Arthritis

Arthritis a term which encompasses more than 100 different diseases affecting the joints and more than 46 million adults in the US suffer from arthritis. Many people associate arthritis with the elderly, however, there is a fair number of younger people who suffer from the condition as well. While there are different types of arthritis, most cause pain and swelling in the joints. Over time swollen, painful joints can become severely damaged and even deformed, which leads to increased pain. This can be an acute condition that flares from time to time and can take years to develop or happen suddenly. Symptoms can worsen due to high humidity, dry air or cold weather. Some people suffer from chronic arthritis, making motion a daily struggle.

Arthritis leads to pain, swelling and stiffness, most commonly in joints such as the knees, fingers, the lower back, the shoulders and the elbows. However, symptoms can present in any of the bodies joints. Symptoms may be mild for long periods of time, but can progress and escalate with time.

Osteoarthritis is a type of arthritis that is often attributed to aging or to an injury. There are other types of arthritis that involve the immune system; the most common is rheumatoid arthritis. Normally the immune system protects the body against infection, but there are cases in which it instead attacks the body's own tissues.

If you find you are stiff, sore, experience pain in a joint or joints and you experience swelling in areas of joints, you may have a form of arthritis. Early treatment of this condition yields the best results, so be sure to contact our office for evaluation and potential treatment options.