Causes of Arthritis Pain?
This is a disease that affects your joints and depending on its type it can cause pain and stiffens your body. Some types of Arthritis cause joint wear and tears. Other types of Arthritis are autoimmune diseases or cause inflammation to result in Arthritis pain too.
How to Treat Arthritis Pain?
Arthritis comes in more than 100 forms and the chances of getting it mistreated and misdiagnosed are higher. Therefore, the doctor makes sure of your specific condition for Arthritis by a long procedure of medical tests and diagnosis methods like physical tests, Imaging, and lab tests.
Treatment of Arthritis aims to relieve joint pain symptoms by improving joint functioning. The doctor may perform several types of treatment on patients to understand which combination or particular works well.
Some medications which are usually given to treat Arthritis pain are:
- Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) like ibuprofen and naproxen sodium.
- Counterirritants contain menthol or capsaicin in cream and ointment forms.
- Corticosteroids like prednisone.
- Disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs).
Surgery treatments include:
- Joint repair often is performed arthroscopically.
- Joint replacement
- Joint fusion
Physiotherapy can be an effective treatment for some types of arthritis. Exercise can help you give flexibility to joints and strengthen them.
