What is Arthritis?

21:53 - 4 May , 2021

Disease

It occurs when there is chronic inflammation and hypersensitivity in the joints, causing pain and numbness, which worsens over time. There are several kinds of arthritis, but the most common are rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis.

In the latter, the cartilage is damaged until it breaks, while in rheumatoid arthritis, being autoimmune, directly injures the joints, destroying cartilage and bone. Also, in the case of gout, which is another type of arthritis, excess uric acid in the blood causes inflammation. In addition, infections or conditions such as lupus or psoriasis can trigger the appearance of other types of arthritis. 

Arthritis is a chronic, degenerative, and incurable disease, so treatment focuses on controlling symptoms and providing a better quality of life for the patient. 

Main types of arthritis:

  • Rheumatoid.
  • Osteoarthritis
  • Infectious osteoarthritis.
  • Gout.
  • Idiopathic
  • Septic.
  • Psoriatic.
  • Reactive.

Signs and symptoms Arthritis

The symptoms vary according to your type of arthritis and its level of progress, but the common symptoms in all of them are:

  • Numbness.
  • Inflammation.
  • Moderate to severe pain depending on the degree of progression of the disease.
  • Reddish coloration in the affected area.
  • Impairment of the ability of the joint to move.

Potential risks:

  • Genetic heritage. 
  • Overweight and obesity. 
  • Seniors. 
  • Gender: rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis are more common in women, while in men gout is the type of arthritis with the highest incidence.
  • Athletes with joint injuries. 

When suffering from advanced arthritis, there are impediments and deformations that affect hands, arms, feet, ankles, and knees, mainly; which prevents the development of daily activities and makes it difficult for the patient to walk and take care of itself.

Diagnosis and treatment Arthritis

Once the doctor analyzes your symptoms and your medical history, he or she will perform a physical examination in which he or she will check your joints to verify ability to move, type of pain, and inflammation. It will also request a series of studies to determine the type of arthritis and its progress, including blood, urine, and synovial fluid tests; along with X-rays, CT, MRI, and ultrasound.

The treatment plan focuses on minimizing symptoms and expanding the range of motion of the joints, the most common being to combine different therapies to achieve this:

  • Drugs:
    • Anti-inflammatories. 
    • Painkillers. 
    • Anti-rheumatic. 
    • Corticosteroids 
  • Physiotherapy. 
    • Surgery: it is the only option when the aforementioned therapies do not work, the most frequent being:
    • Joint replacement: it is about replacing the disabled joint with a prosthesis.
    • Joint repair: arthroscopic techniques fix the joint to relieve pain and restore movement.
    • Joint fusion: when the ends of the joint are removed, they are joined and fixed so that they fuse and heal on their own.

At the Orthopedics and Traumatology Center we seek to improve the lives of patients restricted or immobilized by musculoskeletal disorders or injuries. We specialize in the care of the locomotor system by integrating the latest medical, biological, and technological advances, in strict adherence to the highest international standards of patient care.

We put our skills and knowledge at your service to provide you and your loved ones with cutting-edge treatments and highly specialized medical care in the following procedures:

  • Arthroscopic surgery.
  • Partial and total joint replacement surgery (prostheses).
  • Trauma surgery.
  • Hand surgery. 
  • Foot and ankle surgery.
  • Spinal surgery.

We treat injuries such as:

  • Dislocation.
  • Chronic bone and joint diseases.
  • Ligaments.
  • Spinal diseases.
  • Joint replacements.

Fuentes:

  • medlineplus.gov
  • cdc.gov
  • sanitas.es
  • radiologyinfo.org
  • mayoclinic.org
  • medigraphic.com
  • Morales LA. Artritis idiopática juvenil. Rev Med Cos Cen. 2014;71(609):61-66.
  • Guraieb-Ibarrola R, Guraieb-Chahín P. Artritis reumatoide juvenil sistémica. Caso clínico . Rev Med Inst Mex Seguro Soc. 2006;44(4):355-364.
  • Díaz-Jouanen E, Abud-Mendoza C, Garza-Elizondo MA, et al. Recomendaciones para el tratamiento médico de la artritis reumatoide. Rev Invest Clin. 2005;57(5):735-755.
  • Paizano VG, Araya OA, Chacón DMS. Artritis séptica. Revista Médica Sinergia. 2021;6(08):1-9.

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    The dissemination of the content of this material is for informational purposes only and does not replace, under any circumstance or condition, a consultation with a specialist doctor, for which the ABC Medical Center is not responsible for the different use that may be given to it. If you require more information related to the subject, we suggest you contact the specialist doctor you trust directly.