Effective Treatment for Arthritis

What does arthritis mean?
Arthritis is derived from the Greek words "Arthros" meaning joint & "itis" meaning inflammation. Any inflammation/ irritation/wear & tear of the joint is called arthritis. In the initial stages arthritis results in pain & stiffness of the joint. Later on the muscles around the joint weaken & become smaller in size. Towards the end, the joint loses most of its useful movement & the bone develops deformities.
What are the causes of arthritis?
Broadly speaking arthritis is of two main types; inflammatory arthritis & non inflammatory arthritis. The more common non-inflammatory arthritis is also known as osteoarthritis is due to the age related wear & tear of the joint cartilage. The less common inflammatory arthritis is due to the body producing antibodies to the joint cartilage. The body reacts against its own tissue & causes widespread damage to the joints.
Common types of Arthritis

• Osteoarthritis
• Rheumatoid Arthritis

What are the symptoms of osteoarthritis?
lt depends on the joint affected. If knee is affected, it causes pain in the knee, with decreased ability to walk & run. Stiffness of the knees makes simple things like getting into a chair or getting out of it difficult. Stair climbing also becomes increasingly difficult. In the spine, pain is brought on by bending. Sometimes the tiny nerve endings that branch off from the spinal cord & travel in various directions can get pinched by excess bone formation that is seen with arthritis. This results in numbness & tingling in the arms & legs depending on the area affected (neck vs low back). Hip arthritis makes sitting difficult &there is pain especially in the night. Finger arthritis makes down fine things difficult like turning a key, holding a pen or a spoon to eat.

What is osteoarthritis?
It is the most common form of arthritis affecting our joints. Really speaking it is not a disease at all ! It is simply a manifestation of ageing. As me grow older our joints undergo wear & tear. Normally each of our joints has a cushion of variable thickness at its ends called, the cartilage. As we age, the thickness of the cartilage decreases, forcing raw bone to come in contact with raw bone, thereby leading to pain. Our joints have another protective mechanism called the "synovial fluid”. In our youth, healthy thick viscous synovial fluid is produced which adds to this Iubrication. As we age, our joints produce copious amounts of less viscous watery synocial fluid that is Iess efficient in lubricating the joint.The reason why we develop arthritis is not fully known. Almost any joint can be effected, the commonest being the knees, hips, neck, lower back & the fingers.

How is osteoarthritis diagnosed?

Usually through a good clinical history & detailed examination, one can diagnose osteoarthritis. Sometimes blood tests may be required to distinguish if from the more serious inflammatory arthritis. X rays will be required in all instances to assess the stage of the disease.Very rarely MRl may also be required in addition to study the soft tissues around the joint.

How is osteoarthritis treated?
Once the smooth cartilage of the joint is destroyed, it cannot be replaced by any known modern treatment. However, if one keeps the muscles around a joint strong through exercise, the ill effects of the lost cartilage can be minimised.

Physiotherapy is the cornerstone of treatment of osteoarthritis. In the knee it means doing what we call the quadriceps & hamstring exercises, for the hip the muscle on the side & back or the hip (abdurtors and gluteus maximus) need to be strengthened, in  the spine the muscles on either side of the centre (paraspinal muscles) are strengthened & for the fingers, handgrip exercises are prescribed, Water based exercise (swimming) are far superior to land based exercises for osteoarthritis of almost any joint. Immersion in water makes our body lighter & restores the lost flexibility to our muscles and tendons. Light resistance training with weights/ theraband is also recommended to increase muscle strength. Weight loss helps immensely by offloading the sore joints. Applying hot packs helps soothe the muscles around the joint. For acute onset pains, Ice packs are
recommended. Application of an ointment or a spray always helps, The physical therapist also use ultrasound, tiny pulses of electric current (TENS) and a special form of deep heat to further help heal the pain. You should take simple precautions like not doing activities like squatting & cross legged sitting. Using a stick for knee and hip arthritis is also very helpful

Anti-nfIammatory medicines (loosely called pain killers) are also prescribed judiciously for a short period to help relieve the pain & inflammation of the sore joints. Prolonged intake of these medicines is harmful for the heart, stomach & kidneys. In case you feel the need to take these medicines on a daily basis, you may be suffering from an advanced stage of the disease & might benefit from a joint replacement, Collagen powders are increasingly being used for the treatment of osteoarthritis of the knee. They are contained in a sachet & are meant to be dissolved in a cup of lukewarm water & gulped down on a daily basis for 3-6 months. They have a role to play in early arthritis, once the disease is advanced, they have little to no therapeutic effect.

Newer therapies like willow bark extract are about to enter the market & will usher in an exciting phase of naturally occurring plant based pain relief medications. These medicines relieve pain & unlike the mainstream painkillers, they are virtually devoid of all major side effects.

Visit Us: http://drraju.in
Email Us: drrajueswaran@gmail.com

Is Osteoarthritis the Cause of Your Hip Pain !!

Hip Arthritis

Arthritis of the hip is a disease which wears away the cartilage between the femoral head and the acetabulum, the two bones will scrape against each other, raw bone on raw bone. When this happens, the joint becomes pitted, eroded and uneven. The result is pain, stiffness and instability. In some cases, motion of the leg may be greatly restricted.

Osteoarthritis

Osteoarthritis is the most common form of arthritis. It is degenerative and although it most often occurs in patients over the age of 50, it can occur at any age, especially if the joint is in some way damaged.

It is usually confined to the large weight-bearing joints of the lower extremities, including the hips and knees, but may affect the spine and upper extremity joints, too. Patients with osteoarthritis often develop large bones spurs, or osteophytes, around the joint, further limiting motion.

Causes

Osteoarthritis of the hip is a condition commonly referred to as "wear and tear" arthritis. Although the degenerative process may accelerate in persons with a previous hip injury, many cases of osteoarthritis occur when the hip simply wears out. Some experts believe there may exist a genetic predisposition in people who develop osteoarthritis of the hip. Abnormalities of the hip due to previous fractures or childhood disorders may also lead to a degenerative hip. Osteoarthitis of the hip is the most common cause for total hip replacement surgery.

Symptoms


The first and most common symptom of osteoarthritis is pain in the lip or groin area during weight bearing activities such as walking. People with hip pain usually compensate by limping, or reducing the force on the arthritic hip. As a result of the cartilage degeneration, the hip loses its flexibility and strength, and may result in the formation of bone spurs.

Finally, as the condition worsens, the pain may be present all the time, even during non weight-bearing activities.

Treatment

Before considering total hip replacement surgery, your doctor and you may try various non-surgical therapies. An appropriate weight reduction program may be beneficial in decreasing force across the hip joint. However, weight reduction can be difficult for people with hip arthritis since the arthritis pain precludes them from increasing their activity and burning calories. An exercise program may be instituted to improve the strength and flexibility of the hip and the other lower extrremity joints. Lifestyle and activity modification may be undertaken in an attempt to minimize the activities that are associated with hip pain. Finally, various medications such as non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and nutritional supplements to reduce pain and inflammation associated with the disease may be considered.

Assistive devices like a cane or a crutch can help to reduce the force transmitted through the hip joint during walking and thereby may help to decrease hip arthritis pain. If non-surgical treatment is unsuccessful, you and your surgeon may decide that a total hip replacement is the best available treatment option.

For more details about the treatment contact us:
Dr Raju Easwaran
Website: http://drraju.in
Gmail: drrajueswaran@gmail.com