Inflamed joints that had also swollen up could be the first symptom of arthritis. Osteoarthritis is the most common joint disease among the Indian population, found between 22 and 39% of the people and more particularly common in females. It is estimated that at least 595 million people across the world were suffering from osteoarthritis in the year 2020, which may be taken as a proportion of about 7.6% of the total world population. Today, this ailment has emerged as one of the major health concerns amongst women, especially those belonging to the older age. We will explain the arthritis symptoms and warning signs in this article along with various treatment approaches that are suitable for an early diagnosis of arthritis.
Symptoms and Early Signs of Arthritis
- Persistent Joint Pain: Pain in the joints during or after movement is an early sign of arthritis. This type of pain can be constant or irregular and may be in any joint, but usually develops in the knees, hands, hips, and spine. Described as a dull ache, sometimes even sharp and disabling. Changes in the weather and increased physical activity can make joint discomfort so severe that doing everyday activities gets challenging.
- Swelling and Tenderness: Swelling around the joints may make them feel tender and warm. This symptom tends to be irregular, but if the illness worsens, it could become more persistent. The swelling may be seen or felt as a soft enlargement around the area of the joint. This inflammation may bring about additional stiffness and pain and greatly impair comfort and functionality in the joint.
- Reduced Range of Motion: Arthritis can limit the ability to move when performing everyday activities, such as climbing stairs or opening containers, which require bending of the joints. Added to The decreased mobility leads to muscle weakness and atrophy due to disuse, adding to the difficulties of this condition. Early recognition of this pathology and treatment could help in avoiding this progression and joint function.
- Redness: Skin near affected joints may get red and feel hot to the touch; this is a sign of inflammation and is more apparent in the course of flare-ups when the arthritis is most active. The area feels warm and red due to increased blood flow in that area, in a bid for the body to repair the inflammatory damage that arthritis has inflicted.
- Fatigue: The early stages of arthritis are accompanied by feelings of tiredness or general body malaise, which apparently have no bearing on the joints. There may be profound fatigue that affects physical abilities and may also impact mental sharpness. It is a systemic response to the inflammation in the body and can affect an individual's overall living and coping with day-to-day stresses.
Importance of Early Detection
Recognizing arthritis in its early stages is of great importance for effective management with minimal impairment of quality of life. Early diagnosis of arthritis presents an opportunity for interventions that can significantly alter the course of the disease, reducing its intensity and speed of progression. Early diagnosis, for instance, allows healthcare providers to institute treatment strategies specific to the type of arthritis, which can be drastically different in management requirements and the patient's outcome potential. Finding it early can go a long way in controlling the disease effectively and reducing its impact on everyday life. Interventions could also be devised that would slow down the advancement of the disease, reducing the severity and speed of its advancement.
Benefits from Early Detection
- Slowing Down the Progression of the Disease: From early intervention, the development of worsening osteoarthritis, among other conditions, can be slowed down, thus stopping additional damage to the joints.
- Pain Relief: Early treatment can reduce the pain from arthritis by taking medicines like NSAIDs or corticosteroids that aim at inflammation.
- Joint Function: Treatment started early should include physical exercises and physiotherapy to assist in maintaining or restoring joint function, which may prevent rigidity and immobility loss.
- Prevention of complications: Minimize the risk of complications, such as deformities or marked disabilities through early management, in particular those related to rheumatoid arthritis that may involve other parts of the body.
- Enhance overall health: Effective early management will promote more physical activity that will help in controlling body weight, muscle strength, and good cardiovascular health.
Treatment Approaches for Arthritis
- Early Treatment: Early treatment leads to successful arthritis management. Treatment of arthritis also involves anesthetic injections, hyaluronic injections, corticosteroid injections, nico injections, rehabilitative physical therapy, and even physical surgical operations
- Lifestyle Changes: lifestyle changes involve a balanced diet and working out, which eliminate inflammation and improve the functioning of the joint. Maintenance of healthy body weight is part and parcel of this because extra weight puts added pressure on the joints, therefore it increases pain.
- Medical Treatments: Medical treatments (such as disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs, DMARDs) are therefore, generally used to help save the joints and reduce the swelling and pain, most often in the instance of inflammatory arthritis, including rheumatoid arthritis.
- Surgery: With surgeries like joint replacements or other procedures that restore function and relieve pain, you can get long-term relief from arthritis pain. However, it is important to get your surgical treatment of arthritis from only the top healthcare providers like MASSH to reduce the risk of post-surgical complications and increase the chances of surgical effectiveness.
Conclusion
Early detection of arthritis symptoms should be identified to manage and prevent further damage to the joints. Recognizing warning signs such as persistent joint pain, swelling, reduced range of motion, redness, and general fatigue can lead to earlier intervention, which may include lifestyle adjustments, medical treatments, and potentially physical therapy.
If you start experiencing any of the symptoms mentioned on a recurrent basis, it would be important to seek consultation from the healthcare provider with the aim of proper diagnosis and an individualized management plan. Effective control of arthritis is the key to leading an active, fulfilling life.
So, if you have any identifiable risk factors for arthritis, please visit MASSH Hospital today. We offer holistic treatment for arthritis complete with lifestyle coaching and medical treatment options that will help you regain joint mobility and reduce pain. Check out our website to learn more about arthritis treatment at MASSH or visit us today to consult with our specialists.
