Arthritis means inflammation of the joints. Contrary to popular perception, it is not a disease that strikes only the old. It can attack any one at any age. It is a degenerative disease with no perman...

Arthritis means inflammation of the joints. Contrary to popular perception, it is not a disease that strikes only the old. It can attack any one at any age. It is a degenerative disease with no permanent cure. It is also the leading cause of pain and disability in Americans.

Arthritis can affect the muscles and tendons, and even some of the major organs. There are more than 100 different arthritic conditions. The most common symptoms of arthritis are redness, swelling and pain. Pain may or may not be accompanied by inflammation. The affected area may or may not be hot to touch but it will definitely be painful.

In people who take to sports, the risks of injury are more. When an injury takes place, the chances of inflammation are high as inflammation is the body抯 way of healing the injured area. In case of arthritis, this defense mechanism turns against itself. Inadvertently, the body tries to destroy its own joints, leading to continual pain and mobility problems.

Arthritis needs effective care and management so that life can go on in a normal manner. For effective treatment of arthritis, it is important to arrest the inflammation as early as possible so that sufferers can manage the pain and restriction of movement, stay active and live their lives happily. Unfortunately, most patients leave off going to a specialist until their condition is too far gone.

The aim of arthritic treatment is two-fold: to arrest inflammation and to manage the pain. Relief can come in a variety of forms, like pain-killers, anti-inflammatory pills, pain relieving ointments or topical creams. In some cases, doctors recommend the use of supports and special shoes to help patients manage pain (examples include braces, splints etc). Physical therapy is another effective form of treating arthritic pain. Patients who are overweight are asked to lose weight so they can avoid unnecessary pain.

In cases where patients are unable to find pain relief through non-surgical treatment methods, surgery may be recommended. The kind of surgery will depend on:

• Type of arthritis
• The area of arthritis
• The impact of the condition
• The age of the patient

In some cases, more than one surgery may be required.

In cases where arthritis treatment begins early, a relatively simple arthroscopic surgery may suffice. As the condition worsens, more complicated forms of surgery may be required to arrest inflammation. Bone graft and ankle replacement are some examples. These treatment options have a high success rate. However, these corrective measures may fail in the due course of aging, in which case, inflammation may return. A repeat surgery solves the problem.

As already mentioned, arthritis does not have a permanent cure at the moment. Doctor抯 attempts are directed at helping patients enjoy a high quality of life and delay the crippling pain of arthritis for as long as possible. Diet, exercise, medication and other treatment procedures help patients achieve this.