Arthritis (Spondylosis)

Diagnostic Procedures and Symptoms of Arthritis

What are the Symptoms of Arthritis?

The symptoms of Arthritis may vary depending on what type of Arthritis you have, but the majority of these symptoms are more or less the same. The only difference would be what part of your body the symptoms show up in. The most common symptoms of Arthritis include:

• • Joint Pain - This is perhaps the most common symptom of Arthritis and the main classification for diagnosing a condition as Arthritis. Joint pain may vary from severe to very mild, and the location of the joint pain will vary depending on what Arthritis you have.

• • Stiffness - Along with the pain you experience in your joints there can also be stiffness in your joints and body parts that will ache in pain if forced to move.

• • Swelling - the joint that is directly experiencing the pain or the body part that is afflicted will noticeably swell at the onset of Arthritis. The swelling will persist especially when there is a pain in that part of your body.

• • Reduced Range of Motion - Severe stiffness is common with Arthritis, often you will not be able to move the joint at all.

• • Redness – redness around the joint experiencing arthritis is a common symptom of the condition.

Symptoms Associated with Rheumatoid Arthritis

People experiencing Rheumatoid Arthritis, in addition to the symptoms stated above, may also experience other symptoms of Arthritis such as the loss of appetite and the constant feeling of exhaustion. You may also experience a slight fever, and in rare cases, become anemic. This is because Rheumatoid Arthritis may cause an inflammation due to the malfunctioning of your immune system.

Causes of Spondylosis

Spondylosis, much like Osteoarthritis, but in the spine, is caused by a variety of factors, but perhaps most importantly by years of wear and tear of the spine. This wear and tear include strenuous activities like sports, poor posture, and even constant pressure. Spondylosis mostly affects older people, but it can happen to a person of any age.

The above-associated symptoms of Arthritis may come and go with time, and most of them will most definitely stay the same for years if not treated. Other times, they may progress and get worse. The symptoms of Arthritis can also be either mild, moderate or severe.

What are the Procedures used to Diagnose Arthritis and Spondylosis?

The first thing you have to do when it comes to diagnosing Arthritis should be to go to your physician. This is a good first step if you are not sure where to go to get diagnosed, and your primary care physician can refer you to a specialist. But first, your physician will perform one of the following preliminary diagnostic procedures:

• • Physical Exam – the doctor will ask where the pain in your joint emanates from, but a physical exam is necessary as a first step, and it can also be used to diagnose if there are any other joints affected by Arthritis, aside from where you are experiencing the pain.

• • Checking your Joints - this will include checking for fluid around your joints, or checking if the joint is warm or red, as this indicates and inflammation

• • Checking for the range of motion within your body

• • Checking your bodily fluids – the different types of fluids in your body can be analyzed by the physician to accurately specify what type of Arthritis you have. The different types of fluids that are commonly scanned by the physician include fluid in your joints, blood, and your urine.

From there, the diagnosing physician can refer you to a Rheumatologist if the symptoms are severe. The Rheumatologist, or any other specialist, man choose to subject you to various diagnostic procedures to accurately diagnose your condition, such as:

Imaging tests

• • Ultrasound- the use of Ultrasound is common in diagnosing Arthritis by projecting images of your soft tissues, cartilage, and fluids in your joints. Ultrasound is also commonly used to guide the needle for the removal of the fluids in your joints.

• • X-ray – X-ray is ideal for diagnosing Arthritis as it can show the bones in your body and the complications that may plague them such as bone damage, cartilage loss, and bone spurs. They are also ideal for tracking the progress of the condition.

• CT Scan- CT or Computerized Tomography scan can be used to visualize both bones and the soft tissues surrounding it.

• MRI- or Magnetic Resonance Imaging can produce much more detailed images of your bones, cartilage, ligaments, and tendons than CT scans and x-rays.

Arthritis Treatment Procedures and Aftercare

What are the most common Arthritis Treatments?

The primary focus in most Arthritis treatments is always to reduce the pain you are feeling, and slowly return the movement back to the body parts affected, as well as preventing further damage to the joints in your body.

The Arthritis treatment involved with Arthritis is always conservative in nature, meaning if the joints and bones can be saved and conserved, then the doctor will almost always choose that option. Since the causes and types of Arthritis are pretty diverse, there are a lot of Arthritis treatments, and any one of these treatments or a combination of two or more may be best for you, so it is important to keep trying to determine what’s best.

Medications are most often the first line of defense for Arthritis treatment and are mainly used to suppress the pain you are feeling. Any of these medications or a combination of two or more can be prescribed to you by the doctor or specialist:

• • Analgesics – examples: hydrocodone, acetaminophen, tramadol, and narcotics that have oxycodone. Analgesics are perhaps one of the first medications that will be prescribed by your doctor to you as an Arthritis treatment, and is used to treat the pain you are feeling, but will have no effect whatsoever in treating the inflammation.

• • NSAIDs – or Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs will help control both pain and inflammation in the joints affected, hence making it an effective Arthritis treatment. Some NSAIDs, however, have side effects such as thinning of blood, stomach irritation, and increased risk of stroke or heart attack, so they should always be prescribed and used with caution. Some examples of NSAIDs include Ibuprofen, Naproxen Sodium, and salicylates. Some types of NSAIDs are ideal for Arthritis as they come in cream or gel form, which can then be rubbed directly on the joint affected by Arthritis.

• • DMARDs - or Disease-Modifying Antirheumatic drug can suppress your immune system from attacking your joints and is a good Arthritis treatment for Rheumatoid Arthritis. Examples are methotrexate and hydroxychloroquine.

• • Corticosteroids – are another type of immune-suppressant drug that can be given to you by the doctor to reduce pain and inflammation as well as stop your immune system from attacking your joints. Corticosteroids are sort of an all in one Arthritis treatment that can be taken orally or injected into the joint feeling the pain.

Surgery for Arthritis

In the case that medications don’t work and the Arthritis is already in its severe stages, the physician or doctor in charge may choose to prescribe surgery as the Arthritis treatment. There are different types of surgery such as:

• • Joint repair – Joint repair is for joints that can still be repaired in the form of realignments and smoothing. This is considered as an ideal surgical Arthritis treatment, as it can be done using small incisions over the joint, leaving little traces of the surgery behind.

• • Joint fusion – This Arthritis treatment is used for the joints in your wrist, ankle, and fingers, basically the smaller joints of your body. The surgery aims to remove the ends of the two bones locked in a joint. The joint is then placed back together until it heals into one unit. The joint can no longer be moved, but will not experience any more Arthritis related conditions in the future.

• • Joint replacement – This is for joints that are severely damaged, such as the most commonly replaced joints like hips and knees. The joint is removed from your body and is replaced with an artificial joint.

• • Decompression surgery - This Arthritis treatment is used in spinal Osteoarthritis or Spondylosis, and is done by opening or removing the bony covering of the spinal cord to create more space for the spinal column to move freely. Decompression surgery is classified as Laminectomy when the entire bony lamina of your spinal cord is removed, and Laminotomy when only a small portion is removed.

Therapy

Therapy is also considered as an ideal treatment for certain types of Arthritis. Physical therapy such as exercises can improve the affected joint’s functionality when it comes to increasing the range of motion and strengthening the surrounding muscles of the joints. Physical therapy is also considered a core component of Arthritis treatment, especially in the aftercare of the condition.

Arthritis Aftercare

After getting Arthritis treatment, impose changes in your lifestyle that can help you maintain arthritis-free joints, such as:

• • diet for weight loss - foods rich in antioxidants, fresh fruits, and vegetables.

• • Light exercise to stay fit – swimming is perhaps the ideal type of exercise as it doesn’t put excess pressure on the joints.

• • Avoiding certain foods – avoid fried foods, processed foods and high consumption of meat and dairy products.

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