So, Are you a Pain in the?

Are you are a real pain in the  . . . . oh, wait, the wrong talk!  Are you suffering from joint pain?   At some point in our lives, most of us will experience some form of arthritis. Arthritis is a generic term referring to joint pain or joint disease. It is more common among women and occurs more frequently as we get older. Now that is a pain, isn’t it? 

Swelling, pain, stiffness and decreased range of motion are common symptoms of arthritis.  These symptoms can range from moderate to severe and they may get worse or stay the same for years. Arthritis can cause permanent changes to our joints and lead to disability.   

There are three main different types of arthritis that we generally experience: 

• Rheumatoid or Auto-immune Arthritis
• Psoriatic Arthritis 
• Osteoarthritis 

There are of course many other reasons that you can have joint pain or systemic pain that you experience in your joints.  Figuring out what kind of pain you have can ultimately lead to the right treatment for you.

To determine what type of arthritis you have your doctor will perform a physical exam and may order blood tests, check for autoimmune markers, and order imaging/x-ray studies. 

Treatment is dependent on the type of arthritis you have.  There is a growing range of treatments that are available to help stop the disease progression, lessen pain, protect joints and preserve a range of motion to lead to a better quality of life as you age.

In our clinic, we first figure out what type of pain you are having. Arthritic? Inflammatory? Hormonal? Infectious?  There are just so many reasons for pain! Having the right assessment is critical to getting the right care. While we do refer out for things like physical therapy, or balancing and pain management with other doctors, we first make sure you are on the right diet for your arthritis.  There are many contributing factors to inflammation alone based on diet and we get specific with this to help you on your journey to optimal health. We also get specific on anti-inflammatory herbs and vitamins to help you to feel better. A series of IV therapy to reduce inflammation is also something that we may recommend. 

The goal of treatment is to improve your quality of life and reduce joint pain and swelling. This will improve your ability to perform day-to-day activities and get you on the right track to better health!