Arthritis Treatment in Dallas and Frisco, Texas

As you age, the cartilage between your joints wears down. This causes a lot of pain and stiffness. Osteoarthritis is the most common form of arthritis. This type of arthritis develops as you age and mostly affects your weight-bearing joints. Your feet, knees, hips, and spine are the joints most likely to suffer. Extra weight around your joints causes more stress and can expedite the process. Injuries and overuse can also cause osteoarthritis. Pain and inflammation in these cases can be controlled by medication, but surgery can also be beneficial.

Rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune disease that makes your immune system attack your joints. Inflammation of the joints can cause joint damage and a severe amount of pain. Many joints are affected at the same time and often happen in a symmetrical pattern. In cases of severe rheumatoid arthritis, medication can be used to slow the progression of the disease. Physicians use blood tests to diagnose rheumatoid arthritis.

Ankylosing spondylitis is a rare disease that affects the vertebrae in your spine–most often the lower back. With this type of arthritis, the bones in the spine can fuse together. This causes an extreme amount of pain and progresses at a different rate with each person. Many people with AS often develop an eye issue called uveitis, which can cause painful inflammation and a sensitivity to bright light.

Psoriatic arthritis is linked to psoriasis. Psoriasis is a skin disease that causes patches of red, scaly skin. The skin symptoms usually appear first. Only one joint is usually affected, and symptoms can include nail lesions and swollen fingers and toes. Diagnosing psoriatic arthritis is complicated. Your physician may rule out other types of arthritis with blood tests and imaging tests.

Children of any age can develop arthritis. When it affects children, arthritis is often called juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) or juvenile rheumatoid arthritis (JRA). Many children have periods of flare-ups and remission. Some children even have permanent remission. Unfortunately, much of the physical damage to the joints is permanent. There is no known cause for childhood arthritis, but it could be due to a misfiring immune system.

Uric acid crystals can build up in small joints and cause foot pain and inflammation. The joints of the big toe are the ones most often affected, but gout can affect joints in the fingers, elbows, and wrists. A gout attack often lasts anywhere from 3-10 days, and it often resolves on its own. Alcohol, drugs, and stress can trigger an attack. A diet with too much uric acid can also cause a gout attack. Attacks can come and go randomly, but untreated gout can cause attacks that are more frequent and last longer.

Like rheumatoid arthritis, lupus is an autoimmune disease. Lupus makes your immune system attack different parts of your body, most often your organs and your joints. There isn’t a known cause for lupus, and diagnosis is difficult. The symptoms of lupus can be attributed to other conditions.

Fibromyalgia is a condition that causes intense pain throughout the body. There is no known cause for fibromyalgia, but people with lupus or rheumatoid arthritis are more likely to develop fibromyalgia. Treatment for fibromyalgia includes physical activity and medication to manage pain.