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Understanding arthritic joint pain | How to manage arthritis and improve quality of life.
May 17 , 2023
Pain due to arthritis has been affecting millions of people all across the world. It is quite disabling and has a serious impact on an individual’s life. Arthritis can involve the knee joint, hip joint, and spine, but it can also affect the hands, fingers, and toes. The cartilage present in the joint breaks down, therefore the cushioning is lost and it leads to the rubbing of the bones that form the joint. As the joints degenerate, the pain worsens and the range of movement is restricted.
How prevalent is osteoarthritis of the knee in India?
- Big cities – 33.2%
- Small cities – 19.3%
- Towns – 18.3%
- Villages – 29.2%
While the prevalence in India is remarkably high, in other countries like the United States of America approximately 32.5 million US adults are affected.
What are the risk factors for arthritis?
- Age: Age-related degenerative changes due to wear and tear. Commonly arthritis develops beyond 50 years of age but nowadays younger individuals also seem to develop arthritis.
- Joint overuse: Repetitive movements that place a strain on the knee joint such as bending often, sitting cross-legged, high-impact activities etc.
- Joint Injury: The risk of arthritis is higher if there was an injury or damage to the joint at some point.
- Gender: Women are generally at a higher risk of developing arthritis than men.
- Body weight: Your body weight is an important factor that poses as a big risk in developing arthritis. Your hip and knee joints bear the weight and are constantly strained. Even the extra few kilos that you gain during vacation or festivals can have a definite impact on your joints. Also, obese individuals may have metabolic effects that can hasten arthritis.
- Genetics: Sometimes people whose family members have arthritis are more likely to develop the condition. But it largely depends on their lifestyle rather than genetics.
What will you experience usually?
Affected individuals usually experience
- Joint stiffness
- Pain
- Swelling
- Redness
- Decreased range of motion
Primary arthritis usually presents with pain, especially after some activity and bearing weight for a long duration. After prolonged inactivity affected individuals develop stiffness. The knee is one of the common joints affected by arthritis and is associated with more reported pain.
If you encounter any of the following symptoms, it is advisable to consult your doctor:
- Sharp, stabbing, and persistent pain.
- Pain leading to a limp.
- Pain that persists for over two hours after physical activity or intensifies during nighttime.
- Pain or swelling that does not improve with rest, medication, or hot/cold packs.
- Noticeable swelling or a sensation of heat in your joints, or if they appear red.
How do we diagnose arthritis?
Physical exam:
One of the important aspects of diagnosing a condition is a thorough physical exam wherein the healthcare provider will check for redness, tenderness, swelling, restriction of range of movement and some clinical tests which may be positive if the integrity of that structure is disturbed and aids in arriving at a clinical diagnosis. They also check any disturbance in movement at that particular joint.
Laboratory tests:
Depending on the type of arthritis that your physician is suspecting you may have to get a few blood tests done for confirmation as the treatment varies for each type.
Imaging:
These types of tests can detect problems within the joint that may be causing your symptoms. Examples include:
- X-rays: Where bone damage is suspected, X-ray is the first choice of imaging. They may not reveal early arthritic damage, but they are often used to monitor the progression of the disease.
- Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI): MRIs can produce more-detailed cross-sectional images of soft tissues such as cartilage, tendons and ligaments.
- Ultrasound: It is quite useful to image soft tissues, cartilage and fluid-containing structures near the joints (bursae). It can be used to guide needle placement for removing joint fluid or injecting medications into the joint.
How do we treat arthritis?
The focus of arthritis treatment is to:
- Control pain.
- Minimize or halt joint damage.
- Improve joint function/mobility
- In arthritis is associated with severe inflammation, it is also important to control inflammation.
- Medications
- Physical therapy
- Joint rehab
- Surgery for severe cases
How can I manage arthritis and improve my quality of life?
Arthritis has the potential to cause significant debilitation and profoundly impact an individual’s life. Regular pain and stiffness in the joints can restrict their ability to engage in activities they cherish. Over time, this condition can detrimentally affect their mental well-being as a result of physical limitations.
Physical activity based is good for people with arthritis.
- Help relieve arthritis pain and stiffness.
- Improve joint mobility
- Start slow and gradually increase the duration and intensity of exercises. Modify your physical activity program by exercising less frequently, for shorter periods of time and with less intensity until your pain subsides.
- Try different types of low-impact exercises at first to reduce pressure on your joints.
- Do proper warm-up and cool-down before and after exercise.
- Exercise at a comfortable pace, gradually increasing the impact is better for good joint health.
- Make sure you have good-fitting, comfortable shoes which are designed for specific activities such as walking shoes for walking, running shoes for running, jumping etc.
How maintaining a healthy weight can improve the quality of life in people with arthritis?
Losing weight reduces pressure on joints, particularly weight-bearing joints like the hips and knees. In fact, losing as little as a few pounds can reduce pain and improve function for people with arthritis. Try low-impact, arthritis-friendly physical activity and maintain a healthy weight.
References :
- https://www.cdc.gov/arthritis/basics/osteoarthritis.htm#:~:text=Osteoarthritis (OA) is the most, underlying bone begins to change.
Yadav, Rohit; Verma, Ajay Kumar1; Uppal, Arjun; Chahar, Hemant Singh; Patel, Jaydeep; Pal, Chandra Prakash. Prevalence of Primary Knee Osteoarthritis in the Urban and Rural Population in India. Indian Journal of Rheumatology 17(3): p 239-243, September 2022. | DOI: 10.4103/injr.injr_337_20
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