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Arthritis

If you feel pain and stiffness in your body or have trouble moving around, you might have arthritis. Most kinds of arthritis cause pain and swelling in your joints. Joints are places where two bones meet, such as your elbow or knee. Over time, a swollen joint can become severely damaged. Some kinds of arthritis can also cause problems in your organs, such as your eyes or skin.

Types of arthritis include

  • Osteoarthritis is the most common type of arthritis. It’s often related to aging or to an injury.
  • Autoimmune arthritis happens when your body’s immune system attacks healthy cells in your body by mistake. Rheumatoid arthritis is the most common form of this kind of arthritis.
  • Juvenile arthritis is a type of arthritis that happens in children.
  • Infectious arthritis is an infection that has spread from another part of the body to the joint.
  • Psoriatic arthritis affects people with psoriasis.
  • Gout is a painful type of arthritis that happens when too much uric acid builds up in the body. It often starts in the big toe.

I’ll bet you don’t know that there are over 100 different forms of arthritis; the most common being, osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, and fibromyalgia, in that order. In the course of this text, we will take a brief look at some of the many other forms of arthritis that exist.

Psoriatic arthritis is a seriously inflammatory and often associated with Psoriasis. Cervical arthritis affects the upper back and causes pain in the neck and arms. Gout is a form of arthritis that usually presents in the great toe but can extend to the ankles, heels, knees, wrists, fingers, and elbow. Juvenile rheumatoid arthritis affects children and the symptoms are most pronounced upon awakening in the morning or after a nap. Symptoms include pain, swelling and stiffness. On the plus side, many children seem to outgrow it. Infectious arthritis, as the name implies, is caused by bacterial and viral infections. Symptoms consist of joint swelling, soreness and fever.

Then there is Ankylosing spondylitis, which affects the spine causing lower back pain and stiffness and is characterized by sleeplessness, fatigue, weight loss and fever.

Polymyalgia rheumatica most common in those over 50 causes severe stiffness and aching in the neck, shoulders, and hips. This form of arthritis is very treatable but an accurate diagnosis is difficult because so many other conditions look like it. Lyme disease is an infectious disease transmitted by a deer tick bite.

Early diagnosis and antibiotic therapy is usually effective Polymyositis is inflammatory form of muscle disease is often associated with arthritis. It is very dangerous condition because it is systemic, affecting all muscles including the heart. Very aggressive therapy is warranted. Systemic lupus erythematosus is most common in woman. The rate is 10 to 1 in favor of women contracting this life-threatening form of arthritis. Reactive arthritis sees onset after infections, with young adults being the most common victims. Appropriate medical treatment is very effective.

The most common complaint of those suffering with arthritis is pain. The management of arthritis pain is a multi-billion dollar business and as the US population ages, the costs will continue to rise. In the United States alone, arthritis results in roughly $ 50 billion in lost wages and $ 50 billion in health care costs. Arthritis results in more than 1 million hospitalizations annually and fully 45 million visits to outpatient health care centers and clinics.

Some types of arthritis can be prevented, such as gout and secondary osteoarthritis. These can be prevented, to a great extent, through proper diet and exercise. The principal cause of these types of arthritis is our old enemy, obesity.

The US is facing the perfect storm in terms of new arthritis cases. We have an aging population coupled with a rising incidence of obesity. This combination is sure to foment an unprecedented number of arthritis sufferers in the years ahead.

For more information about Arthritis, please check following link:

What is Arthritis ?

Nearly 21 million American’s age 25 and older have osteoarthritis, which is 12.1 percent of the U.S. population. Of those 21 million American’s, two-thirds of them are under age 65 and almost half of people 65 years old or older have arthritis. Don’t be one of the 21 million who suffer from arthritis, come see us at Seven Springs Orthopaedics and we will get you feeling better in time for the Holidays!!

Osteoarthritis is a chronic (long-term) disease. There is no cure, but treatments are available to manage symptoms. Long-term management of the disease will include several factors which include: managing symptoms, such as pain, stiffness and swelling, improving joint mobility and flexibility, maintaining a healthy weight, and exercise. Medications such as Acetaminophen, Opioids, NSAIDS, and topical NSAIDS can be used to help with pain. Corticosteroids can also be taken by mouth or injected directly into the joint. These cortisone injections are performed every 3-4 months as needed for pain relief. Hyaluronic acid occurs naturally in joint fluid, acting as a shock absorber and lubricant. It comes in an injectable form and is typically given in a series of 3 or 5 injections which are given each week for 3 or 5 weeks to provide lubrication in the joint and relieve pain. If patients are not improving with conservative measures, joint surgery can repair or replace severely damaged joints, especially hips or knees. In joint replacement surgery (arthroplasty), damaged joint surfaces are removed and replaced with plastic and metal parts.

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