Arthritis- Everything You Need to Know

Arthritis is a term often used to mean any disorder that affects joints. Symptoms generally include joint pain and stiffness along with redness, warmth, swelling and decreased movement. We often hear our beloved seniors complaining about joint pains which are mainly caused due to arthritis. Arthritis can attack joints in any part of the body. Senior people, especially those above 65 years of age are mostly troubled by this disease. 

Types of Arthritis:

♦  Osteoarthritis:

It is the most common type of arthritis in older people. Cartilage is a tissue that acts as padding to bones in a joint. Osteoarthritis or OA starts when the cartilage starts wearing away. The symptoms can range from mild pain and stiffness that comes and goes with activities like walking, bending to severe joint pains that can affect your senior loved ones even when they are resting or sleeping.

♦  Rheumatoid Arthritis:
It is an autoimmune disease. In Rheumatoid arthritis or RA the body’s immune system attacks its tissues, including joints. It causes inflammation in the joints causing pain, swelling and stiffness that lasts for hours or even days. This can often happen in different joints at the same time.  People with RA often feel tired and may run a fever. RA can attack a body at any age and is more common in women.

♦  Reactive Arthritis:
It is a form of arthritis or joint inflammation that occurs as a result of a reaction to an infection in other body parts. Reactive Arthritis also causes redness and inflammation of the eyes (Conjunctivitis) and inflammation of the urinary tract besides joint inflammation.

♦  Gout:
It is one of the painful forms of arthritis. The pain and inflammation occur when too much uric acid crystallizes and deposits in the joints. These deposits of uric acid lead to swelling, redness, pain and stiffness in the joints. Foods like beans, peas, shellfish, liver aggravate the condition further. Gout mostly attacks the big toe but it can affect other joints including the elbow, ankle, knee, wrist etc. Swelling may cause the skin around the joint to become tight and become tender and red or purple. 

Other forms of arthritis include Ankylosing Spondylitis (which mostly affects the spine), Psoriatic arthritis ( that affects people who have the skin condition psoriasis.) etc. Now, let us have a close look at some of the steps that our senior loved ones can follow to manage arthritis:- 

→   It is necessary for our beloved seniors that they maintain healthy body weight as extra pounds put pressure on weight-bearing joints like knees, hips etc. resulting in arthritis.

→   Physiotherapy can help in reducing arthritis pain to a large extent. Elder Care Services in Kolkata provide physiotherapy services at the convenience of your home. Moreover, they use modern techniques like “ultrasound and electric stimulation” that help in reducing arthritis pain and providing much-needed comfort to your loved ones.

→   High Blood sugar often stiffens the tissue that supports joints of a body resulting in pain and stress. Senior people must monitor their sugar level from time to time and consult a doctor immediately if they notice some abnormality in their health or test reports.

→   Regular movement of the body for at least 30 minutes will help to strengthen the muscles that support the knees and hips thereby reducing the chance of having arthritis. Walking or swimming is considered good to prevent arthritis. Encourage your loved ones for pleasant morning and evening walks to keep their muscles strong.

→   Meditation and other relaxation techniques help to reduce arthritis pain by lowering the stress level and enabling your beloved seniors to cope with arthritis pain and inflammation.

→   Regular gentle stretching can improve the senior’s range of motion. They should make a habit to stretch their body gently daily for at least 10-15 minutes. 

→   Heat and cold treatments can help relieve arthritis pain and inflammation. A long warm shower in the morning helps to ease the stiffness of the joints. Wrapping a pack of ice or a bag of frozen vegetables in a towel and applying it to the painful joints helps in quick relief. Ice should never be applied directly to the skin.

→   Senior people should consume fish that are high in Omega- 3s, like salmon, trout and mackerel which will help in preventing arthritis. Additionally, a diet rich in fresh fruits, and vegetables as a plant-based diet provides antioxidants, which are known for reducing inflammation.

This blog focuses on arthritis, its types and steps that our senior loved ones can follow to manage arthritis and lead a healthy and comfortable life.