Arthritis rheumatoid

Dealing with knee arthritis pain:

Proper physical exercise

There are special programs including physical exercises which can help ease the pain in the knees. Limiting certain activities may be necessary but lack of movement may exacerbate the arthritis pain. Remember that pain is more severe after periods of inactivity. Aquatic exercises and swimming are ideal for arthritis patients and in particular for people suffering from knee arthritis as they put less strain on the joints.

Physical therapy

Physical therapy which includes strengthening the muscles around the knees and preventing their atrophy is also very important for dealing with arthritis pain and maintaining a stable condition. Good results are often achieved when physical therapy is combined with proper diet.

Walking aids

With severe knee arthritis cases sometimes it is necessary to use walking canes or different types of magnetic bands holding the knees. Also, a single crutch, placed in the hand opposite the affected knee will help to reduce the burden on the painful joint. Walking aids are often used by older people as a last resort.

Medications

The most common medications used to alleviate the knee arthritis pain are the so called NSAIDS – anti-inflammatory pain medications. Those are drugs with analgesic and anti-inflammatory effects. However, they are just affecting the symptom – knee arthritis pain – and not the real cause of the disease which is still unidentified. Other, more ‘serious’ types of medications are cortisone injections alleviating the pain almost immediately. Physicians do not recommend continuous treatment with cortisone preparations because of their severe side effects. Joint supplements such as glucosamine are reported to affect knee arthritis pain positively and without side effects but there is still insufficient evidence of this as further research is necessary. Another, largely debated treatment for knee arthritis is arthroscopy. This is a minimally invasive surgical procedure rendered with the help of an arthroscope inserted into the joint through a small incision. It may be helpful for some specific symptoms. Knee surgery or partial knee surgery is also an alternative. Osteotomy (a surgical cutting or changing of the alignment of the bone) is reportedly effective for younger patients with limited arthritis, while total knee replacement surgery is a procedure where the cartilage is removed and replaced by metal and plastic implant is recommended for patients with advanced arthritis.

Arthritis knee pain is experienced as stiffness, redness or swelling of the knee, especially in the morning or during periods with less motion. However, during the day, the pain lessens and becomes more bearable. A common symptom which also occurs with other knee disorders is clicking or locking of the knees, when the joints are being bent and straightened, also accompanied by pain. The feeling that the joint may give out is also a common symptom of knee arthritis. The result of this may be a deformity of the joint. Pain, related to knee arthritis, often tends to progress as the condition worsens. What is more interesting is that symptoms of knee arthritis are rather inconsistent and do not follow a certain pattern. The patient may not experience pain for months and then suddenly, at the event of the so called “flare-ups” be almost unable to walk. Furthermore, arthritis knee symptoms are often reported to fluctuate with the weather conditions. Pain is usually worse through periods with high humidity.
Causes of pain appearing in the joints of the knees may vary extensively but the symptoms are rather similar – pain, redness and swelling or deformity in the worst cases. That is why it is so important to diagnose the condition correct so that the treatment and medications be of help. It is recommended to visit your GP if the pain you experience is persistent, especially if it appears when no significant stress has been put on the joint. The consultation with you GP may be followed by a visit and a physical examination by more experienced orthopedist and eventually by an x-ray. This can determine the progression of the condition. Sometimes blood tests are also recommended as well as analyzing fluid from the knee joint. Patients with other conditions than arthritis may have crystals in the fluid that helps with diagnosis.
As one of the most common reasons that lead to osteoarthritis is overweight, the first step in dealing with knee arthritis pain is to reduce the burden on the joints by actually losing weight. A dietary specialist can further instruct the patients and guide them through different healthy eating habits that can help reduce their body mass. Probably this is one of the most important, yet least commonly performed treatments.

Arthritis knee is a condition that describes pain, stiffness or tenderness along the joints of the knees as a result of physical activities, associated with arthritis. There are different types of arthritis affecting the knees, the most common of them being osteoarthritis. Osteoarthritis is caused by wearing away of the cartilage of the joint and it is often present with elderly people. In contrast, in rheumatoid arthritis, which can also affect the knees, the joint becomes inflamed and this may lead to the destruction of the cartilage. Rheumatoid arthritis is a condition which affects younger people and is associated with different inherited factors. It also most often affects both knees. Post-traumatic arthritis is the third type of arthritis often affecting the knees. This can develop after an injury to the knee and very much resembles osteoarthritis. Post-traumatic arthritis is difficult to identify as it may appear years after the injury of the ligament or meniscus tear.

Treatment for rheumatoid arthritis

The hardest part of having and dealing with arthritis is alleviating the pain associated with this disease. This cannot be completely avoided but can be managed through proper lifestyle and application of certain medications.

The body reacts to pain in different ways for several reasons. There are certain physical factors such as the type of the patient’s nervous system and the severity of the rheumatoid arthritis condition. Emotional factors, which are equally important, include fears and anxieties about pain, previous experiences, energy level and the way surrounding people react to pain.

The first-aid drugs applied in periods of flare-ups are painkillers such as paracetamol and codeine which sometimes are prescribed in combination. Arthritis pain is also managed with the help of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. Corticosteroids have the effect of immediately relieving the pain when injected in the joints but due to serious side effects such as weight gain, osteoporosis (thinning up of bones), thinning of skin, easy bruising and muscle weakness are applied when the condition is extremely serious. Over-the-counter topical preparations which are rubbed into the skin can be found in the local pharmacy.

Other exercises can be prescribed by physical therapists.

Daily living can be assisted through different devices such as canes and toilet seat raisers. Learning certain relaxation techniques can also appear to be an important weapon in the personal war against rheumatoid arthritis. Organizing group activities and discussing the condition within patient focus groups can help people feel better and improve the understanding of the troubles and embarrassment that can accompany the disease.

There are also some complementary therapies which, without providing scientific evidence towards pain alleviation, are aimed at reducing the stress of living with rheumatoid arthritis. Those include massages, acupuncture (application of fine needles at certain points of the skin), osteopathy (a type of body massage combining forceful with gentle techniques to reduce the pain and swelling of joints), electrotherapy (tiny electrical shocks stimulating the nervous system), hydrotherapy (special exercises in shallow swimming pools), certain nutritional supplements such as fish oil because of its anti-inflammatory beneficial effects.
There is no special diet for patients suffering from rheumatoid arthritis, although it is a common misunderstanding that night-shade foods such as tomatoes can aggravate the condition. There is no scientific evidence that certain foods affect rheumatoid arthritis better or worse than others.

Rheumatoid arthritis may cause anaemia – a condition characterized with reduction of the number of red blood cells which results in the blood being unable to carry enough oxygen. This condition often leaves patients tired and lethargic. Eight out of ten people suffering from rheumatoid arthritis have developed anaemia. Unlike osteoarthritis, which affects only joints and bones, rheumatoid arthritis can lead to inflammation of the tear glands causing dryness in this area. This condition is known as Sjogren’s syndrome. Other syndromes associated with rheumatoid arthritis are Felty’s syndrome (decreased number of white blood cells and enlarged spleen). Inflammation caused by rheumatoid arthritis can also affect the lung lining (pleuritis), the tissue surrounding the heart (pericarditis) and the blood vessels (vasculitis). Vasculitis can cause tissue death which is most often visible as tiny black areas around the nail beds. This condition can also manifest itself in the form of leg ulcers.

Arthritis pain factors include increased disease activity, stress, fatigue, anxiety, focusing on pain, depression, overdoing physical activity etc., while in general positive attitude and pleasant thoughts can block pain signals.  As a whole, people suffering from rheumatoid arthritis, can alleviate pain by appropriate exercise (swimming has proven to be extremely helpful as it causes minimum strain to the joints. It also strengthens the muscles around the joints maintaining a level of general good condition.