
HERE’S HOW YOU CAN DEAL WITH ARTHRITIS

Arthritis may be more common than you know. In the United States, more than 54 million people – about 23% of the adult population – have arthritis. Approximately 24 million American adults have their daily life activities restricted due to arthritis and about 1 in 4 of those affected complain about severe joint pain.
There can be several reasons why a person can develop arthritis. However, one must find ways to deal with it. Arthritis can affect your performance levels because your bones and joints are directly affected by the disease. The disease reduces the layer in your body that protects your bones during your body movements. So, if we don’t treat the disease on time, the repercussions could be severe. But before we find out how one can treat arthritis, let’s first understand what arthritis is.
What is Arthritis?
Arthritis is the inflammation in your joints that creates pain and discomfort in your body. There are two main types of arthritis – osteoarthritis from joint deterioration and rheumatoid arthritis, which is simply the impact of bacteria in the joints.
If we go by the basic definition, you have arthritis when your joints start to swell or become tender. From symptoms, causes to the types of arthritis, the disease can take several shapes and forms. When someone has arthritis, they feel inflammation in one or two joints or almost any joint.
Going by studies and research, people mostly have arthritis at a later age, once they grow old. However, most people start to develop arthritis in earlier years without pain.
The Most Common Symptoms of Arthritis
From joint pain to stiffness in joints, there can be several possible symptoms of arthritis. They include:
- Swelling
- Anemia
- Change in the range in which your joints move
- Change in your skin color (mostly the appearance of red color around joints)
- Decreasing red blood cells
- You may experience laziness when suffering from Rheumatoid arthritis
The Causes of Arthritis
The human body has several interconnected tissues, cells, and nerves. One such connective tissue is cartilage, one of the most significant tissues you need to protect your bones. The reason? When you move, you exert force and pressure on your bones – something that can easily weaken them over time if they don’t have a layer of cartilage. When this protective cartilage is damaged, it could become one of the causes of arthritis.
Other causes of arthritis can be:
- Infection (only rheumatoid arthritis)
- Injury to the joints
- Overuse of partial repetitive ROM (range of motion)
How Can Arthritis Be Treated?
Now that you understand what arthritis is, let’s look into treatment options available for arthritis:
Medication
Considering arthritis is a disease, getting yourself medically checked should be one of your first few steps in treating arthritis with medication. Get yourself checked by a specialist and discuss which medicines you should use. Your doctor will prescribe medications that would work for you, helping you in your battle against arthritis. However, it should be noted that medication decreases pain and inflammation but does not fix the problem.
Stem Cell – How Does Stem Cell Help with Arthritis?
Several medical treatments have gained popularity over time. Among them, stem cells happen to be one such treatment for arthritis on which several studies and researches have been conducted. Not to mention, stem cell discovery is one of the most significant achievements in the medical world. The reason being, diseases that previously required surgeries or heavy doses of medicines can now be healed by relying on stem cells. Stem cells are making a significant contribution to the development of regenerative medicine. Through regenerative medicine, doctors replace or regenerate human cells, organs, and tissues using stem cells. The purpose is to help a person in their battle against diseases. Regenerative medicine helps with arthritis and joint pain as well. In cases when joint replacement is the only option left, this can be used as an alternative treatment. Though regenerating cartilage can’t be achieved easily, a stem cell can come across as quite an advanced treatment for it. Therefore, stem cell as a treatment for arthritis has garnered much attention in the medical world.
Surgery
In some cases, surgery can be the only remedy for arthritis. After inspecting your condition thoroughly, the surgeon replaces your joint with an artificial joint or fuses joints. However, surgeries are the last option to opt for. Doctors mostly choose it only if the patient is going through an extreme situation.
Some other ways to manage arthritis is through:
- Physical therapy
- Weight loss
- Healthy diet
- Regular exercise
Bottom Line
Arthritis is a health problem that affects a significant number of people around the globe. Despite the absence of definitive treatment, there are many ways to manage this disease – stem cell therapy being one of the foremost good treatment options. If you are looking for the best way to manage arthritis, you can get in touch with us right away! Our experts create effective pain management programs that permanently eliminate pain. Visit our office for a free evaluation today!