How is Arthritis Treated?

Although there is no cure for most forms of arthritis, various therapies can help patients manage symptoms and improve their overall quality of life.

Osteoarthritis

Osteoarthritis treatment plans often include ways to manage pain and improve function. Current treatments for osteoarthritis can relieve symptoms such as pain and disability, but right now there are no treatments that can cure osteoarthritis.

• Exercise - can decrease pain, increase flexibility and help you maintain a healthy weight. The amount and form of exercise will depend on which joints are involved, how stable the joints are, whether or not the joint is swollen and whether a joint replacement has already been done.
• Heat or ice - you can use warm towels, hot packs or a warm bath or shower. In some cases, cold packs such as a bag of ice or frozen vegetables wrapped in a towel can relieve pain or numb the sore area. A doctor or physical therapist can recommend if heat or cold is the best treatment. For osteoarthritis in the knee, wearing insoles or cushioned shoes may reduce joint stress.
• Medications - doctors usually start with acetaminophen because the side effects are
minimal, then non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs such as ibuprofen and naproxen may be used. Corticosteroids, hyaluronic acid and topical creams are also used.
• Protection and support of joints - some people use canes and splints to protect and to take pressure off the joints. Splints or braces are used to provide extra support for weakened joints.
• Surgery - helps relieve the pain and disability of osteoarthritis. A doctor may perform surgery to smooth out, fuse, or reposition bones or to replace joints.


Rheumatoid Arthritis

Treatments for rheumatoid arthritis can help relieve your pain, reduce swelling, slow down or help prevent joint damage, increase your ability to function and improve your sense of well-being. Exercise, medication, and in some cases, surgery are common treatments for rheumatoid arthritis. People with rheumatoid arthritis need a good balance between rest and exercise; they should rest more when the disease is active and exercise more when it is not. An overall nutritious diet with the right amount of calories, protein and calcium is important. Some people need to be careful about drinking alcoholic beverages because of the medications they take for rheumatoid arthritis. Reducing stress also is important. Doing relaxation exercises and taking part in support groups are two ways to help reduce stress.

Most people who have rheumatoid arthritis take medications. Some drugs only provide relief for pain, others reduce inflammation. Still others, called disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs or DMARDs, can often slow the course of the disease. Steroids, which are also called corticosteroids, are another type of drug used to reduce inflammation for people with rheumatoid arthritis. Early treatment with powerful drugs and drug combinations instead of single drugs may help prevent the disease from progressing and greatly reduce joint damage.

In some cases, a doctor will recommend surgery to restore function or relieve pain in a damaged joint. Surgery may also improve a person’s ability to perform daily activities. Joint replacement and tendon reconstruction are two types of surgery available to patients with severe joint damage.

No matter what type of arthritis you have, the goal of treatment is to reduce pain and improve daily functioning. It is important that treatment recommendations be followed. This may be difficult to do in a disaster situation, but following your treatment plan can go a long way in maintaining your quality of life.

How do Doctors Diagnose Arthritis?

To make a diagnosis, most doctors use a combination of methods and tests including a complete medical history, a physical examination x-rays and laboratory tests. Rheumatoid arthritis can be difficult to diagnose in its early stages for several reasons. First, there is no single test for the disease. In addition, symptoms differ from person to person and can be more severe in some people than in others. Also, symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis can be similar to those of other types of arthritis and joint conditions, and it may take some time to rule out other conditions. Finally, the full range of symptoms develops over time, and only a few symptoms may be present in the early stages.

What Causes Arthritis?

The causes of arthritis are not fully understood. Researchers suspect that osteoarthritis is caused by a combination of factors in the body and the environment. The chance of developing osteoarthritis increases with age. Osteoarthritis often results from years of wear and tear on joints. This wear and tear mostly affects the cartilage, the tissue that cushions the ends of bones within the joint. Osteoarthritis occurs when the cartilage begins to fray, wear away and decay. Putting too much stress on a joint that has been previously injured, improper alignment of joints, and excess weight all may lead to the development of osteoarthritis.

Rheumatoid arthritis results from the interaction of many factors such as genes, hormones and the environment. Research suggests that a person’s genetic makeup is an important part of the picture, but not the whole story. Some evidence shows that infectious agents, such as viruses and bacteria, may trigger rheumatoid arthritis in people with an inherited tendency to develop the disease. However, a specific agent or agents are not yet known.

What are the Symptoms of Arthritis?

Different types of arthritis have different symptoms. In general, people with most forms of arthritis have pain and stiffness in their joints.

Osteoarthritis usually develops slowly and can occur in any joint, but often occurs in weight bearing joints. Other symptoms include:

• Joints may ache after physical work or exercise
• Most often occurs in the hands, hips, knees, neck or low back
• Joint pain, swelling and tenderness
• Stiffness after getting out of bed
• A crunching feeling or sound of bone rubbing on bone

Not everyone with osteoarthritis feels pain, however. In fact, only a third of people with x-ray evidence of osteoarthritis report pain or other symptoms.

Rheumatoid arthritis is characterized by inflammation of the joint lining. This inflammation causes warmth, redness, swelling and pain around the joints. A person also feels sick, tired and sometimes feverish. Rheumatoid arthritis generally occurs in a symmetrical pattern. If one knee or hand is affected, the other one is also likely to be affected.

Arthritis

Arthritis literally means joint inflammation, and it can affect joints in any part of the body. Joints are places in the body where two bones meet. Many people use the term arthritis to refer to rheumatic diseases; however, the different kinds of arthritis comprise just a portion of the rheumatic diseases. Many forms of arthritis cause swelling, redness, heat and pain.

• Osteoarthritis is the most common form of arthritis among older people. Osteoarthritis occurs when cartilage, the tissue that cushions the ends of the bones within the joints, breaks down and wears away. In some cases, all of the cartilage may wear away, leaving bones that rub up against each other. The disease affects both men and women. Before age 45, osteoarthritis is more common in men than in women. After age 45, osteoarthritis is more common in women. By age 65, more than half of the population has x-ray evidence of osteoarthritis in at least one joint. Osteoarthritis affects only joints, not internal organs.
• Rheumatoid arthritis not only affects the joints, but may also attack tissue in the skin, lungs, eyes and blood vessels. People with rheumatoid arthritis may feel sick, tired and sometimes feverish. Rheumatoid arthritis is classified as an autoimmune disease. An autoimmune disease occurs when the immune system turns against parts of the body it is designed to protect. Rheumatoid arthritis generally occurs in a symmetrical pattern. This means that if one knee or hand is involved, the other one is too. It can occur at any age, but usually begins during a person’s most productive years. Rheumatoid arthritis occurs much more frequently in women than in men. About two to three times as many women as men have the disease.

How is Osteoporosis Treated?

Although there is no cure for osteoporosis, it can be treated. The goal of treatment is to prevent fractures. A balanced diet rich in calcium, adequate vitamin D, a regular exercise program and fall prevention are all important for maintaining bone health. Several medications are available for the treatment of osteoporosis. If treatment is stopped or your doctor’s recommendations regarding your osteoporosis are not followed, you run the risk of further loss of bone density and an increased risk of fractures. For younger people, a fracture may simply involve wearing a cast for a few weeks while it heals. In older adults, fractures cause more consequences:

• It may take 2-3 months for pain to resolve.
• With hip fractures, as many as 50 percent of patients do not regain their pre-fracture function after 1 year.
• About 25 percent of women will spend some time in a nursing home after a hip fracture.
• About 10-20 percent of hip fracture patients will die within 1 year of the fracture.

How do Doctor’s Diagnose Osteoporosis?

People over the age of 45 who have experienced a fracture should talk to their doctor about getting evaluated for osteoporosis. The test used to diagnose osteoporosis is called a bone density test. This test is a measure of how strong or dense your bones are and can help your doctor predict your risk for having a fracture.