Diagnosis and Treatment of Arthritis

How Is Arthritis Diagnosed?

The first step in diagnosing arthritis is going to your doctor. Your doctor will consider your symptoms and perform a physical exam to check for swollen joints or a decrease in range of motion within the affected joints. The use of blood tests and X-rays are also utilized to confirm the diagnosis and also help distinguish which the type of arthritis is present. For example, most people with rheumatoid arthritis (RA)  have antibodies called rheumatoid factors (RF) in their blood, although RF may also be present in other disorders.

X-rays are used to diagnose osteoarthritis, which can typically reveal loss of cartilage and depict bone rubbing against bone. Sometimes, joint aspiration which requires using a needle to draw a small sample of fluid from the joint for testing, is used to rule out other typed of arthritis.

How Is Arthritis Treated?

Treatment of arthritis generally includes rest, occupational or physical therapy, exercise, drugs, and sometimes surgery to to fix the joint damage. As for osteoarthritis, treatments can help relieve pain and stiffness, but the disease may continue to progress.

Arthritis Treatment: Occupational Therapy

Protecting your joints is an important part of treating arthritis. An occupational therapist can teach you compensatory strategies and techniques on how to:

• Avoid positions that strain your joints
• Use your strongest joints and muscles while sparing weaker ones
• Provide braces or supports to protect certain joints
• Use grab bars in the bath
• Use modified doorknobs, canes, or walkers
• Use devices to help you with tasks such as opening jars or pulling up socks and zippers

Arthritis Treatment: Medicine

Arthritis treatment will depend on the nature and seriousness of the underlying condition. The main goals are to reduce inflammation and improve the function of affected joints before more serious problems occur.

The doctor will most likely prescribe acetaminophen or a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID), such as Aleve, to reduce pain and inflammation of the affected joints. The doctor may recommend corticosteroid joint injections to ease the pain and stiffness of affected joints. Results may vary from person to person as temporary relief to long-lasting suppression of symptoms. Hyaluronic acid may also be injected as it mimics normal joint fluid and can reduce pain and increase mobility. Some examples are Hyalgan, Orthovisc, and Supartz.

Arthritis Treatment: Surgery

The surgical procedure concerning arthritis treatment is Synovectomy, which is the removal of damaged connective tissue lining a joint cavity.

Surgical replacement should be a last resort when all other treatments have failed to decrease pain and inflammation and it has become too painful for the individual to tolerate. Knee and hip joints can be replaced with artificial joints made of stainless steel, plastic and ceramic materials. This also includes shoulder joints and smaller joints in the elbows and fingers.

Resource: https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/arthritis/

(Posted by Von Jared Omo)