The most common cause of joint pain is osteoarthritis, a degenerative disease that wears away the surface of the joint. The most common symptoms of osteoarthritis include pain, stiffness, and swelling in the joint. This condition also greatly decreases the range of motion and causes inflammation that can be seen on the skin around the joint. Patients with arthritis usually report feeling the worst symptoms in the morning. In the case of rheumatoid arthritis, a patient may feel a loss of appetite due to inflammation by way of the immune system. Severe rheumatoid arthritis also causes joint deformity and hand in hand with anemia by decreasing the red blood cell count.

What are the symptoms of Arthritis?

• Pain
• Stiffness
• Redness near the affected joints
• Warmth near the affected joints
• Decreased range of motion

What are the causes of Arthritis?

The two main types of arthritis — osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis — damage joints in different ways.

Osteoarthritis

Osteoarthritis is caused by wear-and-tear damage to a joint’s cartilage. Cartilage cushions the ends of the bones and allows nearly frictionless joint motion, but enough damage can result in bone grinding directly on the bone, which causes pain and restricted movement. Joint injury or infection may worsen this wear-and-tear.

Severe damage to the cartilage in the joint may lead to inflammation of the joint’s lining. Osteoarthritis also causes changes in the bones and deterioration of the connective tissues that attach muscle to bone and hold the joint together.

Rheumatoid arthritis

The body’s immune system attacks the lining of the joint capsule (the tough membrane that encloses all the joint parts). This lining, also known as the synovial membrane, becomes inflamed and swollen. Eventually, the disease can destroy cartilage and bone within the joint.

For the other types of arthritis, the causes may vary and are not completely known. It is suspected that the other types of arthritis may be caused by the following factors:

• A family history of arthritis
• Working a physically taxing job or playing a physically intensive sport
• Having autoimmune diseases or viral infections

What are some other types of Arthritis?

Reactive Arthritis

Reactive Arthritis: Triggered by an infection in another part of the body — most often the intestines, genitals, or urinary tract. The areas affected mostly include the knees, ankles, and, feet though inflammation may also affect the eyes, skin, and the urethra. Previously, reactive arthritis was sometimes called Reiter’s syndrome. For most people, this uncommon condition’s signs and symptoms come and go, eventually disappearing within a year.

Septic Arthritis

Septic arthritis: An infection in the joint (synovial) fluid and joint tissues. Children are typically more affected by this rare condition than adults. The infection usually reaches the joints through the bloodstream. Joints may become infected due to an injection, surgery, or injury. 

Risk factors that increase your chance of developing arthritis:

• Age: The risk of arthritis increases as you get older.
• Lifestyle: Lack of exercise and smoking can increase your risk of arthritis.
• Sex: Women more often develop different types of arthritis.
• Weight: People who are overweight have an increased risk of developing arthritis because the excess weight puts strain on the joints.

What are the different treatments for Arthritis?

Steroid Injections

The steroidal medication injected into a painful joint space can help soothe pain in arthritic joints. Injecting corticosteroids into an arthritic joint will not provide permanent relief on its own,  it can dramatically reduce inflammation and pain. The effects can last anywhere between 1 week to 1 year. Injections for joint pain are usually one of the steps taken before resorting to surgery. In some patients, steroid injections can reduce pain to the point where patients are able to participate in Physical Therapy, which in turn can strengthen the surrounding muscles and eliminate the need for further treatment. There are treatments available, non-surgical, and not steroid injection, that are regenerative and solutions to keep you away from surgery. schedule an appointment and ask our providers how we can help.

Physical Therapy

Physical therapists diagnose and treat patients with medical problems or injuries that limit their ability to take part in their daily lives. Patients will usually see a physical therapist after a referral by their primary physician. Physical therapists work with patients who have experienced an injury or disease that has affected their movement and range of motion.

At Nextgen Wellness Group, our team of licensed physical therapists and rehabilitation experts will focus on your total health and wellness. Regardless of the cause or source of your pain, we will develop a treatment plan with your unique issues in mind.

Our treatment philosophy emphasizes evidence-based manual and therapeutic exercise techniques that are tailored toward efficiently returning patients, athletes, and employees to their pre-injury status. We treat orthopedic and sports injuries and provide spinal rehabilitation, post-surgical rehabilitation, and industrial rehabilitation. Personalized physical therapy is used to treat a variety of conditions.

• Chronic and acute medical problems
• Knee pain
• Back pain
• Leg Pain
• Ankle pain
• Sports injuries
• Musculoskeletal injuries
• Chronic medical problems
• Neurological conditions such as spinal cord injuries