Do you suffer from the common symptoms of arthritis such as joint pain, joint swelling, joint stiffness, hand pain, ankle pain, hand swelling, red joints, swollen joints, morning stiffness and painful movements.

If you find yourself suffering from any of these symptoms, we highly recommend scheduling an appointment with your doctor as soon as possible.

Our doctors are trained and experienced to help patients with successful arthritis treatment.

What is Arthritis?

Arthritis is a joint disorder which causes inflammation, as well as a whole host of symptoms. The area where two joints meet can become inflamed and develop arthritis. When this happens, patients begin to report joint pain and other common symptoms. More than 100 types of arthritis exist; degenerative osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, and gout are the most common.

Symptoms of Arthritis

The symptoms of arthritis are mentioned earlier on in this article, but they are worth mentioning again. Here are the common symptoms a lot of arthritis sufferers experience such as joint pain, joint swelling, joint stiffness, hand pain, ankle pain, hand swelling, red joints, swollen joints, morning stiffness, and painful movements.

The severity of symptoms will depend on each person. Symptoms also vary depending on the type of arthritis; rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis are the two most common types of arthritis.

What are the Possible Causes of Arthritis?

The causes depend on the type of arthritis diagnosed. Additionally, there are certain risk factors that may make patients more likely to develop arthritis.

Risk factors and causes of arthritis include:

Types of Treatment and Care for Arthritis

If arthritis becomes severe, it may heavily affect the hands and arms to the point where it will become difficult to perform daily tasks. If arthritis affects your weight-bearing joints (knees, ankles, feet, etc), patients can experience difficulty with walking and sitting up straight. This can definitely become a nuisance for many people.

Treatment and at-home care can do wonders, however, in helping you to cope with arthritis as much as possible. It is important to note that some types of arthritis respond well to treatment, but other types of arthritis do not. The purposes of arthritis treatment: to improve joint function, to relieve symptoms, to reduce pain, and to prevent more joint damage. Three main types of arthritis treatment exist: medications, therapy, and surgery.

1. Arthritis Medications

Common medications for arthritis treatment include:

Medications aim to reduce symptoms, such as inflammation, as much as possible. Once our doctors determine the type of arthritis, he or she will determine if medication is appropriate.

2. Therapy for Arthritis

The second type of treatment option is therapy. Physical therapy is important and beneficial for patients who show the most need for improving range of motion and for strengthening the muscles near the joints. Physical therapy is typically only beneficial for certain types of arthritis. Our doctors will determine if physical therapy is right for you.

3. Surgery for Arthritis

Surgery (i.e. joint replacement or joint fusion) is the last option for arthritis sufferers, especially when you choose The Pain Management Center for your treatment. We believe in treating health conditions without using surgery or addictive medications. We will do our very best to treat your arthritis problems using this unique approach.

Alternative Remedies for Treating Arthritis

Alternative remedies you can try may potentially be effective to treat arthritis and its symptoms.

Some remedies you can try:

• yoga or tai chi
• massage
• glucosamine
• transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS)

When you come in for your appointment, our doctors can speak to you more regarding conservative pain care options.

Managing and Living With Arthritis

If you have to live with arthritis, you probably want to live as pain-free and symptom-free as possible, right? How do you do this? A few strategies to manage and live with arthritis:

• Lose weight. You do not want to carry around extra weight all day. Extra weight puts a lot of stress on the joints, which can potentially cause arthritis down the road. Instead, lose the excess weight and experience how it feels to have healthy joints.
• Use heat and cold therapy. For days when you experience joint pain or other arthritis-related symptoms, use a combination of heat and cold therapies to relieve the pain. We recommend using ice packs or heating pads.
• Exercise as much as possible. We know it may be physically difficult to exercise a lot while you are experiencing arthritis pain. We are not saying to overdo it. What we are saying is to keep up with a regular exercise routine, whether that means taking a leisure walk a few times per week, riding a bicycle, swimming, or water aerobics. Choose the exercises that produce the least amount of stress on the joints causing you pain, and stick with an exercise plan to keep the joints moving and to lose extra pounds.
• Use assistive devices, if needed. If walking becomes too difficult, for instance, try using a walking cane to help you move along. Assistive devices are there to help you function more successfully.