Arthritis

Chattanooga, Tennessee

Arthritic Conditions

Arthritic conditions, which are very common among people over forty, can make our later years increasingly difficult and uncomfortable. Arthritis can lead to severe pain, stiffness, and even disfigurement, making it difficult to go about everyday life.

There are two major types of arthritis—rheumatoid and degenerative. Though both lead to pain and stiffness in the joints, their causes and symptoms are slightly different. With years of experience treating arthritic conditions, Hayes Hand Center can help diagnose and treat your arthritis-related pain.

Rheumatoid arthritis

Rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune disorder. While it is more common in women and in people between 40 and 60 years of age, it can occur in anyone, of any age, though juvenile rheumatoid arthritis is much rarer.

In rheumatoid arthritis, the synovial membranes around the joints are invaded by white blood cells; the invasion causes them to become inflamed. This chronic inflammation leads to thickening of the synovium, as well as eventual damage to cartilage and ligaments, and eventually to the bone itself. Joints become misshapen and misaligned, with severe arthritis leaving them gnarled and twisted, with greatly reduced movement.

Symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis include:

• Swollen, painful joints
• Redness and swelling in the hands
• Low-grade fever
• Firm lumps, or rheumatoid nodules, under the skin, particularly in the arms and hands

While there is no cure for rheumatoid arthritis, the pain and swelling can be controlled with medications, and other drugs can even reduce destruction of the bone. In more advanced cases, surgery can help correct severe disfigurement.

Degenerative arthritis

The most common form of arthritis is degenerative arthritis, or osteoarthritis. Degenerative arthritis occurs when wear and tear results in breakdown of the cartilage that cushions the joints. Without the cartilage, bones rub directly against each other, causing severe pain and difficulty in movement. The bone also becomes inflamed, and spurs of bone can develop in the affected areas.

Symptoms can vary, but include:

• Pain in the joints
• Nodules on the smallest joints of the fingers
• Loss of joint cartilage, visible on diagnostic X-rays

A variety of treatments can help alleviate the pain of degenerative arthritis. Arthritis in the hands benefits from use of splints, heat therapies, and other physical therapies.

If you are suffering from pain in your joints and believe you might have an arthritic condition, please contact our hand specialist Hayes Hand Center in Chattanooga, Tennessee to schedule an arthritis consultation. The earlier these conditions are treated, the more successful the treatment is likely to be.