88 globaltravelerusa.com MARCH 2019
Don’t Ignore Joint Pain
Early diagnosis and treatment can help you avoid damage from arthritis. BY MARY B. GALLAGHER, RN, MSN, CCRN
The content of this article is for informational purposes only. It is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical
advice, diagnosis or treatment.
Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health care provider with any questions you may have
regarding a medical condition.ARTHRITIS IS INFLAMMATION or degenera-
tion of one or more joints. Arthritis involves the
breakdown of cartilage. Normal cartilage protects
the joints where two bones meet and allows them
to move smoothly.
Cartilage also absorbs shock when pressure is
placed on a joint, such as when you walk. Without
the normal amount of cartilage, bones become
damaged and rub together. This causes swelling
(inflammation) and stiffness.
Joint inflammation and stiffness may result
from general wear and tear on the joints, a
broken bone, a viral or bacterial infection, or the
formation of crystals such as uric acid or calcium.
Another cause is an autoimmune disease in which
the body’s immune system attacks healthy tissue.
In most cases, the inflammation goes away
after the cause goes away or is treated. However,
sometimes it does not. When this happens, you
have long-term or chronic arthritis. Arthritis
occurs in men and women, and there are more
than 100 different types of arthritis. Osteoarthritis
is the most common; other common types include
ankylosing spondylitis, crystal arthritis, juvenile
rheumatoid arthritis in children, bacterial infec-
tion, reactive arthritis in adults, scleroderma and
systemic lupus erythematosus.
Arthritis causes joint pain, swelling and limited
joint movement (limited range of motion) as well
as redness and warmth of the skin around the
joint and joint stiffness, especially in the morning.
Some types of arthritis may cause deformity. This
could be a sign of severe, untreated, rheumatoid
arthritis.
Your health care provider will perform a
physical examination and ask about your medical
history. Your exam may show fluid around the
joint; warm, red, tender joints; and difficulty
moving the joint. Blood tests and joint X-rays cancheck for infection and other causes of arthritis.
Your provider may also remove a sample of joint
fluid with a needle to send to the lab to test for
inflammation crystals or infection.
The goal of treatment is to reduce pain,
improve function and prevent further joint
damage. The underlying cause often cannot
be cured. Lifestyle changes prove the preferred
treatment for osteoarthritis and other types of
joint swelling. Exercise can help relieve stiffness,
reduce pain and fatigue, and improve muscle and
bone strength. Your health care team can help
you design an exercise program best for you; it
may include low-impact aerobic activity such as
walking, range-of-motion exercises for flexibility
and strength training for muscle tone. Try to make
gentle exercise a part of your life.
Your provider may suggest physical therapy
which might include heat or ice, water therapy,
massage, and splints or orthotics to support joints
and improve their position. This is often needed
for rheumatoid arthritis.
Be sure to get plenty of sleep. Sleeping 8–10
hours a night and taking naps during the day can
help you recover from a flare-up faster and may
even prevent flare-ups. Avoid staying in one posi-
tion too long. Avoid positions or movements that
place extra stress on your sore joints. Change your
home to make activities easier such as installing
grab bars in the shower, tub and near the toilet.
Try stress-reducing activities such as meditation,
biofeedback, yoga or tai chi. Research shows
acupuncture can help relieve the pain of arthritis.
Eat a healthy diet full of fruits and vegetables
which contain important minerals and vitamins,
especially vitamin E. Eat foods rich in omega-3
fatty acids such as cold-water fish (salmon, mack-
erel and herring), flaxseed, canola oil, soybeans
and soy oil, pumpkin seeds and walnuts. Avoidsmoking and excessive alcohol consumption.
Apply capsaicin cream over your painful joints;
you may feel improvement in three to seven days.
Lose weight if you are overweight; weight loss can
greatly improve joint pain in legs and feet. Use a
cane or other assistive devices to reduce pain from
hip, knee, ankle or foot arthritis.
Medications may be prescribed along with
lifestyle changes. All medications have some
risks. Your provider should closely follow your
use of arthritis medications. Over-the-counter
options include acetaminophen (Tylenol), aspirin,
ibuprofen or naproxen. Prescription medica-
tions may include corticosteroids to help with
inflammation, disease-modifying antirheumatic
drugs to treat autoimmune arthritis, biologics
or other medicines for rheumatoid arthritis, and
medications for gout.
Take your medication as directed by your
provider. If you experience side effects, contact
your provider and make sure he or she reviews
your current list of all the medications you take.
For osteoarthritis of the knee, consult an orthope-
dic surgeon for injections of steroids or hyaluronic
acid, which may provide short-term relief. In some
cases, surgery such as arthroscopy, joint replace-
ment or resurfacing of the joint may be required
if other treatments have not worked.
Complications of arthritis include long-term
pain, disability and difficulty performing daily
activities. A few arthritis-related disorders can be
completely cured with proper treatment. Most
forms of arthritis, however, are long-term, chronic
conditions. Early diagnosis and treatment can
prevent joint damage. If you have a family history
of arthritis, tell your health care provider, even
if you do not have joint pain. Avoiding excessive,
repeated motions may help protect you against
osteoarthritis.health