Overview

Arthritis is a joint inflammation that causes pain and stiffness that worsens with age. There are various types of arthritis, each caused by a different factor such as wear and tear, infections, or underlying illnesses. In India, more than 188 million people suffer from arthritis. Arthritis sufferers consist of women and men, youngsters and adults.

Types of Arthritis

The most common types of arthritis are:

• Osteoarthritis: This is a type of joint damage that includes cartilage wear and tear. Osteoarthritis is more common in women and usually affects people over the age of 45. The knees, fingers, hips, and back are the most commonly affected body parts.
• Rheumatoid Arthritis: This is a type of inflammatory arthritis that is also known as an auto immune disorder. Inflammation occurs when the body sends extra fluid and blood to a specific area in order to combat an infection. Adults of any age can be affected. It usually begins in people between the ages of 40 and 60. Women are more likely to experience this.

Arthritis Causes:

The two main types of arthritis, osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis, can both cause joint damage in different ways.

1. Osteoarthritis: This condition affects the entire joint. It alters the bones and deteriorates the connective tissues that connect muscle to bone and hold the joint together. It also causes joint lining inflammation.
2. Rheumatoid arthritis: Inflammation and excess fluid in a joint can result in the following problems: 

• Difficulty and pain in joint movement.
• Chemicals in the fluid can cause bone and joint damage.
• Excess fluid can cause the joint capsule to stretch. A joint capsule never returns to its original position after being stretched.
• Chemicals in the fluid can irritate nerve endings, resulting in pain.

Symptoms of Arthritis

• Arthritic joint inflammation is characterised by joint stiffness, swelling, redness, pain, and warmth.
• Tenderness of the inflamed joint can occur with or without pain.
• When large joints, such as the knee, are involved, there may be cartilage loss and limitation of motion due to joint damage.
• When arthritis affects the small joints in the fingers, bone growth and loss of hand grip can occur.

Arthritis can also cause symptoms that affect organs other than the joints, such as fever, gland swelling, weight loss, fatigue and feeling unwell

Treatment of Arthritis:

Arthritis treatment focuses on symptom relief and joint function improvement. There are several medications that can provide relief. Medication that is commonly used includes:

• Pain killers - These medications relieve arthritis pain but do not reduce inflammation like acetaminophen. If the pain is severe, opioids such as tramadol, which act on the central nervous system to relieve pain, may be prescribed.
• Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs)- NSAIDs such as ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin IB, and others) and naproxen reduce both pain and inflammation (Aleve)
• Anti-irritants- Some creams and ointments contain menthol, the ingredient that makes hot peppers spicy. Rubbing these creams on the skin over your aching joint may interfere with the transmission of pain signals from the joint itself.
• Disease- Modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs)- DMARDs slow or stop your immune system from attacking your joints. These are frequently used to treat rheumatoid arthritis. Methotrexate is one such example.
• Corticosteroids- A class of drugs that includes prednisone and cortisone that reduces inflammation and suppresses the immune system. Corticosteroids can be injected directly into the painful joint or taken orally.

Therapy for Arthritis

Some types of arthritis may benefit from physical therapy. Exercises can help to improve range of motion and strengthen the muscles around joints.

Surgery for Arthritis treatment:

If conservative measures fail to provide relief, the doctor may recommend surgery, such as:

• Joint repair- Joint surfaces can be smoothed or realigned in some cases to reduce arthritis pain and improve function. Small incisions over the joint are frequently used for these procedures.
• Joint replacement- This procedure involves the removal of a damaged joint and the replacement of it with an artificial one. The most common joints to be replaced are the hips and knees.
• Joint fusion- This procedure is more commonly used for smaller joints like the wrist, ankle, and fingers. It separates the ends of the two bones within the joint and then locks those ends together until they heal into one rigid unit.

Visit Aakash Healthcare today if you are suffering from severe arthritis. Aakash Healthcare Super Specialty Hospital is one of the best arthritis treatment hospitals. In Delhi, we have one of the best rheumatologists. Robotic arm assisted Arthroscopic Surgery, Traumatic Orthopaedic Surgery, Hand, Shoulder & Elbow Surgery, Spine Surgery, Articular Surface Replacement Hip Surgery, Foot & Ankle Surgery, Total Knee & Hip Replacement Surgery, and other procedures are performed by the Orthopaedics and Joint Replacement Department.