Living with Arthritis

Living with arthritis is challenging, and most people find it negatively affects their everyday activities, relationships with family and friends, and even their jobs and financial resources. While it’s not easy, there are many things you can do to help overcome some of the difficulties living with arthritis causes.

The experienced and compassionate board-certified pain management and physical medicine and rehabilitation team at Liberty Pain Associates offers the following tips for living well with an arthritis diagnosis along with several treatments to relieve your symptoms.

What is arthritis? 

Arthritis is joint pain or joint disease in your body. There are more than 100 types of arthritis and related conditions. 

Two of the most common arthritis include osteoarthritis which occurs mainly in the hands, spine, hips, and knees, and autoimmune inflammatory arthritis, which causes your immune system to attack healthy tissues in the joints of the spine, hands, and feet.

Challenges of living with arthritis 

If you have severe arthritis, you may suffer from more intense symptoms, including chronic pain, difficulty with everyday activities, and trouble with walking and climbing stairs.

The most common symptoms include:

• Swelling
• Pain
• Stiffness 
• Lack of motion in joints

Some symptoms vary from mild to severe and may come and go while others may linger and stay the same for longer. Many arthritis symptoms can worsen as you age. 

Arthritis may cause permanent joint changes. Anything from knobby finger joints to more internal damage. Some types of arthritis may affect the heart, eyes, lungs, kidneys, skin, and joints.

Common treatments for arthritis

Although there is no cure for arthritis, there are things you can do to lessen the severity of its symptoms as well as improve your joint function. 

It’s also important to note that not all treatments will work for everyone, so you may need to try several or even find a combination that works best for your needs. The team at Liberty Pain Associates individualizes treatment plans to match your needs.

Some people may respond to medication. Some common arthritis medications include:

• Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs)
• Counterirritants like creams and ointments that contain menthol or capsaicin
• Steroids 
• Disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs)

You may benefit from physical therapy, teas, and herbs with anti-inflammatory properties, and in severe cases, surgery.

Help with arthritis 

The team at Liberty Pain Associates offers both traditional arthritis treatment options and interventional options for people who continue to experience joint pain even after surgery, or for those who are too young or sick to get surgery. Our unique arthritis treatments include:

• Radiofrequency COOLIEF
• Radiofrequency ablation
• Joint injections
• Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) and bone marrow concentrate restorative medicine
• STIMWAVE: Peripheral nerve stimulation for joint pain 

You don’t have to continue living with arthritis pain. Call the Liberty Pain Associates office nearest you in Flower Mound, Alliance/Keller, or Fort Worth, Texas, or schedule an appointment online.