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

Cervical osteoarthritis is also known as cervical spondylosis. It is a medical condition which involves changes in the joints of neck, bones and discs. This is generally caused due to the deterioration of the muscles owing to old age. With age, the cervical spine breaks down and loses all its fluids. This leads to stiffness in the spine. It occurs usually in middle aged and old aged people. This causes stiffness and severe neck pain. Corrective surgery is helpful to cure Cervical Osteoarthritis.

Symptoms of Cervical Osteoarthritis:

Pain and stiffness in the neck.
Headache which usually emerges from the neck.
Severe pain in the arms and shoulder.
Not being able to turn the head or neck fully while driving.
Muscle spasm and abnormal reflexes.
Grinding sensation or noise caused while bending the neck.
Cervical Osteoarthritis can be cured by physiotherapy in the following ways:

Heat modalities- In this method the pain and stiffness is reduced by putting heat on the affected area. This type of therapy is called heat therapy.
Neck exercise- Regular stretching and bending exercises for the neck can reduce pain and stiffness
Manipulating therapy- This form of therapy is used by massage therapists. They massage and manipulate the joints so that the muscles can function smoothly.
Hydrotherapy- This therapy involves exercising in a pool. Hydrotherapy is extremely beneficial for people having severe joint pain and stiffness.
Cervical traction- This is a common non-surgical treatment which cures pain in the neck by opening the cervical foramen (hole or passage).
Physiotherapy is the most natural and safe way of curing cervical osteoarthritis. If you are diagnosed with cervical spondylosis, you should start physiotherapy as soon as possible.

Cervical Osteoarthritis - Physiotherapy Treatment For It!!

Osteoarthritis is a common disorder that affects the joints in the body. It is characterized by wear and tear of the cartilage present in the bones which lead to pain and mobility issues. The disorder mostly affects the joints in the hips, spine, knees and the hands. This disorder can t be cured; the symptoms, however, can be managed.

Symptoms

The symptoms of osteoarthritis are progressive in nature and tend to worsen with time. You will experience pain in the affected joint, leading to limited mobility. Joint stiffness occurs when you wake up in the morning or when you have been inactive for a long period. You will also experience a grating-like sensation when the respective joint is being used.  

Causes

This condition occurs when the protective cartilage around the bones tend to deteriorate. The function of the cartilage is to allow the joints to move without friction. In this disorder, the surface of the affected cartilage turns rough, ultimately resulting in complete damage. This leads to loss of the protective cushion of the bone, making the bone rub on other bones. There are certain factors that make you prone to osteoarthritis, some of them are:

Aging increases the risks of this disorder.

Women are more prone to this disorder as compared to men.

Obesity puts added stress on the joints.

It might be hereditary as well.

Ayurvedic Treatment

Ayurveda is a holistic system of medicine that balances the different energies in the body to keep you healthy. Ayurveda believes in the fact that a disorder in the body occurs when there is an imbalance in the respective doshas   Vata, Pitta and Kapha. The idea is to get the doshas in order in order to get relief from the symptoms of this disorder. Osteoarthritis, or for that matter any disorder occurs due to the imbalance of the  Vata dosha . The Ayurvedic treatments for this condition is Pachkarma therapy.

Panchakarma is the elimination of doshas from the body. It is one of the peculiarities of Ayurveda. Since according to Ayurveda, disease is the result of imbalance of doshas, when the increase of dosha is in a large quantity the best way to get cured faster is expelling the doshas out. These procedures (Karmas) are five (Pancha) and hence they are described as Panchakarma i.e. five procedures. These are to be performed not only by the patient for getting them cured but even by healthy persons for maintaining the health. 

Vamana: This is the elimination of doshas by the process of emesis. This is particularly useful for diseases arising from kapha and also from pitta. Diseases like chr. bronchitis, asthma, skin diseases, allergies, herpes, diabetes, sinusitis, osteoarthritis, hyperacidity are best dealt with this procedure. The best season for doing this procedure is   Spring  or even  Autumn .
Virechana: In this procedure, loose motions are produced to eliminate the doshas. This is very useful in diseases caused by pitta dosha e.g. Hyperacidity, herpes, gulma (Type of tumor) jaundice, osteoarthritis, anemia, skin diseases etc. The best season for this procedure is  autumn .
Basti: The procedure is important for the Vata dosha mainly, but can be used for Kapha and pitta and for all sorts of diseases also. In this procedure enema with herbal decoction, oil, honey and salt is given. Since it has a direct action over the large intestine, which is the main site of Vata dosha, it acts instantaneously. The procedure is especially useful for all kinds of diseases caused by Vata Dosha e.g. back ache, arthritis, osteoarthritis, dystrophies, multiple scherosis, muscle waisting etc. The best season for this procedure is the rainy season.

Ayurveda For Osteoarthritis

Arthritis refers to extreme joint pain. It could either manifest in one of the joints in the body or more than one. At times, it occurs because of a vitamin deficiency. However, it can also advance with age. This is how arthritis can be easily diagnosed:

To diagnose arthritis, your specialist will consider the side effects and symptoms. They will then take a physical exam to check for swollen joints or loss of movement.

They will then use blood tests and X-ray to affirm the conclusion. X-ray and blood tests help in identifying the sort of arthritis you have. For instance, a great many people with rheumatoid arthritis have antibodies called rheumatoid components (RF) in their blood. X-rays are used to analyse osteoarthritis, normally uncovering lost ligament, bone deformities and in many extreme cases, a bone rubbing against another bone.

Sometimes, a needle is used to draw a little specimen of liquid from the joint for testing. This is done to eliminate different sorts of arthritis. In case your specialist speculates irresistible arthritis as a confusion of some other sickness, taking a sample of liquid from the influenced joint will typically affirm the finding and decide how it will be dealt with.

Depending on what kind of arthritis you have, your doctor will recommend you different therapies. However, some of the most common treatments for arthritis are as follows: 
Occupational Therapy

Certain therapies involve long-term treatment to treat the affected joint. With the assistance of an occupational therapist, you can learn simpler approaches to do your typical exercises. A therapist can show you how to do the following:
Maintain a strategic distance from positions that strain your joints.
Utilise your most healthy joints and muscles while saving weaker ones.
Use props to support certain joints.
Medication
Joint pain treatment will rely upon the nature and level of the condition. The principle objectives are to diminish aggravation and enhance the capacity of the influenced joints before the condition worsens. Your specialist will most likely recommend acetaminophen or a non-steroidal mitigating drug (NSAID), for example, Aleve.

Surgery
Different types of surgeries might be expected to lessen the inconvenience of joint inflammation or to recover the joint capacity. Synovectomy is the expulsion of a harmed connective tissue coating a joint depression. In case that ligament pain and irritation turn out to be genuinely chronic, or ligament joints turn out to be badly damaged, the answer may lie in surgical substitution.

Non-medical management of arthritis pain:
Besides medicine-based treatment for arthritis, there are many psychotherapeutic techniques to manage the same. Enhancing patients  mental state by showing them how to unwind and perform their every day exercises at a sensible pace will also help in finding a way to defeat mental anxiety and nervousness.

Arthritis - How Can It Be Diagnosed And Cured?

Natural Ways To Manage Arthritis

You might be aware that there is no way that you can prevent arthritis to happen except for being car. But what you can do is delay and reduce the risk of its potential onset. If your joints are healthy now, there is no guarantee that they will always be, unless, you take good care. 

Do you know a few kinds of arthritis can be modified. They are:

1. Gout - Have a healthy, balanced diet which is low in cholesterol, alcohol and sugar. This will help you fight against the onset of gout.

2. Osteoarthritis - To modify the risk factor of osteoarthritis, it is important to maintain a healthy weight.

How to defeat arthritis?

1. Keep a check on your weight: If you are obese, you are putting more pressure on your joints and as a result, they wear out soon. By losing weight, you can make a lot of difference in your joint health.

2. Ensure good water intake: Our body is 70% water. And water is one of those things which is the most important for us. Staying hydrated is very important, even for your joints. Because when the body is dehydrated, and the body needs water, it uses the water stored in our bodies, incl the water in the cartilage.

3. Try to avoid any injury: No one really wants to get injured but it is important to be careful and cautious against injuries of any kind. The more injured your joints are, the more susceptible they are to wear and tear now, and arthritis later in life.

4. Don’t stress with physical tasks: There is a way and correct posture to do them, but many people ignore those and perform the tasks clumsily. This puts additional pressure on your joints.

5. Get Your share of Vitamin D: Vitamin D is very important for us. If your body has adequate amount of vitamin D, then you are less susceptible to arthritis. It is wise to get the levels tested and if low, a doctor consulted for proper medication.

If you would like to consult with me privately, please click on 'Consult'.

From Lybrate: If you found this tip useful, please thank the doctor by clicking on the heart icon below. Also, spread good health by sharing this tip with your loved ones over WhatsApp, Facebook and other media.

Pain- free Arthritis? Here’s How To Make It Happen!

The shoulders are the most mobile joints in your body. Shoulder joints undergo wear and a tear over time and hence become unstable. Shoulder arthritis is one of the painful conditions affecting the shoulder joints. Arthritis not only takes a toll on the tendons and muscles, but also affects the ligaments and joints too. They usually cause symptoms such as joint pain, resulting in limited mobility.

Treatment:

Nonsurgical or Lifestyle treatments:

Take rest or avoid the activities that provoke pain or change the way of your arm movements.
Physical therapy boosts shoulder mobility.
Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) such as ibuprofen or aspirin alleviate pain and inflammation.
Corticosteroid injections in the shoulders can also help to ease the pain and inflammation, although temporarily.
Applying moist heat or ice packs over the shoulders for about half an hour at least thrice a day brings relief.
Drugs such as methotrexate can be administered in case one is suffering from rheumatoid arthritis (a chronic disease attacking multiple joints of the body).
Dietary supplements such as chondroitin and glucosamine may help reduce pain.
Surgical treatments (if your pain results in disability and does not lessen with nonsurgical options)

Join replacement surgery or arthroplasty involves replacing the damaged parts of the shoulder with a prosthetic (artificial) joint.
Few mild forms of arthritis may be treated using the Arthroscopic procedure (minimally invasive surgery). It requires a surgeon to ease the joint pain by making small incisions to  clean out  the joint. A tiny camera fitted into the joint guides the surgeon through the surgery.
Resection arthroplasty is a method that involves the surgical removal of the bone from the collar bone and substituting it with a scar tissue to treat arthritis of particular joints.

Everything You Need To Know About Shoulder Arthritis Treatment

Don't wait any longer, manage your Osteoarthritis online with a Lybrate doctor today

Consult for Osteoarthritis - Online and Easy!

FilterClear All

COMMON SPECIALITIES

COMMON ISSUES