Arthritis Specialist

What causes arthritis?

Arthritis encompasses many different conditions that have one thing in common: joint inflammation. However, osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis account for most cases.

Osteoarthritis

Osteoarthritis develops as daily wear and tear gradually breaks down cartilage covering the ends of bones in your joints. As more cartilage wears away, the bones rub together, causing bone damage, inflammation, and bone spurs.

Though osteoarthritis can affect any joint, it most often occurs in weight-bearing joints like your knees and hips.

Rheumatoid arthritis

Rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune disease that occurs when your immune system attacks the synovial tissues inside joints. The tissues become inflamed, and if you don't get treatment, chronic inflammation damages the bone and leads to joint deformities.

Rheumatoid arthritis typically begins in the small joints in your hands and feet. The disease also develops in the same joint on each side of your body.

What symptoms develop due to arthritis?

The classic symptoms of arthritis include joint pain and stiffness, along with limited joint movement. Rheumatoid arthritis also causes joint swelling. 

Additionally, rheumatoid arthritis may lead to inflammatory conditions that affect other parts of your body. As a result, you could have symptoms that affect your skin, eyes, and lungs, to name a few.

How is arthritis treated?

Arthritis treatment focuses on easing your pain, maintaining optimum movement, and slowing down disease progression. Your treatment plan includes one or more of the following:

Physical therapy

A regular exercise regimen eases your pain, reduces inflammation, and helps maintain the joint's mobility. However, you also need to avoid activities that place too much stress on the joint. That’s why it's important to get guidance from your provider.

Weight loss

Being overweight increases your risk of developing arthritis and hastens progressive joint damage after the disease develops. Every extra pound of weight adds 3-4 pounds of pressure on your knee joints, for example.

Medications

If you have osteoarthritis, your symptoms may improve with joint injections containing steroids or hyaluronic acid. Following a joint injection for hand arthritis, your provider may apply a splint to stabilize the joint and let it rest.

People with rheumatoid arthritis need disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs). These medications can put your disease into remission and slow down ongoing joint damage.

Joint replacement

As arthritis reaches an advanced stage and the joint suffers extensive damage, your provider may recommend a joint replacement. The team at SOUTHERN WESTCHESTER ORTHOPEDICS AND SPORTS MEDICINE specializes in joint replacement for hand arthritis. 

They’re also experts in robot-assisted knee and hip replacements using Mako® Robotic-Arm Assisted Technology.

If you need help with joint pain and stiffness, call SOUTHERN WESTCHESTER ORTHOPEDICS AND SPORTS MEDICINE or book an appointment online today.