At Somers Orthopaedic Surgery, we see a wide range of pain conditions. One of the most common is arthritis, which isn’t surprising as around 53 million adults have doctor-diagnosed arthritis.
Our arthritis specialists are often asked whether arthritis can be reversed, and understandably so. Arthritis can be incredibly painful and significantly impact your quality of life.
In this post, we’re answering your most pressing questions about the prognosis of arthritis so you can start making plans for treatment today.
Unfortunately, there is no cure for arthritis. Arthritis is a chronic condition that will persist throughout your life. That doesn’t mean, however, that there isn’t a way to manage your symptoms effectively.
A combination of advanced medical treatments and lifestyle changes can dramatically improve arthritis and your quality of life, especially if you start treatment early.
The first thing to know about arthritis management is that it’s hard to do alone. First, an arthritis specialist must accurately diagnose the extent and severity of your arthritis to know which pain management methods will work best.
For instance, early-stage arthritis is often easy to manage with conservative interventions, but if you try the same methods with advanced arthritis, you won’t see results.
That's why we recommend scheduling a consultation with us at the first sign of persistent joint pain. We thoroughly review your symptoms and health history to understand the exact cause of your symptoms and rule out other possible conditions.
Then, we create a treatment plan tailored to your exact needs. Arthritis treatment plans vary widely from person to person, but they usually include one or more of the following.
Arthritic joints are usually stiff joints, which means your mobility takes a hit. If you can’t get around or perform daily tasks the way you used to, physical therapy can help.
A physical therapist uses specific exercises tailored to your condition to improve your range of motion and relieve your symptoms.
It’s possible to eat and move your way to less arthritis pain. For instance, those on the Mediterranean Diet often have lower biomarkers of inflammation — which is great news for arthritis sufferers.
Getting more exercise (even though we know that’s likely the last thing on your mind) is another great way to improve your symptoms. Regular activity strengthens the muscles around your joints, increases circulation, and reduces inflammation, but it only works if you approach it the right way.
We walk you through low-impact, joint-friendly exercises that still give you all the benefits of exercise.
These lifestyle changes also contribute to healthy weight loss, which takes excess stress off your joints and promotes long-term joint health.
Depending on the type and severity of your arthritis, we can recommend over-the-counter and prescription medications. You can also try certain topical treatments that contain menthol or capsaicin to temper pain signals.
If you have rheumatoid arthritis (a type of arthritis that stems from an autoimmune condition), you may benefit from disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs) or biologics, which are genetically engineered to target protein molecules in your immune system.
Iovera cryoablation is an advanced procedure designed specifically for knee osteoarthritis. It involves using extreme cold to temporarily stop your nerves from sending pain signals. Our patients enjoy immediate relief from pain and stiffness that can last from 30-90 days.
For more advanced arthritis, we recommend joint injections. We offer several types of joint injections, including hyaluronic acid injections (viscosupplementation), which improve joint lubrication, and steroid injections, which relieve pain and reduce inflammation.
Regenerative medicine (platelet-rich plasma and stem cell therapy) taps into the power of biology to naturally reboot your body’s healing process. Both therapies are minimally invasive injections with minimal risk for side effects, allowing you to try any of the other methods of pain management we’ve mentioned.
Arthritis may not have a cure, but it doesn’t have to define your life. Call or click to speak with one of our experts about your treatment options today.
