Living Life With Arthritis And Joint Pain

Arthritis is a combination of diseases that impact millions of Americans today and causes many to go on living life with arthritis and joint pain.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that 70 million or one in three adults are impacted by arthritis.

Although when talking about arthritis, most people are referring to rheumatoid arthritis or osteoarthritis, there are actually over 100 different types of arthritis and rheumatic diseases. Arthritis is one of the leading causes of disability today.

Arthritis symptoms can range from mild symptoms to severe and life altering symptoms.

Because of the joint damage caused by this disease, it is important to see your physician and seek care and an appropriate diagnosis in order to begin treatment as quickly as possible.

Because it impacts over twenty million adults, osteoarthritis is the most common of all types of arthritis.

The pain and stiffness of osteoarthritis is a direct result of the destruction of the joint cartilage which typically protects the joint.

It is the damage to the joint cartilage that causes the pain and stiffness typically associated with osteoarthritis. The joints of the fingers, knees, hips and spine are the most commonly affected by osteoarthritis.

It is important to remember that some adults are diagnosed with osteoarthritis in a particular joint after excessive wear and tear on a joint.

For example, football players who are diagnosed with osteoarthritis of the knee after a long playing career are a prime example of someone who has had excessive wear and tear on a particular joint which then develops osteoarthritis.

Rheumatoid arthritis is thought to be an autoimmune disorder in which the body’s immune system attacks healthy areas of body causing destruction.

With rheumatoid arthritis, the joints themselves are attacked causing redness, swelling, and often an accumulation of fluid in the joint space. All of these changes lead to the pain of rheumatoid arthritis. With rheumatoid arthritis, signs of RA are generally seen on both sides of the body instead of just on one side of the body such as with osteoarthritis.

Arthritis can certainly negatively impact your lifestyle. It is important to seek care from your primary care physician who should then refer you to a rheumatologist for a long term treatment plan once a final diagnosis has been made.

There are many options in the field of arthritis care today. With a better understanding of combination treatments, newer medications and physicians leading the way with aggressive treatment plans, arthritis patients today have hope.

Seek care from a rheumatologist who is willing to work with you to create a plan that works best to treat your arthritis.