Arthritis
Arthritis is a form of joint disorder that involves inflammation of one or more joints. The most common form of arthritis is osteoarthritis (OA), also known as degenerative joint disease. Overtime, this inflammation causes wear and tear of the cartilage in your joints, causing pain and decreased mobility. Some other forms of arthritis include rheumatoid arthritis, psoriatic arthritis, and related autoimmune diseases.
Signs and symptoms
It is common in advanced arthritis for significant secondary changes to occur. For example, arthritic symptoms might make it difficult for a person to move around and/or exercise, which can lead to secondary effects, such as:
- Weight loss/weight gain
- Malaise and fatigue
- Inability to use the hand or walk
- Poor sleep
- Stiffness, which may be worse in the morning, or after use
Risk Factors
- Obesity
- Age
- Joint injury
- Occupational hazards that cause stress on the joints
Treatments we offer
Acute and Chronic pain management is a subspecialty beyond the use of pain medications. We believe in a multimodal approach which includes different groups of medications, physical therapy, nerve block and other minimally invasive bedside procedures. Treatment options vary depending on the type and location of arthritis and can include physical therapy, lifestyle changes (including exercise and weight control), epidural steroid injections, nerve branch blocks, and medications. Injectable medications can help reduce inflammation in the joint which decreases pain, or help the patient manage their pain daily with an oral medication. In arthritis the joints become stiff and the range of movement can be limited. Physical therapy has been shown to significantly improve function, decrease pain, and delay need for surgical intervention in advanced cases.
Kansas Pain Management offers steroid joint injections to combat inflammation in the joints and relieve pain. In some cases, the provider may recommend a series of steroid injections to relieve pain. The steroid can be injected directly into the inflamed joint or in the soft tissue near the joint. You may be given a local anesthetic to reduce any discomfort and most patients find the pain will subside a short period after the steroid injection.
Platelet rich plasma (PRP) therapy is also used to treat arthritis. PRP works with the natural healing properties of the blood to repair the joints. This procedure is most commonly used for knee osteoarthritis however, it may be used for other joints as well. PRP injections reduce the pain, inhibits inflammation in joints. Moreover, the increase in production of lubricating fluid in the joint can ease friction and enable easy movement of the joint.