What is arthritis?
Arthritis isn’t a disease, but rather a standard way of referring to pain or disease in the joints. Caused by inflammation of one or more joints, arthritis is the most common chronic illness in the United States.
Arthritis symptoms include varying levels of pain, swelling, and limited function of the joints.
What causes arthritis?
The cause of arthritis depends on the form. There are over 100 types of arthritis, including osteoarthritis, inflammatory arthritis, metabolic arthritis, and infectious arthritis.
Osteoarthritis
The most common type of arthritis, osteoarthritis occurs when the cushioning cartilage between bones wears away, causing swelling, stiffness, and pain.
Inflammatory Arthritis
When the immune system misfires, it can accidentally attack your healthy body with inflammation. In types of inflammatory arthritis like rheumatoid and psoriatic arthritis, the immune system causes inflammation of the joints, which leads to pain.
Metabolic Arthritis
In metabolic forms of arthritis, your body can’t get rid of the naturally occurring uric acid in your system fast enough. Uric acid builds up, and high levels can cause the extreme joint pain known as gout.
Infectious Arthritis
Fungus, virus, or bacteria entering the joints can trigger arthritis flare-ups. These types of arthritis are often treatable with antibiotics, but they can lead to chronic arthritis.
Additional risk factors for arthritis include:
- Family history
- Advanced age
- Gender (women are at higher risk)
- Obesity
- Previous injury
- Smoking
- Environmental factors
How is arthritis treated?
To effectively treat your arthritis symptoms, you need a definitive diagnosis of its cause. Nassim Medical offers on-site diagnostics to diagnose your arthritis successfully, and advanced nonsurgical medical procedures to treat it.
Besides a physical examination, Dr. Ariel and Dr. Roland Nassim might recommend the following tests to identify the type of arthritis you have.
- MRI or CT scans
- X-ray
- Bone scans
- Blood tests
Another diagnostic and treatment tool for arthritis is ultrasound technology. This advanced technology provides images of ligaments, tendons, joints, and muscles to help Dr. Ariel and Dr. Roland Nassim diagnose soft tissue conditions like strains, tears, and sprains.
After identifying the damage, Dr. Ariel and Dr. Roland Nassim use the ultrasound to deliver therapeutic injections directly into the site.
Nassim Medical offers additional treatments depending on your arthritis pain. Either Dr. Ariel or Dr. Roland Nassim may recommend physical therapy, arthritis management, or lifestyle changes. Arthritis also responds very well to regenerative medicine techniques.
Those treatments activate the body’s natural healing tendencies. Some of the regenerative treatments Nassim Medical offers include hyaluronic acid "gel" injections and platelet-rich plasma therapy. The practice also administers hyaluronic acid injections and steroid injections when appropriate.
Call or schedule an appointment online today to learn more about arthritis treatments available at Nassim Medical.
