About the Treatment
Rheumatoid and Osteoarthritis arthritis are among the most common types of arthritis. Rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune disorder while Osteoarthritis is a degenerative condition. Both conditions affect the joints, causing the cartilage in between the bones to break down. This development can lead to chronic pain, especially if the bones begin to rub together. Anyone can be treated for rheumatoid arthritis, but it may affect patients as young as 35 years old. The same is true for osteoarthritis, but our physicians typically diagnose this condition in patients over the age of 65. More often than not, these conditions affect the knees, hips, hands, and more.
It is widely understood that osteoarthritis is a condition that develops with age because our joints undergo a lot of “wear and tear”. However, injuries such as a fall or any other trauma to the joint may cause this condition to develop. Additionally, joints overworked could also lead to joint deterioration. Rheumatoid arthritis is not caused by wear and tear. Instead, the condition occurs when the body starts to attack the lining that surrounds the joints. It’s believed that genetics plays a role in people becoming more susceptible to environmental factors that could cause the condition. Researchers do not know exactly why people develop this autoimmune disease.
Symptoms
Patients with rheumatoid and osteoarthritis arthritis may develop stiffness of the affected joint(s), most commonly in the morning. Patients may feel a consistent aching pain or pain the flares up throughout the day, especially when the joint becomes swollen. Patients may also experience difficulties completing everyday tasks and have limited mobility or a smaller range of motion in the joint. These indications may lead to other symptoms over time; not from arthritis itself, but from the adjustments patients make with their everyday lifestyle.
Treatment
Desert Pain Specialists offers multiple solutions to slow down joint degeneration and manage chronic pain, as there is no cure for rheumatoid or osteoarthritis arthritis. We provide patients with anti-inflammatory medications to reduce the swelling of the joint in order to control the patient’s symptoms. The physicians at Desert Pain Specialists offer joint injections that release steroid medication into the damaged, painful joint. These injections are not a long-term solution, but they may offer fewer side effects than oral medication. We can repeat these injections if necessary. In some extreme cases, we may refer patients to an orthopedic surgeon to have the joint replaced if the degeneration is severe. This surgical procedure removes the damaged joint and replaces it with a prosthetic.