Arthritis is a disabling disease that can affect one or many joints. There are various types of arthritis. The most common arthritis is due to ageing where there is a decrease in articular cartilage resulting in pain, joint stiffness and deformity leading to a compromise in daily activities.>>>CONTINUE FULL READING HERE....CONTINUE READING THE ARTICLE FROM THE SOURCE
Dr Venuthurla Ram Mohan Reddy, Sr. Consultant Orthopaedic Surgeon, Lower Limb Services, Hip and Knee Surgery, Clinical Director, Yashoda Hospitals Hyderabad said that in metabolic disorders like gout and genetically linked arthritis like rheumatoid arthritis, psoriasis, SLE, and ankylosing spondylitis there is an inflammation of the joint membrane (synovium) which eventually causes damage to the articular cartilage similar to ageing arthritis. People suffering from arthritis should undertake the following measures:
Tips To Manage Arthritis
1. Young adults suffering from arthritis could be genetic or hereditary. Certain arthritis like rheumatoid arthritis, psoriasis and SLE affects various generations of members in a family. It is important for individuals (with or without symptoms) in such families to get a proper checkup and undertake investigations to confirm whether they are at high risk of getting arthritis in future.
Early detection and treatment with special medicines are very important to control synovial swelling (inflammation) and prevent permanent damage to joint cartilage. Otherwise, joint replacements will be needed at a very early age.
2. Regular health checks are important to assess vitamin D and vitamin B12 levels which if low can increase the symptoms of arthritis. Investigations for diabetes, thyroid, renal and liver diseases are also vital in patients suffering from arthritis as treatment for these systems helps to control arthritis pain.
3. Lifestyle changes are essential to keep the symptoms of arthritis under control. Obesity (high BMI) aggravates arthritis pain, and smoking and alcohol accelerate the degradation of articular cartilage. These factors should be considered by those with arthritis and corrective measures accordingly.
A protein-based diet and non-weight-bearing fitness programs like swimming, and cycling are also important to reduce arthritic pain. Weight-bearing exercises like running, jumping, volleyball etc can aggravate arthritic pain and therefore should be avoided.
4. Patients who have severe arthritis (GRADE IV) and have compromised activities of daily living should consult a surgeon for joint replacement. Non-operative treatment modalities like PRP injections, and stem cells are not a cure and have no evidence that they restore the joint cartilage.
If the surgery is delayed for a long time, then these joint replacements can become technically complex and expensive for the patient. Joint replacements of the hip and knee have been very successful in giving pain-free lifestyles to patients for more than 20 years.>>>CONTINUE FULL READING HERE
