Tuesday, February 28, 2012

An Overview of Arthritis Pain Management Treatment

By David Greene


Arthritis falls within the rheumatic diseases, which are exemplified by different illnesses requiring varying treatments based on the person and the prognosis. The similarity between all forms of arthritis is they affect tendons, cartilage, joints, ligaments, and muscles. There are studies that indicate some internal areas of the body are affected by arthritis.

Arthritis Treatment Varies Based on Forms of the Disease

There are various different forms of arthritis so there is not one uniform type of treatment. There are over 100 known arthritis types in that number increases every few years. The main type is osteoarthritis and it causes wear on a person's cartilage. Rheumatoid arthritis is a result of an overactive immune system leading to inflammation. In America, arthritis is the most common illness of a chronic type and it is not surprising because there are so many types.

Over 350 million people around the world suffer from arthritis. Over half of the people suffering under the age of 65 so it is not just an old person's disease. Interestingly, 60% of those suffering from arthritis are female.

Contributing Factors to Arthritis Treatment

There are multiple contribute in factors that go into arthritis treatment. The type of arthritis the patient has will dictate summer treatment, but also the location of the arthritis, so very, persistence of pain, and nuances of the medical history play a role as well. Arthritis treatment was also subject to individualization by the treating preferences of the doctor.

There are several arthritis treatments that have been handed down for generations and include homeopathic remedies and over-the-counter medications which can keep the cost of treatment low. As you move up the severity, there are prescription drugs, injections into joints with steroid and other regenerative medicine substances, and also as a last resort surgery.

Obese or overweight people with arthritis may be asked to lose weight to reduce the stress on their joints. Treatments serve two general purposes. They should relief the pain and inflammation and they should contribute to joint health, both improving and protecting joint function.

One of the 1st things most doctors do with patients is to prescribe rest to the area in question. If that individual is an avid runner, and suffering from an arthritic flare in one of the knees, then it's prudent to hold back on the running for a bit. Ice and heat compresses along with pain cream formulations may provide excellent pain relief. Chondroitin and glucosamine are an excellent over-the-counter supplement for providing some pain relief and joint protection going forward.

Several arthritis treatments involve trial and error. Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory medications often work great for patients, but it may not be the 1st medication tried that does the trick. Sometimes naproxen works well patients, other times its ibuprofen that performs better for pain relief.

Exercise is one of the best treatments around for arthritis, and strengthening up the muscles around the arthritic joints can relieve pain off of the joint itself. The exercise may occur in a formal physical therapy program, home exercise program, or as a regular fitness center.

Along with that, steroid injections into the problematic area may give substantial relief for months. This may allow people to dramatically improve their activity and avoid surgery, or at a minimum delay it.

Bracing can help joints that are arthritic substantially. This may entail a wrist brace for instance with a flare up of thumb arthritis pain, or an oflloading brace for the knee. A back brace may help with a low back arthritis exacerbation, and along with a TENS machine may allow individuals to remain active.

In a person with mild to moderate pain, over the counter medications like Tylenol or NSAIDS may allow a person to be active. When pain becomes severe, it may necessitate a jump to short term narcotics to achieve significant pain relief.




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