When individuals start to suffer from arthritis, it can have profound impacts on the quality of life for the patients. While arthritis is a problem that many people will eventually encounter, it can be a problem that is often not understood by those that are suffering from it. For patients that have an incomplete or inaccurate understanding of arthritis, making decisions that can improve their quality of life may be difficult.

What Are The Causes For Painful Arthritis Symptoms?

Arthritis can take many forms, but it will typically involve painful inflammation around the joint. Older patients can be at a very high likelihood of developing this condition due to the tissues that pad the joints wearing down. While this is a condition that will frequently impact older individuals, it is not a condition that is exclusive to the elderly. Due to a person's genetics, it can be possible to start developing arthritis at a fairly early age. Also, those that have suffered serious injuries or have repetitive stress disorders may find that they are at a much higher risk of developing arthritis at a young age. For these reasons, you should be evaluated by your doctor if you notice that you are starting to develop chronic pain in your joints.

Is Arthritis A Treatable Condition?

It is often assumed that arthritis is simply a condition that a person will develop and that can not be corrected. While it may be true that many types of arthritis can not be cured, the painful symptoms of this condition can be managed. For example, individuals that have minor or mild arthritis may find that taking anti-inflammatory medications can greatly reduce their symptoms. Also, these patients may benefit from limited physical therapy to help keep the muscles, tendons and ligaments in their joints as strong and flexible as possible.

Sadly, there are some individuals that may suffer from severe arthritis. This arthritis can often be characterized by a lack of cartilage between the joint. Also, large accumulations of scar tissue can also gather around the joint. Undergoing surgery can be an excellent way of transplanting cartilage to the affected area or removing the scar tissue that may have formed. Due to the unique factors that can characterize each individual's arthritis, you will only know whether surgery is likely to provide substantial relief from your arthritis after your doctor has performed a comprehensive examination. These tests will include such things as x-rays, MRIs and range of movement evaluations.

Reach out to your local arthritis treatment center, like Sarasota Arthritis Center, for more information.