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.
Pain related to arthritis is a
common symptom. Both osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis
result in destruction to the joints, even though the cause of
that destruction is different between these two types of
arthritis.
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.
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