Diagnostic Procedures For Arthritis Pain

By Roberta Smith


Arthritis is a joint disorder that causes inflammation in one or several joints. It has been found that there are more than different kinds of this disease in humans and animals. This disease is characterized by pain in the affected regions as the main feature. Arthritis pain is a serious condition that affects many people in the world, especially the elderly and people within middle ages.

Basically, over 100 different types of this disease have been found. Some of the various types include gout, ankylosing spondylitis, septic, juvenile idiopathic, rheumatoid, and osteoarthritis. Of the many varieties available, osteoarthritis is the most prevalent form. Arthritis may occur as the primary disease causing pains in joints or it may be secondary to the main underlying disease. Examples of diseases to which this condition may be secondary are celiac disease, sarcoidosis, hepatitis, Lyme disease, hemochromatosis, psoriasis, familial Mediterranean fever, systemic lupus erythematous, and wipple disease among many others.

In the years between 1990 and 2010, statistics show that disability resulting from musculoskeletal disorders rose by a whole forty-five percent. The highest contributor to this increase was osteoarthritis. The data has a high level of accuracy in all the continents except Africa where most of the data was underestimated, leading to inconclusive results. Many factors contributed to the huge increase in these disabilities.

Several symptoms accompany this condition for identification. Since there are many varieties of the same disease, there may be a slight variance in the symptoms. However, one common symptom in all the varieties is pain. Other relatively common symptoms are swelling, aching, and stiffness in joints. Other organs may be affected by other varieties leading to a wide range of symptoms.

Apart from the aforementioned symptoms, patients become fatigued and lose the ability to walk due to stiffness in joints. Patients also lose weight, have poor sleep, and experience aches and pains in joints. Regions near joints in question become inflamed and tender. Secondary symptoms start to manifest as the disease advances. For example, loss of mobility and inability to exercise causes loss of flexibility, reduced aerobic fitness, and muscle weakness.

Diagnosis is performed by a qualified health practitioner through clinical examination. Other diagnostic tests such as blood tests and radiology may be used together with the examination to ascertain the variety one is suffering from. Diagnosis relies on the type. The history of the disease also forms a strong basis for diagnosis.

Diagnostic results are needed in order to decide what treatment plan is used. A treatment plan can only be decided after the specific type of arthritis is determined. Treatment varies with the type of the disease one is suffering from. Major treatment options available include medications, orthopedic bracing, lifestyle changes, and physical therapy. Eroding forms of the disease may require joint replacement surgery to be done.

Pain can be relieved by taking medications because they alleviate inflammation. Reduction of inflammation also slows down joint damage. Taking a shower is also known to reduce pain in some varieties. Rheumatoid and osteoarthritis do not have any known cure.




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