Arthritis is a disease in which the joints in your body swell. Inflammation or swelling can be caused due to body's natural response to injury or disease. It can cause discomfort in the form of pain, stiffness as well as difficulty in movement. Major types of arthritis are osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, psoriatic arthritis, and gout.

Causes of arthritis

Arthritis is generally caused by a combination of factors. It can happen due to genetic factors in case the disease runs in the family. Sometimes it can be caused due to injuries of the past; it can also be a by-product of your lifestyle. Some of the common causes of arthritis are:

1. Genetic makeup in which arthritis can be a hereditary trait
2. Physically taxing work life or injuries caused in an accident
3. Imbalance in the immunity system
4. Infections in the joint.

Risk Factors associated with arthritis

1. Family history - You can be prone to develop arthritis if it runs in the family. It can occur due to its hereditary trait hence making you more vulnerable to the environmental factors which contribute to developing arthritis.

2. Age - The risk of arthritis can increase with age. Types like osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis and gout are more common in the old age.

3. Gender - Your sex is an important factor as women are more likely to develop rheumatoid arthritis while men are prone to suffer from gout.

4. Joint injury - Joint injury caused due to accidents or due to sports activities can trigger arthritis. People with previous joint injuries can develop arthritis in that joint.

5. Obesity - Excess weight can put a lot of pressure on the joints, on the knees and hips in particular. Hence, obese people have more chances of developing arthritis than fitter people.

Causes and Risk Factors Associated with Arthritis

Joint Replacement Surgery is a procedure where the damaged surface of the advanced arthritic joints are removed and replaced with artificial joints, such as metallic, plastic and ceramic joints.
These surfaces closely replicate the original anatomy.

When do you need a knee replacement?
When you suffer from severe pain or deformity in the joint (knee in this case), the pain or stiffness and deformity makes it difficult to perform simple tasks. Severe grade IV osteoarthritic knees of  people over 50 years when have pain, swelling and deformity fail to respond to medicines, physiotherapy, injections and rest.

Aim of the surgery

    Correct the deformity: Relieve the pain and give near full movements almost immediately after the procedure. Details including techniques and safety, it is a safe, rewarding surgery with a success rate of as high as 99.5% when done by an able and experienced professional.
    Anaesthesia: Usually it is the spinal cord epidural where one is rendered numb for 3 to 4 hours waist down. Sometimes a general anaesthesia is given. A 4 to 5 inches cut is made in front of the knee and all the damaged cartilages, bones, loose bodies are removed from the lower end of the thigh, upper end of the tibia (usually of few millimetres) and the surface re-crafted to match the size and shape of the artificial joint (it is usually imported). They are fixed with bone cement. The ligaments and muscles are reattached and the parts closed.
    Recovery: Stand up and walk a few steps with a walker the day after the procedure i.e. in 24 hours. Physiotherapy in hospital for 5 to 7 days and/or walking, progressively longer walks and exercises over the following 15 days. Stitches are removed in 15 days. The patient can return back to normal activity in 4 to 8 weeks the surgery.
    Activities: Normal walks of 3 to 5 km per day Climbing stairs, cycling, swimming, and driving can be performed with the new implant(s) now.
    Avoid: Squatting/kneeling Prohibited: contact sports like football, cricket, tennis; jumping; adventure sports Longevity of joints: 15-35 years depending on the materials used.

Joint Replacement Surgery - When Should You Go for  it

If you are suffering from arthritis, it is important for you to know about how it affects your knee and other joints. Arthritis is a chronic, systematic inflammatory disease which damages your joints and connective tissues. Your knee is commonly affected by arthritis and there are three primary types of arthritis that occur in the knees. They include osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis and post-traumatic arthritis.

Types of arthritis 
The different types of arthritis affecting the knees occur due to different reasons. Osteoarthritis is a progressive condition, which wears away the joint cartilage over time. Rheumatoid arthritis is an inflammatory condition, which may occur at any age. Post-traumatic arthritis occurs after an injury is inflicted to the knee and may occur several years after a ligament injury or knee fracture.

Major symptoms

Arthritis pain may occur all of a sudden, but commonly develops slowly. In the early stages, the pain is observed in the morning after you have been inactive over the night. Pain is likely when you want to move around. Pain may be experienced even when immobile.
Periodic inflammation is a common symptom of arthritis of the knee. This happens because of the formation of bone spurs or excess fluids in your knee. The swelling gets pronounced after being inactive for a long period. The skin on your knee may look red and feel warm while you touch it. This may lead to chronic inflammation, which is very difficult to manage.
Treatment
There are several ways of treating knee arthritis. The mode of treatment depends on the severity and cause of knee arthritis. NSAIDS or nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs are commonly prescribed for dealing with arthritis pain temporarily. Other medicines used for knee arthritis treatment are as follows:

Analgesics, which help in pain reduction act as good alternatives to NSAIDS.
Corticosteroids are used for reducing inflammation.
Certain DMARDs or disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs are used.
Certain injections that are used for helping with knee arthritis. They include:

Hyaluronic acid supplements, which ease the pain and inflammation by lubricating your knee joints.
Corticosteroid injections also soothe inflammation and pain.
You may also require a surgery for dealing with knee arthritis when other modes of treatment fail. The most common surgeries are as follows:

Total joint replacement, where your knee is replaced with a prosthetic made of metal, plastic or ceramic.
Osteotomy, where the knee bones are modified for controlling pressure and damage in the knees.
Arthroscopy, where an incision is made in the knee for removing damaged parts.
It is recommended for you to consult a doctor, if you experience any symptom of knee arthritis. Early treatment will prevent the condition from worsening.

Knee Pain - It May be a Sign of Arthritis?

Three Ways to Protect Your Knees

The knee is known as the largest and one of the most complex joints in the human body, and also one of the most vulnerable, as it supports the weight of the entire body. The knee joint is made up of several elements including the knee cap, meniscus, connective tissue, tendons, ligaments, cartilage, and muscles. Damage to any part of the knee can cause chronic pain. So how can you protect your knee from damage and injury? Take a look at these three points!

Dealing with Load: Weight is a big one. Carrying around extra pounds and kilograms can be detrimental for your knees in the long run. Your knee is not equipped to handle the excessive weight. It already supports three to five times your weight when you get up and walk around or indulge in some mild jogging. One must be careful of those extra pounds to take the load off the knee and keep it from falling prey to damage.

Exercise: Moderate to intense exercise is prescribed for one and all. This, of course, depends on one's overall health and age. If you are already suffering from joint pain, then you may want to go easy on the exercise with a focus on building muscle strength and foundation. If you are healthy, then some amount of daily exercise as a routine will keep those knees in prime working condition and well lubricated as well. Inactivity and a sedentary lifestyle can affect the knees very badly.

Do not Ignore: Warning signals such as chronic or acute knee pain should not be ignored. Remember to see a doctor or an orthopaedic specialist to find out if you have contracted an infection or if you may have suffered a fracture due to an injury. Also, it is important to take a bone density test regularly, especially after the age of 40 or for women going through menopause, as this will point to any deficiencies and even warn you in case there is any trace of osteoporosis.

Rest, exercise, and food should be kept in fine balance for a healthy body. These are a few measures that one can take to keep knee pain at bay. Yet, it is also advisable to speak with a doctor at length regarding measures to protect your knees.

Remember to ask us for a private consultation today!

Three Ways to Protect Your Knees

Out of the many muscle and bone-related conditions, arthritis is one of the most painful degenerative ailments that begins with the inflammation of the joints. This condition can be particularly debilitating as it progresses, and it is usually known to affect the elderly and aging. Yet, they are not the only victims of the condition, as many patients suffering from arthritis are young. There are various kinds of arthritis and gouty arthritis or gout is one such form.

Gout is one of the three forms of the disease and it is known to be one of the most painful kinds. The accumulation of urate crystals in the joints often leads to the inflammation of the same, which is the start point of gout. While there are many kinds of treatment and management measures available for the condition, the age old form of homeopathy is one of the most recommended.

Let us cast a glance on five of the most effective homeopathic measures for this condition. At the same time, it is important to keep in mind that these medicines must be recommended only by a qualified doctor.

Colchium: This is known as one of the best homeopathic medicines for gout and is often recommended when the most noticeable symptom includes intense pain and swelling in the big toe of either or both feet. Redness and a hot sensation in the toe may also be experienced, which may get worse at night.

Ledum Pal: This is also another very effective homeopathic medicine for gouty arthritis. This is used when the symptoms include pain that travels upwards through the legs and to the knees. In such cases, the patient may also experience shooting pains that go through the feet and affect the balls of the feet as well as the toes.

Benzoic Acid: This is one of the most well-known solutions for a number of ailments, including gouty arthritis. This is especially helpful when uric acid begins to spread an unbearable odour and makes the urine a different colour, akin to brown or any other shade close to brown and even red. This medicine is also prescribed when the joints produce a crackling sound every time the patient walks.

Antim Crudum: This medicine is usually prescribed when gout begins to affect the appetite of the patient. He or she begins to feel hungry more often and consumes more food than what he or she normally would. Pain in fingers as well as in heels can also be cured with this medicine.

Sabina: Shooting pains in the toes and heels along with other feminine problems related to urine are often symptoms of gout that are treated with this medicine.

Homeopathic Remedies For Gouty Arthritis

Fibromyalgia is a disorder that causes widespread body pain along with sleep deficits, memory loss, mood problems and fatigue. Symptoms may be triggered after a surgery, physical trauma, infection, or stress. Women are much more vulnerable to this disease than men. Many people affected with fibromyalgia may have suffered from headaches, backaches, depression, anxiety, tension, temporomandibular joint 
disorders and irritable bowel syndrome. Most of these patients have undergone multiple consultation with various doctors and undergone many tests, but no diagnosis could be made. These patients are often ignored by doctors and family members as always "complaining of pain".

Symptoms of Fibromyalgia:
1.Extensive Pain- Pain related to fibromyalgia is often depicted as a dull pain that lasts for at least three months. Pain can involve any body part like back,neck, chest, arms, legs. Patients have pain in multiple areas of body and painful areas change over time.

2.Fatigue- Patients afflicted with this disorder feel tired even after sleep. Such people are reported to sleep for longer hours than normal people, but their sleep often gets disrupted due to sleep apnoea and restless leg syndrome.

3.Cognitive Difficulties- These patients find it difficult to concentrate at work and also suffer from memory deficits in daily activities.

4.Other Symptoms: These patients may also have symptoms like burning urination, urgency of urination, numbness,loss of appetite, tingling sensation,diarrhoea, constipation, tinnitus, depression etc

Diagnosis of fibromyalgia:
There are no specific test to diagnose fibromyalgia. Diagnosis is made by a doctor specialised in Pain Medicine using clinical methods based on symptoms and examination. Blood tests like Haemogram, Thyroid function test, RA Factor, ESR are done to rule out other diseases which can cause similar symptoms. 

Treatment of Fibromyalgia
1.First step in treating these patients is to accept their problem and discuss with patient and family members regarding the presence of such disease entity.

2.Lifestyle changes like active involvement in cardiovascular exercises, swimming, yoga, meditation are important to control symptoms.

3.Conventional painkillers do not work in these patients. They requires special medications prescribed by a Pain Specialist for control of symptoms.

4. Counselling of patient is beneficial for associated depression.

Are You Suffering From Body Pains ? It Could Be Fibromyalgia!!

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