10 Things to Know About Arthritis

Many of our patients come into the office seeking relief from pain that stems from arthritis, as their symptoms can be helped with proper rehabilitative treatments. At Texas Spine & Sports Therapy Center, we are experts when it comes to relieving pain the natural way. We use many hands-on approaches without invasive procedures or the use of narcotic medicines to help sooth you and get you on the road to healing. Here are 10 things to know about arthritis–and our treatments–that can help you feel better today!

What Is Arthritis?

Arthritis is an umbrella term for problems referring to joint pain or disease. It is generally a degenerative disease that attacks the cartilage between the joints and wears them down over time or targets the lining of the joints. It can even attack organs and soft tissues of the body. People of all ages can have arthritis and some symptoms are visible, while others can only be seen in x-rays.

What Are the Most Common Forms?

There are actually more than 100 forms of arthritis. Surprised? However, the most common forms are osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Not all forms of arthritis are treated the same way. During your examination and consultation, we can discuss with you treatment options that will be most effective for your symptoms. 

How Many People Are Affected?

Arthritis can affect everyone including men and women, children and adults. Approximately 350 million people worldwide have arthritis.  Of that number, nearly 40 million people in the United States are affected by arthritis, including over a quarter million children!  Osteoarthritis affects more than 21 million Americans.

Rheumatoid Arthritis

This is considered an autoimmune disorder where the immune system itself mistakenly attacks your body tissues and joints as if they were a foreign object to your body. This form affects the lining of the joints themselves and will cause painful swelling and inflammation. A visible sign of those with RA is swollen joints as well as stiffness and pain. RA usually starts with smaller joints in the body and then spreads to larger joints such as the knees or ankles.

Osteoarthritis

This is quite common in patients, especially those 65 and older. The Arthritis Foundation states that the OA is considered to be the most common chronic condition of the joints and affects an estimated 21 million Americans. In a healthy body, cartilage (firm, rubber-like material) covers the end of each bone, making movements smooth and painless. With osteoarthritis, cartilage cushion breaks down over time causing pain, inflammation, swelling and loss of range-of-motion. Bits of bones can even chip off, causing even more pain.

What Are the Causes?

You may be at risk if you have hereditary conditions that cause degeneration of the cartilage in each joint. Repetitive activities like jogging and typing can cause this condition as well as chronic problems such as obesity and diabetes. Repeated surgeries in one part of the body can cause arthritis to form or athletic activities that cause a high amount of stress. Development of bone spurs due to injuries or other issues can spur the onset as well.

What Are the Symptoms?

Stiffness is a big one when it comes to arthritis. You could have stiffness that develops within just a few days or weeks or awake with stiffness in a joint. Your joints can visibly swell and be red and tender. Hard nodules tend to grow under the skin on or around the joint and patients generally experience chronic pain that seems to increase with cold weather and activity. You may also experience fatigue the more active you are.

What Are the Risks?

When you don’t seek treatment, you put yourself at risk for loss of shape in the joints or your range-of-motion. Stiffness will make hand movements difficult and painful, and numbness and tingling can begin to spread throughout the extremities close to affected areas. Tenderness is a common symptom and can increase over time.

How Do I Prevent It?

You can lower your risk by minimizing repetitive motions that strain your joints to help you maintain healthy cartilage. You can also take supplements to help minimize joint damage and keep them healthier, longer. At the first sign of a problem, seeking treatment can greatly reduce any negative impacts on your health. Monitor yourself for signs often, especially if arthritis runs in your family.

What Treatments Can Help Me?

It’s hard to completely eliminate age-related joint pain. However, there are many treatments that can help relieve the majority of your pain and symptoms. Arthritis symptoms improve with treatments such as exercise and anti-inflammatory medications. Immune system treatment is generally recommended for RA, as it is harder to treat than osteoarthritis. Non-invasive treatments are the best for arthritis. Some of our most effective treatments include:

• Inflammation injections (usually cortisone) for immediate pain relief. (Our patients love these.)
• Chiropractic adjustments to release tension, keep proper body alignment and improve range-of-motion.
• Massage therapy and gentle manipulation (especially in areas that are affected) to restore flexibility to a stiff wrist, knee or other body part. The more you do this, the more your flexibility will increase.
• Exercise programs catered specifically to you that can help lower irritation and improve your symptoms without causing extra damage or extra pain.

At Texas Spine & Sports Therapy, we have treated patients time and time again for arthritis symptoms and they have left our office feeling better than they came. Our treatments can make an impact on how you move, feel and live your daily life. Want to give them a try? Simply call our office at (512) 806-0015 for your free consultation!