Arthritis / Osteoarthritis

Arthritis is a very common condition that affects a substantial fraction of people yet it’s often misunderstood by many. Arthritis refers to joint pain or joint disease and can occur irrespective of age, although women and older people are more susceptible to this disease.
The term “arthritis” means inflammation of the joint. It is a broad term that is used to describe rheumatic diseases and conditions that affect joints and tissues that surround the joint. It may affect Knee, Hip, Wrist, Elbow, Ankle, or Shoulder joint. Mahi clinic provides arthritis treatment and severe joint pain treatment through an expert team of orthopedic doctors in Chennai, Tamilnadu.

Types of Arthritis :

Although there are more different types of arthritis they can be mainly split into the following groups:

• Inflammatory arthritis
• Degenerative or mechanical arthritis
• Soft tissue musculoskeletal pain
• Back pain
• Connective tissue disease
• Infectious arthritis
• Metabolic arthritis

Symptoms of Arthritis are:

Manifestation of symptoms could be slow and gradual and will depend on the type of arthritis affected. However, most common symptoms of arthritis-affected joints are,

Joint Pain: Pain in the affected joint is often the first sign of arthritis. Pain can be constant, or intermittent that might be isolated to one place or felt in many parts of the body.
Swelling: Swelling can occur over the affected joint. In addition to swelling, redness, warmth, and tenderness are also found in some types of arthritis.
Stiffness: Another typical symptom associated with arthritis is increased stiffness that may occur at different intervals. Some may face increased stiffness upon waking up in the morning, or after sitting in a car for a long time, and others may experience stiffness after exercise.
 Difficulty moving a joint: In most cases of arthritis, it becomes difficult for the patient to move the affected joint or stiffness while suddenly getting up from the chair.

Causes of Arthritis :

• Age: Increasing age increases the risk
• Genetic: Certain types of arthritis like rheumatoid arthritis (RA), systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), and ankylosing spondylitis have a genetic tendency and certain genes are associated with a higher risk of arthritis
• Hypertension & high cholesterol
• Being overweight and obesity
• Joint injuries causing joint damage
• Infection in joints
• An occupation that requires repetitive knee bending and squatting
• Physical inactivity
• Excessive smoking
• Higher BMI
• Abnormal metabolism

Treatment for Arthritis :

• NSAIDs and topical ointments and gels helps in relieving pain related symptoms and associated swelling
• Physical therapy and stretching exercises
• Making Nutrient dense Healthy diet a part of your life
• In case of extreme cases, surgery may be advised.