I’m pretty sure I am not alone in this, but as much as I want to fight it, I am getting older and while there is a lot of good that comes along with age, Joint pain is definitely not one of them! There is no one I would trust more on this subject of why we have it and how we can help it than Doug, So… Let’s Just Ask Doug!
I spend the majority of my week treating people with Joint pain.
Osteoarthritis is a common Joint condition that many of us will face if we are not dealing with it already.
What Osteoarthritis?
It is when the surface of our bones begin to show signs of failure at the joint.
Our joint surfaces are covered with articular cartilage. It appears to look like a smooth pearly colored surface. When this surface begins to fail it can develop blisters,cracks and divots. As it progresses eventually the entire surface fails and the under surface of bone is exposed and that is when pain is at its worst.
When that pearly surface begins to fail and arthritis begins we may experience a variety of symptoms.
Common symptoms include:
Pain, Stiffness and Swelling, warmth to the touch and commonly popping and/or grinding.
Some people. Have mild symptoms that are improved with rest and activity modification.
Others have severe symptoms that affect day-to-day activity and the pain can wake them up at night.
There are several causes of arthritis but 3 common reasons are:
First: Genetics: If you have members of your immediate family with arthritis you may also suffer from arthritis.
Second: Injury: If you suffer an injury to a joint it can sometimes accelerate the process of joint wear and tear and progress to arthritis. Even if you were treated and had surgery to correct the problem you may still develop Arthritis.
Third: Activity /Occupation. Many arthritis sufferers have problems because of the day in and day out wear that their joints are subjected to because of their job or hobbies.
Diagnosis can be made by your Health care provider.
There are many treatment options available:
Here are my suggestions.
RICE
Rest: Take a break from activity that causes pain.
Ice: Apply Ice to affected area. 15 min. (Avoid frostbite)
Compression: Apply ace wrap or support sleeve.
Elevation. Elevate affected area.
OVER THE COUNTER PAIN RELIEVERS.
Tylenol, Advil, Aspirin. consult your Doctor before using.
NUTRITIONAL SUPPLEMENTS.
Make sure your supplements are Pharmaceutical grade. I trust and use a local company called Forte Elements. All their products are based on real science and developed by actual physicians. Forte has several products formulated for specific conditions.
Check out Forte Elements. Their Joint Product is perfect for arthritis.
See Forteelements.com
INJECTIONS:
Cortisone, Visscosupplements, PRP and Stem Cells
See your healthcare Provider to see which option is best for you.
SURGERY:
Arthroscopic Surgery VS Total Joint Replacement.
Not all people experience symptoms in the same way. I have seen some terrible looking joints on x-ray and the patient may have mild symptoms. And I have seen the opposite as well.
If you tried some of the above named treatments without much success. Make an appointment with you health care Provider or Orthopedic Specialist to see how you can best be treated.
You may be surprised, Surgery is not always the answer.
Thanks again.
Be Healthy
Doug Fillmore Orthopedic PA-C,
Forte Elements
**If you want to check out Forte’s Joint product or any other product Forte has to offer, Doug and Forte Elements are letting me offer my readers a 10% discount 🙂 Just Use Code: JANNA at check out!
Janna's Journey 