If you’re one of the 25% of adults diagnosed with arthritis, following an exercise regimen is one of the most important steps you can take to alleviate the pain, maintain joint movement, and reduce fatigue. At Sports Medicine Oregon in Tigard and Wilsonville, Oregon, the skilled orthopedic team can develop a treatment plan that best suits your lifestyle and needs. They offer physical therapy, regenerative medicine options, and more to help you find relief. To learn more, book an appointment online or call the office nearest you today.
Arthritis is an umbrella term referring to several health conditions that all cause joint inflammation. The two most common types of arthritis are osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis.
Osteoarthritis is the most common form of arthritis. It’s often called wear-and-tear arthritis because it develops as normal daily activities slowly break down the articular cartilage. Articular cartilage covers the ends of the bones inside the joint, where it reduces friction and allows smooth movement.
As the cartilage wears away, bone rubs against bone, causing more cartilage and bone damage along with inflammation. You can develop osteoarthritis in any joint, but it most often occurs in weight-bearing joints like your knees and hips.
Rheumatoid arthritis, the second most common type, is an autoimmune disorder in which your own immune system attacks the synovial lining inside the joint. That leads to chronic inflammation that gradually causes joint deformities.
Osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis cause:
Rheumatoid arthritis also has two characteristics that aren’t found with osteoarthritis.
First, it affects the same joint on both sides of your body. Additionally, the inflammation that begins with rheumatoid arthritis can spread to other areas of your body, creating new symptoms that seem unrelated to your joint disease.
Managing your symptoms is the first step when treating arthritis. That may include over-the-counter pain medications and physical therapy to strengthen the surrounding muscles and also increase range of motion.
Regenerative injections at painful, arthritic joints are also a minimally invasive solution that can relieve pain and induce self-healing. These injections help regrow and build knee joint tissue.
Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) injections are one type of this therapy that uses a concentrated sample of your own blood to send healing platelets directly to the site of inflammation. The platelets feature cytokines and growth factors that can restore degenerated tissue and help you avoid surgery.
Advanced shoulder, knee, or hip arthritis may require surgery if it can’t be managed with injections, braces, physical therapy, and lifestyle changes. Surgery for arthritis may require a joint replacement. During this procedure, your doctor replaces the deteriorated joint partially or entirely with plastic and metal components.
To get relief from arthritis pain, call the team at Sports Medicine Oregon or schedule an appointment online.
