The three major rheumatic diseases seen in the office are osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis and fibromyalgia.

Osteoarthritis is generally called degenerative joint disease, and is the most common type of arthritis. This condition affects over 20 million adults in the United States. The primary tissue that is damaged is cartilage, which is the tissue that cushions the ends of the bones in the joint. Osteoarthritis occurs when cartilage begins to wear and degenerate. In extreme cases, the cartilage may wear away entirely, leaving a bone-on-bone joint. As the condition worsens, bony spurs form at the edges of the joint. Osteoarthritis causes joint pain and reduced motion and stiffness. Disability results most often when the disease affects the spine and weight-bearing joints like the knees or hips.

Rheumatoid arthritis is an inflammatory disease of the lining of the joint. This also causes pain and stiffness, but also causes swelling and deformity of the joint. This condition usually affects joints of the hands and feet. This usually occurs on both sides of the body. Approximately 2 million people have rheumatoid arthritis.

Fibromyalgia is a chronic condition that causes pain and stiffness throughout the muscles that support and move joints. Pain and localized tender points occur in the muscles and tendons, particularly those of the neck, spine, shoulders, and hips. Patients usually experience widespread pain, moderate to extreme fatigue, and sleep disturbances.

The three major rheumatic diseases seen in the office
are osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis and fibromyalgia.

As you can see, osteoarthritis is the most common form. This is the form that usually comes with age. Many times, osteoarthritis follows an injury to a joint. The injury, a strain or sprain, can occur at any age. But the consequences can sometimes take years to occur. For example, a young person might hurt a knee playing football, or just turning an ankle, causing a sprain. Then, years later, after the ankle or knee has apparently healed, s/he might get arthritis in the knee joint due to improper mechanics and stresses on the lower leg.

The most common symptoms of arthritis are swelling in one or more joints, stiffness around a joint that lasts for at least one hour in the early morning, constant or recurring pain or tenderness in a joint, difficulty using or moving a joint normally, and warmth and redness over a joint.

Treatment for osteoarthritis begins with proper joint alignment. This ensures that the stresses that are applied to the joint are evenly distributed and do not place increased stress on one portion of the joint, speeding its degeneration. To support this, exercise, proper diet, and instructions on the proper use of joints may be given. Support, such as an orthotic to reduce a dropped arch, may also be needed.

Therapies like manipulation and corrective muscle balancing procedures can help control pain, increase joint motion, and improve muscle and tendon flexibility.

Moderate physical exercise can help reduce joint pain and stiffness and increase flexibility, muscle strength, and endurance. Strong muscles help support and protect joints affected by arthritis.

Another important part of a treatment program is a well-balanced diet. Along with exercise, a well-balanced diet helps people manage their body weight and stay healthy. Nutritional supplementation may run the gamut, from factors to decrease inflammation, to others which may help restore the integrity of the joints.

Along with exercise, a wellbalanced diet helps people
manage their body weight and stay healthy.

Most importantly, studies have shown that patients who are well informed and participate actively in their own care experience less pain and make fewer visits to the doctor than others do.

While there is no cure for osteoarthritis, working together, we an improve your quality of life.