Arthritis

Arthritis isn’t a single disease; it’s a constellation of more than 100 types of related conditions and ultimately refers to joint pain or joint disease. Arthritis affects people of all ages, races, and sexes, and it is the leading cause of disability in the United States. While some types of arthritis occur more frequently in the elderly than younger people, it is not particularly an aging problem. 

Some common symptoms of arthritis include pain, swelling, immobility, and diminished range of movement in joints. Symptoms can range from mild to intense and wax and wane over time. Some people may have a stable form of the disease for years, while others can advance and worsen. Chronic arthritis may result in acute pain and problems performing routine activities, making walking and climbing stairs painful and grueling.

Arthritis can also cause permanent changes to your joints. The changes may be evidently visible, like bumpy finger joints; however, the damage can often be seen only on X-rays. Some types of arthritis can even affect your organs, including the heart, eyes, lungs, kidneys, and skin.

Osteoarthritis

Osteoarthritis is one of the most common types of arthritis that can damage any joint in the body, but it mainly occurs in the hands, hips, knees, and spine. It is an inflammatory disease of the whole joint resulting in degenerative damage to cartilage, bone, and the surrounding connective tissue. Osteoarthritis can result from post-traumatic injuries such as a torn ACL or fracture, damage from physically demanding manual labor, and lifestyle factors, including obesity which puts severe stress on joints.

Some symptoms of osteoarthritis include joint pain and stiffness. The prevalence of osteoarthritis tends to increase as we age. Maintaining a healthy lifestyle, including staying physically active, maintaining a healthy weight, and eating an anti-inflammatory diet, can help with symptom management and prevent disease progression.

Physical therapy, OTC non-steroidal anti-inflammatories, and assistive devices may help with symptom management for those with mild to moderate joint pain and stiffness. For those with severe symptoms, we offer procedures at Monarch Pain Management such as joint injections, nerve blocks and ablations, peripheral nerve stimulators, and regenerative medicine techniques such as Platelet Rich Plasma (PRP) injections that may help manage your symptoms.

Autoimmune Inflammatory Arthritis

As the name implies, inflammatory arthritis is where the immune system
becomes overactive, destroying healthy joint tissue and other organs in the body (i.e., eyes, heart, and skin, to name a few).

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA), Psoriatic arthritis (PsA), gout, and juvenile arthritis are all types of autoimmune inflammatory arthritis. For these types of arthritis, early diagnosis and treatment are crucial, as slowing disease activity can help reduce permanent joint damage and improve functionality. We at Monarch Pain Management can assist in the diagnosis of inflammatory arthropathies and work with your rheumatologist to develop an effective treatment plan to manage your pain and keep you active.