If we were the masters of our own bodies, we would all choose to be as tall and athletic as Shaquille O’Neal or as beautiful and fit as Eva Longoria. Since this is not the case, we have to work at staying healthy.
In order to help us stay healthy, our body sends us signals when something is wrong, such as pain and stiffness, which are both meant to protect our bodies. Inflammation in human tissue occurs when the body attempts to defend itself against irritation, injury, or infection. This inflammation can cause discomfort, and arthritis is an example of this.
If you do have arthritis, you’re not alone. In fact, one out of every three adults in the United States will experience the disease. Currently, no cure for the disease exists; however, a host of new treatments have greatly improved the way we manage arthritis.
“It is a better day and age to have arthritis than it was 10 years ago,” says L. Matthew Jones, MD, an orthopedic surgeon with Azalea Orthopedics. “We have more options and resources at our disposal, and we are enthusiastic about future treatments.
Dr. Jones says one of the best ways to defend yourself is to “know your enemy.” Below is a brief primer on the two most prevalent types of arthritis and the treatment options available.
Osteoarthritis
The most common type of arthritis, osteoarthritis can occur in any joint. Due to injury, obesity, or just the normal effects of aging, the cartilage that cushions movement in joints can break down and create bone-on-bone friction, which causes pain, stiffness, and sometimes swelling.
Treatments for osteoarthritis include:
- Over-the-counter and prescription drugs (such as anti-inflammatories and acetaminophen)
- Cortisone or steroid injections
- Joint replacement or bone fusion
- Arthroscopy (used to clean out bits of bone or draw out fluid that can produce discomfort)
- Joint fluid therapy (a new alternative to cortisone and steroid injections that involves injections of a natural chemical to restore
the cushioning and lubricating effects of normal joint fluid) - BioniCare® Knee Device (an external device worn over the knee that uses electronic
impulses to stimulate cartilage growth)
Rheumatoid Arthritis
A more serious form of the disease, rheumatoid arthritis can cause joints to ache and throb and may even deform them. Women are two to three times more likely to get this form of arthritis than men, and it seems to affect people mostly between the ages of 20 and 50.
Although the cause of rheumatoid arthritis is unknown, many physicians believe it happens when the body’s immune system attacks the tissue that lines joints (called synovium). The inflammation that results releases chemicals that can thicken the joint lining and damage cartilage, bone, ligaments, and tendons and can eventually destroy the joint completely.
Treatments for rheumatoid arthritis include:
- Over-the-counter and prescription drugs (such as biologic response modifiers, a promising class of drugs that use living cells to stimulate or restore the immune system’s ability to fight disease)
- Surgical joint replacement
- Prosorba column treatment (a procedure that filters the blood to remove antibodies that contribute to joint pain and inflammation)
When to Get Help
“The most important thing for people to know about arthritis is that it’s a progressive disease, meaning the damage gets worse the longer it goes untreated,” explains Dr. Jones. “If you have stiffness or swelling in your joints that lasts more than two weeks, call or see your physician about it. The sooner you seek medical help, the more treatment options available and the sooner we can help get you back to enjoying life.”
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Sure, you’ve heard of arthritis, but how well do you know the facts? Test your knowledge of the process, causes, management, and impact of the disease.
- Arthritis is a disease of the elderly. True or False?
- Aching joints are a common symptom
of arthritis. True or False? - People with arthritis must learn to live
with aching joints. True or False? - Arthritis can come from an injury. True or False?
- You can inherit rheumatoid arthritis. True or False?
- Some people just wake up one morning with painful arthritis in the knee joint. True or False?
- The cause of arthritis is well-known. True or False?
- Arthritis occurs in major joints, such as the hip and knee. True or False?
- Once the cartilage in the joint has worn away due to osteoarthritis, it cannot grow back. True or False?
- People with arthritis should avoid exercise because the activity will make the condition worse. True or False?
The answers to these questions can be found below.
- False. More than half of people affected by arthritis are 65 years of age or younger. Rheumatoid arthritis can affect people of all ages, even children. However, the population is aging. The number of people with arthritis and other rheumatic conditions, which is currently 70 million, is expected to rise as the baby boom generation ages.
- True. But joints may ache for several reasons. If the lining of the joint is inflamed, you may have rheumatoid arthritis. If the cushioning cartilage in the joint is damaged or worn away, you may have osteoarthritis, or “wear and tear” arthritis.
- False. There are interventions to prevent or reduce arthritis-related pain and disability. These interventions include early diagnosis, weight control, physical activity, physical and occupational therapy, and joint replacement, when appropriate.
- True. Post-traumatic arthritis can develop after an injury to the knee. This type of arthritis is similar to osteoarthritis and may develop years after a fracture or ligament injury in the knee.
- False. Rheumatoid arthritis is not an inherited disease, although researchers say some people have genes that make them susceptible to the disease. People with these genes will not automatically develop rheumatoid arthritis.
- True. Sudden onset of arthritis is possible, but, generally, the pain associated with arthritis develops gradually. The joint can become stiff and swollen, making it difficult to bend or straighten. Pain and swelling are worse in the morning or after a period of inactivity. Pain can also increase after walking, stair climbing, or kneeling.
- False. Researchers are making progress in finding the underlying causes for major types of arthritis. In the meantime, orthopedists, working with other physicians and scientists, have developed many
effective treatments for arthritis.
- True. However, arthritis can occur in other joints, too. For instance, arthritis at the base of the thumb is common. It occurs more in women than in men and usually in those 40 years of age and older.
- True. However, research is under way to develop techniques to replace or “grow” cartilage in places where it was worn away.
- False. Regular exercise slows the loss of muscle mass, strengthens bones, and reduces joint and muscle pain. Inactivity can lead to weak muscles around the joint and result in joint instability.
Courtesy of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, www.aaos.org.