Arthritis
Patient education: what arthritis is, why it causes joint pain, and the range of treatments available.
What Is Arthritis?
Arthritis is a broad medical term used to describe a joint that has worn out. "Arthro" refers to joint and "-itis" refers to inflammation. So arthritis means inflammation of a joint. Most commonly, the term arthritis is referring to osteoarthritis, which is different than inflammatory arthritis.
Inflammatory arthritis, ie rheumatoid or psoriatic, are immune diseases whereas osteoarthritis is a mechanical disease.
Osteoarthritis
Osteoarthritis (OA) is the most common form of arthritis and is a condition that affects the joints. It occurs when the tissues that make up a joint gradually change and deteriorate over time, particularly the articular cartilage that normally provides a smooth, low-friction surface between the bones.
As cartilage becomes thinner and damaged, the joint may become less smooth and more painful. The body can also respond by developing bone spurs, changes in the underlying bone, and inflammation of the joint lining. These changes can lead to pain, stiffness, swelling, reduced motion, and difficulty with everyday activities.
More Than Wear and Tear
Osteoarthritis is often considered a “wear and tear” condition, but it is more complicated than simply wearing out a joint. Age is an important risk factor, but OA is not an inevitable part of aging. A number of factors can contribute to its development.
These include genetics, previous joint injuries, repetitive stress, obesity, joint alignment, muscle weakness, and certain medical or developmental conditions. Previous injuries such as fractures or ligament damage can increase the risk of developing arthritis years later. Some people are also genetically predisposed to developing OA.
Symptoms
The hip and knee are among the joints most commonly affected because they carry substantial loads during standing and movement. Symptoms often develop gradually, although they can sometimes worsen more quickly.
Early osteoarthritis may cause discomfort only with certain activities, while more advanced disease can cause pain with walking, stairs, exercise, or even at rest. Morning or activity-related stiffness is also common.
Treatment
Treatment depends on the severity of arthritis and how much it affects your life. Exercise, physical therapy, activity modification, weight management, medications, and selected injections can often help manage symptoms.
When arthritis becomes advanced and pain significantly interferes with sleep, mobility, work, or activities you enjoy, joint replacement may provide an effective option for restoring function and improving quality of life.
Managing Osteoarthritis Without Surgery
Treatment is generally focused on reducing symptoms while maintaining strength, mobility, and activity.
- Exercise and physical therapy: Strengthening the muscles around the hip or knee can improve joint support and function. Flexibility, balance, and low-impact aerobic exercise are also important.
- Activity modification: Rather than stopping activity altogether, modifying activities that consistently aggravate symptoms can help. Cycling, swimming, walking, and strength training are often good alternatives to higher-impact activities.
- Weight management: Even modest weight loss can reduce the forces placed on an arthritic knee and may improve pain and function.
- Medications: Anti-inflammatory medications, acetaminophen, and topical anti-inflammatory medications may provide symptom relief when appropriate.
- Injections: Corticosteroid injections can provide temporary relief for some patients. Viscosupplementation is another option sometimes used for knee arthritis, although its effectiveness varies.
- PRP and other regenerative treatments: PRP has become increasingly popular, but it should not be considered a proven method of restoring damaged arthritic cartilage. Its potential role may be more appropriate for certain tendon and soft-tissue conditions rather than established joint arthritis.
When these measures no longer provide sufficient relief and arthritis begins to significantly affect sleep, mobility, work, or quality of life, joint replacement may become an appropriate treatment option.
Whichever treatments you choose, our number one goal is to improve your quality of life.
More Detailed Arthritis Information
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