Guest Commentary: Understanding, managing and treating arthritis
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 24% of all adults in the United States have arthritis. This means 58.5 million Americans suffer from the condition.
Arthritis affects everyone differently, but it hinders mostly anyone who has it. They may feel a painful sensation of bones rubbing against each other in the impacted joint, almost like lubrication is required. Even seemingly mundane activities, such as walking up or down stairs, typing on a computer, writing, or even holding a coffee cup, can become tiresome, painful, and almost impossible, depending on the severity of the condition and the joint involved.
Are There Different Types of Arthritis?
The two main types of arthritis (osteoarthritis and inflammatory arthritis) damage joints in different ways. However, in both cases, people may experience joint pain, tenderness, stiffness, and warmth and swelling.
Osteoarthritis is more common and involves wear and tear to the joint’s cartilage. Cartilage cushions the ends of the bones and allows for frictionless joint motion, but enough damage can allow the bone to grind directly onto the bone, which causes pain and restricted movement.
If someone develops rheumatoid arthritis, which is a very common form of inflammatory arthritis, the body’s immune system attacks the capsule surrounding the joint, along with the other important anatomic structures that provide joint stability. Consequently, the unstable joint becomes deformed, and function is altered. Additionally, the inflammatory cells within the joint itself cause swelling and eventually destruction of cartilage and bone.
How is Arthritis Diagnosed?
Arthritis is normally diagnosed during a physical exam. A physician will check the joints for swelling, redness and warmth. They will ask you to move your joints and do some exercises or functional activities. Blood tests can frequently confirm inflammatory arthritis as can analysis of joint fluid. Additionally, doctors may first request X-rays, occasionally followed by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), an ultrasound or a computerized tomography (CT) scan.
Lee Health primary care physicians, rheumatologists, or orthopedic specialists can diagnose arthritis and work together to get you treatment and on the path to recovery. To learn more, please visit leehealth.org.
Can Common Sports Injuries Cause Arthritis?
Sports injuries, such as sprains, strains, or fractures can potentially lead to an increased risk of osteoarthritis. Sports injuries often affect the joints, especially the wrist and hand, ankle, knee and hip. This is because fast, vigorous activities that involve jumping, twisting, turning and gripping can damage the joints and cartilage. When this cartilage is healthy, it absorbs shock and together with the normal joint fluid, allows joints to move smoothly, with minimal friction and wear. But when the cartilage layer is damaged, it becomes easier for someone to develop osteoarthritis.
Some ways to help safeguard against sports injuries include maintaining flexibility and strength, heat and stretching before and ice and stretch after exercise and sporting events, using proper techniques, and taking time to rest, ensuring that you heal completely if you develop pain or other symptoms.
Other recommendations include wearing protective equipment, staying hydrated, wearing the right shoes or gear, taking your time and consulting your physician to get proper treatment if you injure yourself.
How is Arthritis Managed?
Thankfully, there are a variety of treatment options and ways to manage arthritis.
Treatment options help improve joint function and relieve symptoms. For some people, it may take some trial and error to see what types of treatments or combinations of treatments work best. Physicians may prescribe:
• Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) like Advil or Aleve to help reduce inflammation and pain
• Corticosteroids like prednisone to slow joint damage and reduce inflammation
• Counterirritants in the form of creams and ointments that contain capsaicin or menthol to help reduce pain
• Disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs) to slow the progression of rheumatoid arthritis and save the joints and other tissues from permanent damage
• Physical therapy exercises that can help improve range of motion and strengthen muscles surrounding and supporting the joints
• Braces, wraps or walking assistive devices
If the above methods do not help improve symptoms and pain is persistent over time, doctors may eventually suggest surgery. For those with joint damage that is not directly correctable, an alternative that is highly effective is joint replacement, known as arthroplasty.
Traditional Arthroplasty Versus Robotic-Assisted Arthroplasty
Arthroplasty or joint replacement surgery is a surgical procedure designed to reduce pain and restore the function of a joint. This involves resurfacing the bones and inserting an artificial joint or prosthesis.
Normally, the whole joint is replaced with an artificial joint made of ceramic, heavy-duty plastic or metal. Recovery time from traditional arthroplasty varies from person-to-person, depending on the joint that was replaced, the type of procedure and the person’s age.
In some instances, robotic-assisted arthroplasty may be a better option when compared to traditional arthroplasty.
Some surgeons consider it to be more precise and customizable to each patient. By using a CT scan before surgery, a physician can plan exactly how much bone should be removed and ensure the accuracy of the alignment of the new joint.
The robot helps ensure that the individual components of the artificial joint are in the best possible alignment, so they mesh together and work smoothly.
Since the technology was acquired last year, Lee Health has performed 586 robotic-assisted arthroplasties. Our data indicates that patients stay in the hospital one day less than traditional surgery with a 2% rate of readmission at 30 days after surgery compared to 7% with the traditional approach. So far, robotic-assisted arthroplasty at Lee Heath has not resulted in surgical site infections.
It’s important to mention to your physician as soon as possible if you think you’re experiencing any arthritis symptoms. There are a variety of nonoperative treatments and solutions available, but the key is to obtain a proper diagnosis.
To learn more about any potential risks and treatment options, please visit leehealth.org.
Dr. Thomas Hunt is chief physician executive of the Lee Health Musculoskeletal Institute.
To reach DR. THOMAS HUNT, please email news@breezenewspapers.com