Treating Arthritis
Today with early treatment of arthritis, the progress of the
disease can be slowed and in many cases the pain and crippling
can be kept under control for years.
At the first signs of the illness, arthritis treatment
should be investigated. Among the treatments your doctor may
suggest are medication, self-care, physical therapy and
occupational therapy.
Various medications may help to ease the pain and improve joint
functioning. A physician should be consulted early in the
disease to establish a plan of dealing with it.
Occasionally medicines taken by mouth or in the form of
ointments, salves or gels lose their effectiveness, and the
doctor may suggest injecting a joint space with a
corticosteroid, which can offer some pain relief and reduce
inflammation.
A therapist will help design an exercise program which, when
interspersed with rest periods, will help reduce joint
inflammation. After trying various treatments, a doctor may
recommend surgical procedures to relieve disability and pain
caused by arthritis.
Joint replacement (arthroplasty) is a common procedure and the
technique has improved greatly over the years. Now it is
possible to insert a replacement joint through a 2 inch incision
compared to the previous 4 or 5 times that length. In this
procedure the surgeon removes your damaged joint and replaces it
with a plastic or metal device (called a prosthesis). The
shorter incision means less physical trauma, and many patients
are able to get out of bed on the day after the surgery. This
means shorter healing time and less pain.
Hip and knee joints are the most common replacements.
Replacements in these large joints are most successful and can
last at least 20 years in the majority of people who receive
them. Today implants can replace your shoulder, elbow, finger
and ankle joints.
These replacement joints have been described as beautiful items,
complete with all the physical movements needed for the joints
to function correctly in the body. The hip being a ball and
socket, moves in every direction, helping one resume an active,
pain-free lifestyle.
During surgery, the surgeon may perform lavage and debridement,
procedures which remove blood, fluid, or loose debris and bone
or cartilage fragments inside the joint.
Surgeons also can permanently fuse bones in a joint
(arthrodesis) to increase stability and reduce pain. The fused
joint, such as an ankle, can then bear weight without pain, but
has no flexibility. Surgeons can also reposition bones to help
correct deformities.
In summary, a wide variety of arthritis treatments are available
but the importance of early management can not be
overemphasized. Learn about this ailment and, with your doctor,
develop a plan for dealing with it.
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