Arthritis causes disability in millions of people worldwide. In fact, it is the primary cause of joint pain and stiffness in Americans. It is bad enough having to deal with the inability to move certain joints of your body, but ssome people may not get adequate care until it is too late.
In this blog post, we’ll discuss why arthritis is a condition to take seriously and why it is important to treat.
What Is Arthritis?
Arthritis is a term used to refer to a number of diseases that cause your joints to break down. It can affect several areas of your body, including the:
- Hands
- Feet
- Knees
- Lower back
While there are over 100 conditions that are covered by the term arthritis, there are a few types that are very common. Each has different causes and affects different joints in different ways.
Osteoarthritis, the most common type of arthritis, develops when the cartilage in joints degenerates from repeated stress.Rheumatoid arthritis, on the other hand, causes your body’s own immune system to attack the synovial membranes of joints. Other types of arthritis, like thumb arthritis and ankylosing spondylitis, damage the joints in the thumbs and spine respectively.
What Are the Benefits of Treating Arthritis?
The first and most noticeable benefit of treating arthritis is pain relief and reduced inflammation. While the symptoms of the different types of arthritis can vary, common symptoms include:
- Pain
- Redness
- Stiffness
- Swelling
- Tenderness
- Warmth
Ease of Doing Things
Once the pain and swelling are gone, you will notice that things you wanted to do or plan to do are much easier.You can get back to doing your everyday tasks. You can do other physical things without worrying about hurting yourself, too.
Slowing the Progression of Arthritis
Unfortunately, there is no cure for arthritis. The only thing that can be done is to treat and manage it.This means that the second benefit of arthritis treatment is slowing the progression of the disease. The sooner arthritis is diagnosed and treated, the slower its progress becomes.
Improved Mental Health
Another benefit of treating arthritis is improved mental health. You may not realize it, but the inability to do even the simplest things without pain can really impact your mental health.Arthritis keeps you from playing sports or doing hobbies with friends and going on family vacations, because of pain and limited mobility.Treatment is the key to being able to do what makes you happy.
A Healthier Lifestyle
Lastly, arthritis treatment will allow you to be more physically active, reducing the risk of weight gain, heart disease, and other health problems.In fact, exercise is an effective way of managing arthritis, so this treatment can also help promote a healthy lifestyle.
What Happens When You Leave Arthritis Untreated?
Treating and managing arthritis is very important, as leaving it untreated will let it worsen as time goes on. The swelling and pain brought about by the condition at first will hamper your efforts to get through the day.As time goes on, it will become very difficult to move the affected joint. This means that work and chores can be harder to perform.
The Damage May Spread
Arthritis won’t stop with impacting some parts of your joint. Severe cases of arthritis can also damage the surrounding tissues and bones.As mentioned earlier, affected joints may need to be treated through surgery if the arthritis is severe. If left untreated, it might progress so far as to require total joint replacement to relieve symptoms.
Physical Activity Will Be Limited
Because of your inability to move the affected joint, physical activity will be greatly diminished. This can affect other chronic conditions such as diabetes, heart disease, and obesity. Inactivity can even make these diseases worse.
Having arthritis can make it more difficult to treat or manage these conditions. This is because physical activity such as aerobic exercises and strength building can provide benefits to your overall health.
Arthritis Treatment Near You in Melbourne, FL
Arthritis and the pain it causes can severely impact your quality of life. Leaving it untreated and unmanaged will only cause further problems in the future. To prevent this, you should treat and manage your arthritis as soon as possible. You can start by visiting a pain clinic near you.
Are you in need of arthritis treatment? Is someone you know suffering from symptoms that just won’t go away? Why not schedule a consultation with one of our board-certified physicians here in Central Florida Spine & Pain? We stand ready to provide nothing but the best treatments for your condition, be it arthritis or another orthopedic concern.
If you want to learn more, call our clinic today at (321) 802-5021. You may also fill out our convenient online request form to book a consultation with pain management specialists near you.
