Arthritis is a leading cause of chronic pain and loss of mobility, but with expert help, you can manage your condition successfully. The highly skilled team at Northland Orthopedics & Sports Medicine in Kansas City, Missouri, combines their considerable experience with cutting edge diagnostic technology to diagnose and treat arthritis in its many forms. Call Northland Orthopedics & Sports Medicine today to schedule an appointment today, or you can request one online.
Arthritis is a joint disease that causes chronic pain and stiffness. Arthritis isn’t a single disease but comes in more than 100 different forms. Some types are rare, but the most common form, osteoarthritis, affects millions of people every year.
Osteoarthritis is what’s called a wear-and-tear condition that develops over the years. The ends of the bones in your joints have a layer of tough, slippery cartilage protecting them. The cartilage enables your bones to slide against each other painlessly as you move.
Over time, this cartilage can start to deteriorate and get thinner, increasing the friction between the bones. This causes inflammation and leads to pain in the joints. As the cartilage continues to wear away, bones start to rub against each other in an increasingly painful and debilitating way.
Another widespread type of arthritis is rheumatoid arthritis. Rheumatoid arthritis tends to affect younger people, as it’s an autoimmune disorder. That means your immune system, which is designed to protect you from infection, mistakes your own cells for invaders and attacks them.
Although there are many types of arthritis, they all share the same essential symptoms. Arthritis pain can vary between a dull aching at times and a throbbing, disabling agony at others.
Pain often worsens because of triggers, which are usually things like wet weather, a change in routine that means you’re using your joints more than usual, and stress. Your joints might start to swell and feel constantly tender, and you might start to lose some strength in your joints.
Stiffness is the other main symptom. This is usually worse when you’ve been immobile, with the joints seeming to loosen after you’ve been moving around. You might find you can’t bend or flex your joints as you used to, and in some cases, the affected joints can begin to twist and look misshapen.
Arthritis is incurable, but it is manageable. The expert team at Northland Orthopedics & Sports Medicine has considerable experience in helping patients who have arthritis to manage their pain and improve their mobility.
Treatments for arthritis aims to reduce inflammation and manage pain. Your provider at Northland Orthopedics & Sports Medicine creates a personalized treatment plan that could include:
Making lifestyle changes such as losing weight, quitting smoking, eating a healthy diet, and managing stress can also make a significant difference to your arthritis.
We proudly serve the greater Kansas City area. If you have joint pain, call Northland Orthopedics & Sports Medicine today to schedule a consultation or book an appointment online.
