HOW TO TREAT ARTHRITIS

Arthritis is a disease that usually causes inflammation at the joints. Arthritis usually affects several joints in the body and the joints affected usually depend with theform of arthritis.

Osteoarthritis is one of the forms of arthritis. It usually affects several joints. These joints include:

• The knee
• Hip
• Hand
• The big toe
• The neck
• The back

In cases of rheumatoid arthritis the joints affected include:

• Finger joints
• Knees
• Toes
• Elbow
• Shoulder
• Wrist
• Hips
• Spinal cord
• Ankles

Gout, another form of arthritis usually affects these joints:

• The big toe
• Knee
• Wrist joints

In cases of psoriatic arthritis the affected joints include:

• The finger
• The spine

Ankylosing spondylitis affects the spine and the joints. The commonly affected joints are the sacroiliac joints.

Septic arthritis usually moves from one joint to another through blood. The joint which are commonly affected include:

• The hips
• Shoulder
• Knee
• Wrist
• Ankle

Tendinitis Usually Affects:

• The hips
• The torso

Stages of Life and How Arthritis Affects

Arthritis usually strikes when you get to your 30s. People between the age of 30 and 40 are majorly affected by arthritis. This is the stage in life where most people are active in life. This is from taking care of their children, going to work, doing house chores and many other physical activities. Arthritis at this stage can make them less active which majorly affect their life.

Arthritis if not treated gets chronic at the age of 40 to 50. Most of the people affected will experience
chronic pain. There will be frequent attacks. The arthritis symptoms will make the affected people not to be able to perform simple tasks.

During the elderly age, affected people will have more than one joint affected. The health of the affected elderly people will mostly be fair or poor. The people affected might even find it hard to walk or some will have to use walking aid.

Precautionary Measures

There are several precautionary measures which can be taken to help you decrease chances of arthritis especially during the old age when you are prone to arthritis. These precautionary measures include:

• Taking care of your body. You should ensure that you avoid activities that can put you at risk of arthritis such as intake of alcohol which can put you at risk of falling down.
• Maintaining a healthy body weight. Excess weight usually put pressure on the body joints especially the weight bearing joints such as the hips, feet, spine, and knees. After a long period of time, the joints become overused and the cartilage starts to break down which further makes the joints not to be able to move smoothly resulting to stiffness, inflammation and pain.
• Avoiding repetitive movement. Repetitive movement usually strains the joints. The most commonly affected parts are the wrist and knees. The repetitive movements can also lead to slight injuries which can develop into a complicated problem in the later life.
• Exercise regularly. Most people live sedentary life which can make them prone to diseases. If you don’t exercise your muscles they become weak which put pressure on the joints. This leads to overused joints which can result to arthritis. Exercises that can be helpful include jogging, swimming and aerobics.
• Avoid over exercising. Over exercising can lead to overused joints which can cause the cartilage to wear out or can lead to injuries. To avoid exercising you should ensure you have a regular exercise.
• Eating a healthy diet and a lot of water. A balanced diet ensures your body gets nutrients that are required by your body and water ensure that your body does not get dehydrated which ensures there is no onset of arthritis.

Arthritis Can Be Treated By

• Surgery: Surgery is usually performed in cases where the medical treatment has failed to relieve pain and when there is loss of joint function.
• Medical Treatment: The drugs used in treating arthritis can be administered orally, topically and using injections. Topical drugs are usually applied directly to the skin over the affected joint. The commonly used drugs include capsaicin cream, lidocaine, and diclofenac. Oral drugs include pain relievers such as non-steroidal anti inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). Duloxetine (Cymbalta) can also be used in treating musculoskeletal pain. Narcotics can in some cases be prescribed to patients who experience severe pain.
• Joint injections with some form of lubricant called hyaluronic acid or with corticosteroids can help in relieving pain from osteoarthritis for several months.
• Supplements such as Calcium, vitamin D and glucosamine can be used in treating arthritis.