Arthritis And Joint Pain
Arthritis is inflammation of one or more of your joints. The main symptoms of arthritis are joint pain and stiffness, which typically worsen with age. The most common types of arthritis are osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis.
What Is Osteoarthritis?
Osteoarthritis causes cartilage or the hard, slippery tissue that covers the ends of bones where they form a joint to break down. Enough damage can result in bone grinding directly on bone, which causes pain and restricted movement. This wear and tear can occur over many years, or it can be hastened by a joint injury or infection.
What Is Rheumatoid Arthritis?
In rheumatoid arthritis, the body's immune system attacks the lining of the joint capsule, a tough membrane that encloses all the joint parts. This lining, known as the synovial membrane, becomes inflamed and swollen. The disease process can eventually destroy cartilage and bone within the joint.
Symptoms Of Arthritis
The most common signs and symptoms of arthritis involve the joints. Depending on the type of arthritis you have, your signs and symptoms may include:
- Decreased range of motion
Severe arthritis, particularly if it affects your hands or arms, can make it difficult for you to do daily tasks. Arthritis of weight-bearing joints can keep you from walking comfortably or sitting up straight. In some cases, joints may become twisted and deformed.
Traditional Medical Treatments
Traditional medical treatments vary depending on the type of arthritis. The main goal of these arthritis treatments is to reduce symptoms. The medications used to treat arthritis vary depending on the type of arthritis.
Surgical Therapies
Some doctors may suggest surgery, such as: Joint repair to smooth or realign surfaces to reduce pain and improve function. Joint replacement removes your damaged joint and replaces it with an artificial one. Joints most commonly replaced are hips and knees. Joint fusion is often used for smaller joints, such as those in the wrist, ankle and fingers. It removes the ends of the two bones in the joint and then locks those ends together until they heal into one rigid unit.
When traditional medications show less that optimal results, advanced technology offers a natural procedure to assist your body in rebuilding itself.
Cellular Therapies
Innovative elective regenerative and cellular therapies are now offered as an alternative treatment for arthritis and joint pain.
The concept of cellular repair is thought to target the cause of arthritis and joint pain, not just symptoms. It includes the generation of new tissue cells (regeneration), the stimulation of the growth of new blood vessels (angiogenesis), and the repair of damaged tissue, as well as the occurrence of paracrine effects (secretion of several factors including growth factors).