Osteoarthritis
Relieving the pain of osteoarthritis in Encinitas, ca
Osteoarthritis is a painful joint condition that detracts from the quality of life of many Encinitas, CA men and women. Here at Seaside Rheumatology and Wellness Center, we provide state-of-the-art treatment options to help you find real relief.
What is osteoarthritis?
Osteoarthritis, also known a degenerative joint disease, is a slowly progressive, noninflammatory condition that typically affects the joins of the hands, hips, knees, and spine. It is characterized by joint pain that is usually worsened after activity, joint stiffness, bony enlargement, joint instability, crepitus (joint creaking) and loss of range of motion.
Osteoarthritis is a result of one’s genetic predisposition and environmental exposures. For example, excessive loads due to increased weight or trauma results in damage to the joint cartilage and bone just beneath this cartilage. A small percentage of osteoarthritis can be more aggressive and is thought to have a more inflammatory component.
Symptoms and risk factors
Radiographic (x-ray) changes seen in osteoarthritis include; bone spurs, joint space narrowing and subchondral cysts. Osteoarthritis is more common in men than in women and associated with increased age. Inflammatory osteoarthritis is more common in women. There are several risk factors for osteoarthritis including:
- Age
- Family risk
- Gender
- Obesity
- History of trauma
- Repetitive injuries
- Smoking
How osteoarthritis is treated
Osteoarthritis is treated with a combination of lifestyle modifications, weight loss, physical therapy, occupational therapy, strength and range of motion exercises, bracing, medications, joint injections (steroids and viscosupplementation), and as a last resort, surgical intervention.
All injection procedures done at the Seaside Rheumatology and Wellness Center are done with ultrasound guidance to improve accuracy and patient comfort. Viscosupplementation treatments may require a one-time injection, while others require one injection per week for up to three to five weeks. The type of viscosupplementation used will be decided by your physician based on symptoms and the joint affected.
The viscosupplementation injections can then be repeated on an as needed basis. Steroid injections can be done for both acute and chronic arthritic pain. It is recommended not to have more than three injections per year. All injection procedures have both risks and benefits, which your physician will discuss with you during your visit.
All you need to know about Osteoarthritis
Osteoarthritis is a form of arthritis. Typically, we see as we get older. It’s also known as sort of an age related or wear and tear arthritis. There is an inflammatory component to osteoarthritis that is less understood than some of the other inflammatory arthropathies that we see. Typical symptoms for osteoarthritis include joint pain, joint swelling, and joint stiffness. A lot of times this will be on weight bearing joints, like the knees or the hips as they take a lot more force over the years. A lot of patients will also experience pain in the finger joints. Once diagnosed with osteoarthritis, there are several treatments available. These include oral medications, oral natural supplements. There are several types of injections depending on the joint involved. That can be very helpful in relieving the symptoms. The goal of therapy is to reduce inflammation, reduce pain, get the patients moving again, and get them on a regular exercise routine and living a healthy lifestyle. All of the procedures done for patients with osteoarthritis are ultrasound guided at Seaside Rheumatology and Wellness Center, and not only does that provide a more precise and accurate procedure, but it also provides a more pain-free procedure for the patient. I’ve had a lot of success with ultrasound guided injections and aspirations of.
Let us help you live a life of less pain. Call Seaside Rheumatology and Wellness Center at 760-509-2429 and schedule your appointment today.
