What Is Arthritis?
Fast Facts On Arthritis:
- CDC: Estimates that 22.7% of adults have arthritis
- Gender: Affects more women than men
- Cause: Wear and tear; immune system disorder
- Primary Symptoms: Joint pain, stiffness and loss of range of motion
- Prognosis: Arthritis is long-term, chronic and incurable, but the disease can be managed and controlled
What Is Arthritis?
Arthritis is the umbrella term to describe an injury or medical condition that causes joint pain, inflammation and/or degeneration. Right now, the Arthritis Foundation recognizes over 100 different types of arthritis and related conditions. The CDC estimates that approximately 22.7% of adults (54.4 million people) have doctor-diagnosed arthritis. The risk of developing arthritis increases with age, and the disease is slightly more prevalent in women than in men.
There is no cure for arthritis and symptoms are typically long-term, chronic and potentially disabling. However, pain and other symptoms can be managed and controlled through various treatment methods, and many people with arthritis live healthy, active lives.
Types of Arthritis
The forms of arthritis can largely be classified into 4 different groups, based on their causes.
Degenerative
Osteoarthritis (OA) is the most common form of degenerative arthritis. It’s caused by natural wear and tear with age. OA develops when the hard, protective layer of cartilage that covers the ends of bones where joints form degenerates. The tough, slippery cartilage acts as a protective, shock-absorbing casing that enables smooth, flexible joint movement. The erosion of cartilage causes bone-to-bone friction that leads to joint pain, inflammation and loss of movement.
Degenerative arthritis can progress slowly with age or it can accelerate due to traumatic joint injury. OA can also develop from overuse and repetitive use joint injuries. This form of arthritis causes degenerative changes not only in the joint itself, but also in the underlying bone and connective tissue around the affected joint.
Inflammatory
Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is the most common form of inflammatory arthritis. It’s caused by an immune system disorder. RA develops when the body’s immune system mistakenly attacks its own healthy joint tissue, leading to inflammation, swelling and pain. RA primarily affects the synovium, a fluid-producing tissue that lines the inside of joints. Synovium helps lubricate the protective cartilage and joints.
Over time, the progression of RA can lead to cartilage and bone damage around the affected joint. It can also lead to pain, inflammation and swelling of other organs in the body. Patients with inflammatory RA may experience symptoms like fatigue, fever and weight loss.
Other forms of inflammatory arthritis include psoriatic arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis and gout.
Infectious
Infectious arthritis (also called septic arthritis) is caused by infectious microbes that spread into a joint and cause swelling, pain and inflammation. Septic arthritis commonly develops when an infection in another area of your body spreads through your bloodstream to a joint. It can also develop from surgery or an open wound over the joint.
Metabolic
Gout is the most common form of metabolic arthritis. It develops when excess uric acid in the bloodstream crystallizes and deposits in a joint. Gout may come and go in acute episodes that cause pain, swelling and inflammation.
Risk Factors
The primary risk factors include:
- Age
- Genetics and family history
- Obesity
- Personal history of joint injury
- Occupations or activities that cause repetitive use movements
Symptoms
The primary symptoms of arthritis include:
- Joint pain
- Stiffness
- Redness and warmth
- Tenderness
- Swelling
- Loss of joint mobility and range of motion
Symptoms like pain and stiffness are typically worse in the morning or after long periods of inactivity and recede with movement during the day.
Symptoms tend to progress over time. In advanced cases, arthritis may impact your ability to walk, climb stairs, sit up straight and perform daily activities. Arthritis can also cause chronic pain and permanent joint damage.
Diagnosis
See your doctor if you experience any of the symptoms listed above. While arthritis is not curable, it’s treatable and manageable. Early and aggressive treatment can help you control flare-ups and slow the progression of the disease.
To make a diagnosis, your doctor will ask you about your signs, symptoms, and family and medical history. He or she will perform a physical exam to check your joints for swelling, tenderness and loss of mobility. Imaging tests like X-rays and CT scans can reveal soft tissue damage and cartilage loss. Your doctor may also draw blood or take a sample of fluid from within the joint space to determine the cause of your arthritis.
Treatment Options
Treatments vary based on the type of arthritis you have. The primary goal of traditional treatment methods is to reduce pain, decrease inflammation and maintain full joint mobility. By doing so, you can slow the progression of disease and reduce the risk of permanent joint damage and disability.
Medications for All Types of Arthritis
1.) Over-the-counter painkillers can relieve mild to moderate pain, but will not affect inflammation. For more severe pain, your doctor may prescribe opioids. Use opioids only as directed and only as necessary, because they are highly addictive drugs.
2.) Over-the-counter NSAIDs can relieve pain and inflammation. For more severe pain, your doctor may prescribe stronger prescription NSAIDs.
3.) Creams and ointments with the ingredients capsaicin or menthol can provide relief by blocking pain signals to achy joints.
4.) Corticosteroids can relieve pain and inflammation. They may be prescribed orally or as an injection directly into the joint.
Some studies show that steroid medications can increase cartilage degradation. These medications temporatirly reduce inflammation but do not address underlying causes of joint pain.
Medications for RA and Other Inflammatory Forms of Arthritis
If you have RA, your doctor may prescribe immunosuppressant drugs. Immunosuppressants can help slow the progression of chronic inflammatory disease.
1.) Disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs) prevent your immune system from attacking joint tissue in the body.
2.) Biologic response modifiers block immune system responses that attack joint tissue and cause inflammation and damage.
The possible downside is that medications reduce or mask symptoms, but don’t treat the underlying joint damage.
Physical Therapy
Physical therapy can help maintain joint strength, flexibility and range of motion. Exercises can also help strengthen the muscles that surround and protect joints.
Assistive Devices
Assistive devices can help manage pain and relieve pressure from sore and achy joints. Aids include splints, braces, canes, walkers and shoe insoles. You may also benefit from raised toilet seats, shower bars or shower seats to aid mobility and decrease the risk of falls and other accidents. Assistive devices are wonderful to help you manage your day-to-day pain, but they aren’t an effective way to slow the progression of joint damage.
Surgery
In severe cases of arthritis with poorly controlled pain, failure of conservative treatments and significantly reduced quality of life, surgery is an option. Depending on the location of the affected joints and the severity of damage, surgical options may include a joint repair, a joint fusion or a total joint replacement. Unfortunately, surgery can come with multiple risks. Some procedures are invasive, expensive and require months of rehabilitation afterward to restore joint functionality.
Prevention and Lifestyle Changes
Most types of arthritis aren’t preventable, but there are lifestyle changes you can make to slow the progression of disease, prevent joint damage and remain active for as long as possible.
- Exercise. Regular exercise helps keep your joints strong and flexible. Create a good mix of exercises that don’t put too much stress and pressure on any one area of your body. Bodyweight exercises are a great way to strengthen the muscles that surround your joints. Swimming and water aerobics are a great way to be active while reducing stress on weight-bearing joints.
- Lose weight. Excess weight places more stress and pressure on your joints.
- Eat well. Eat a fresh, healthy diet full of whole foods with vitamins, minerals and antioxidants. This includes fresh fruits, veggies and anti-inflammatory omega-3 fatty acids like fatty fish and nuts. Eating a healthy diet can help you reduce inflammation in the body and lose excess weight.
- Protect your joints. Practice good body posture and good body positioning when you sit, stand, sleep and lift heavy objects. If you’re involved in a profession, hobby or sport that requires repetitive movements, rest frequently to reduce stress on the affected joint.
Most importantly, be proactive in your arthritis care. Follow your prescribed treatment plan, maintain a healthy, active lifestyle and contact your doctor when you experience flare-ups or new signs and symptoms.
If you’ve been diagnosed with arthritis and you suffer from pain, stiffness and difficulty walking, climbing stairs or performing daily activities, then the iO-Core™ procedure may be a viable treatment option for you. iO-Core™ combines orthopedics and biologics to treat degenerating cartilage and underlying bone and tissue damage caused by arthritis. Treating the underlying damage and not just the surface layer of cartilage has shown better results in decreasing pain and improving mobility for many patients. Contact us today to see if you qualify for the iO-Core™ procedure.