5 Treatments for Arthritis

If you are at least 65 years old, your risk of getting arthritis increases. That is not to say that young people cannot get it because they can. Other factors that make you prone to the condition include obesity, previous joint injury, and smoking.

Arthritis is an inconvenient condition. Could you imagine having mobility issues due to your swollen pain legs? If you have the condition and are fed up, there are treatments that you can consider. All you need to do is reach out to an arthritis Medford specialist near you. Here are treatments that doctors may carry out.

Medications

Examples of medications that your doctor may prescribe are counterirritants. These are ointments or creams that contain camphor, menthol, or eucalyptus oil. Once you rub on your affected leg, they create a hot or cold sensation depending on the ingredients they contain. Counterirritants work by interfering with the transmission of pain signals.

Also, you could use corticosteroid medications such as prednisone. They come in the form of pills or injections. These drugs help to reduce inflammation and pain.

Massaging

Massage improves blood circulation, which then reduces pain and inflammation. There are various messages that help with this condition. You can opt for a hot stone massage. In this therapy, your doctor uses warm stones to alleviate muscle tension. Heat promotes blood flow within your leg.

If your arthritis is mild, you could choose deep tissue massage. It manipulates the surface and lower layers of tissues and muscles. Your doctor must apply sufficient focused, strong pressure to ease your arthritis.

Surgery

It is best to choose surgery when all other treatment methods fail. One of the surgical procedures surgeons may do is joint fusion. In the surgery, the doctor removes the ends of two bones in the joint of your wrist or fingers. After that, they lock the ends until they heal to form a strong unit.

Another surgery doctors may consider is joint replacement. Your doctor removes the damaged joint and replaces it with an artificial one. This procedure is mostly done for the knees and hips.

Hyaluronic Acid Injections

Our body produces hyaluronic acid, which lubricates and cushions our joints for smooth movements. People with osteoarthritis lack enough hyaluronic acid, so these injections increase the substance’s amount.

Some patients cannot take certain medications (e.g., ibuprofen), while some cannot have total knee replacement surgery. This treatment is, therefore, suitable for both parties.

Heat and Cold Therapy

Heating helps soothe stiff joints. That is because it increases blood flow which causes the dilation of blood vessels. On the other hand, cold therapy reduces swelling and inflammation by constricting blood vessels.

There are things to know when using this treatment. If your leg is already showing redness or swelling, use cold instead of heat. When you use cold therapy, do not use it for too long, as it may cause frostbite.

Conclusion

In the past, people thought surgery was the only way to treat arthritis. As a result, they would not do anything to manage their condition and suffer through the pain. Also, remember, surgery is not cheap. Fortunately, you have learned of various ways of treating arthritis.

More importantly, you can take steps to avoid contracting arthritis. You can quit smoking, maintain a healthy weight, exercise, and control your blood sugar. Do not wait until you are a senior citizen to follow these measures; the earlier you observe them, the better.