The name arthritis refers to a not only one disease, but to a whole grouping of over 100 different forms of a disease. It is an umbrella term used to refer to all conditions that affect the musculoskeletal system when in actual fact, each individual variation of the disease has its own name.
Despite being over 100 variations of arthritis, these are only those types of the disease that are known, there is a possibility that there are many more forms out there. Within the grouping, there are three particular types of arthritis that are common and these include rheumatoid arthritis, gouty arthritis and osteoarthritis.
What is Osteoarthritis?
Osteoarthritis is recognized by doctors as the most common type of arthritis in patients. It is caused by the wearing down of cartilage in the joints. As time passes, cartilage can end up being worn down completely. Osteoarthritis is a type of arthritis that can affect almost any joint of the body but it is most often found affecting hips, knees, hands and spine.
Despite osteoarthritis being thought of as a non-inflammatory form of arthritis (which means that it doesn’t cause inflammation of joints or muscles within the body), this is actually not entirely true and although there is no swelling or inflammation at the early stages of the condition, it can develop into inflammation if the disease is allowed to progress. This is true in most cases of osteoarthritis.
Diagnosis and Type of Treatment
Prior to being prescribed a form of treatment, a proper diagnosis needs to be made. This is vital because failure to make the correct diagnosis may result in an incorrect course of treatment. Treatment can be advised once a full diagnosis has been made and this is why as soon you notice any symptoms of arthritis that you contact your doctor immediately.
Once fully diagnosed, treatment for osteoarthritis can begin. In the beginning your doctor will advise topical treatments that are available over the counter such as Aspirin or Tylenol. If the pain has not eased up after a couple of weeks, he is likely to advise arthritis creams and gels. These are applied directly to the skin around the affected area.
If none of these milder forms of treatment work then your doctor may advise you to begin a course of more potent arthritis treatment such as prescribed arthritis medication such as codeine combinations.
If, after all of those methods, the pain has still not lessened, your doctor may then consider surgical treatment but only as a last resort.
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