Treatment of Arthritis

Treatment of Arthritis

Arthritis affects the body joints and causes much paint around those joints. The normal functions of these joints are interrupted, and immediate treatment is essential. The level of stiffness depends on patients and their age. Symptoms associated with arthritis include stiffness, swelling, pain, and reduced movement around the affected area (Wendling et al., 2020). Different treatment approaches can be used to treat arthritis. In most cases, age is a factor to consider when choosing a treatment plan. The diagnosis process requires medical expertise to diagnose the issue. In most cases, a combination of treatment approaches can be used to treat the issue.

Arthritis can be treated using medications, self-care, therapies, surgery, or a combination of these options. The best approach is recommended by the doctor who runs the lab tests to diagnose the problem.

For the medication approach, different drugs are prescribed to the patient, serving specific problems towards treating arthritis. To reduce inflammation, pain, and fever, doctors prescribe a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (Wendling et al., 2020). The drug works in collaboration with other drugs, such as steroids which help repair tissues, reduce inflammation and stimulate the hormone effect. An immunosuppressive drug that reduces the immune response time, analgesic for pain relieving, and narcotics are also prescribed to work in conjunction to treat arthritis and relieve the patient from the pain (Köhler et al., 2019). Steroids are given as an injection that works faster and reduces pain faster. There are also recommended by therapists in the therapeutic session.

For patients opting for the self-care approach, the approach also helps keep fit and prevent other health complications. The self-care treatment involves getting physical with the body by doing physical exercise, yoga, ice packs, tai chi, and many other physical activities that stretch the body's muscles and joints (Ogdie et al., 2020). These activities help in weight loss and improve blood flow, which helps treat arthritis in swollen areas. Physical activities majorly help prevent health complications. In this self-care approach, patients need to change their lifestyles and embrace healthy lifestyles that benefit their bodies.

Therapies in arthritis treatment involve acupuncture, stretching, hydrotherapy, and massage. These therapy sessions involve physical activities which engage the affected areas. For instance, in massage therapy, the patient engages the joints with arthritis to be massaged, which help in blood circulation hence driving healing. The massage generally releases the tight or tensed muscles, which allow the blood circulation to be free and more effective (Köhler et al., 2019). Acupuncture entails inserting needles in the area with arthritis and relieving pain, and treating the condition. Stretching generally helps enhance physical functions and flexibility, which is essential in the body's joints. Hydrotherapy involves using water, especially warm water, to relax the muscles and thus relieve pain and treat the diseases. For example, arthritis can be treated using hot tub hydrotherapy or mineral baths focusing highly on the arthritis parts of the body. We also have heat therapy which relaxes and soothes the muscles and joints, especially those experiencing pain (Ogdie et al., 2020). Not only does heat therapy soothe the joints, but it also drains skin infections.

The surgical treatment is done in severe arthritis cases where all other options cannot work. Surgery involves majorly replacing the joints affected with arthritis. There are three types of replacement in treating arthritis (Ogdie et al., 2020). These replacements include hip replacement, knee replacement, and joint replacement. The affected part is removed and replaced with an implant that works the same as the part removed for the knee and hip replacement. The treatment is done by removing the affected parts, and the patient can resume normal functions. For the joint replacement procedure, the damaged joint is replaced with another one that works and will serve the same purpose effectively (Köhler et al., 2019). The prosthesis replaced helps solve the severe pain caused by the damaged joint and improves the body function of the joint. 

Arthritis has several approaches to its treatment, and they are all very effective. Some of these approaches can be applied to different patients depending on their age and the area affected. Severe arthritis conditions require risky treatment approaches such as surgery. Some of these approaches help treat other health complications such as skin infections.

References
Köhler, B. M., Günther, J., Kaudewitz, D., & Lorenz, H. M. (2019). Current therapeutic options in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis. Journal of clinical medicine, 8(7), 938.Ogdie, A., Coates, L. C., & Gladman, D. D. (2020). Treatment guidelines in psoriatic arthritis. Rheumatology, 59(Supplement_1), i37-i46.Wendling, D., Prati, C., Chouk, M., & Verhoeven, F. (2020). Reactive arthritis: treatment challenges and future perspectives. Current rheumatology reports, 22(7), 1-7.