It hurts. In your joints. Especially in the morning. Or cold weather. Arthritis ranges from merely troublesome to a debilitating problem. There is no cure. But McLeod Orthopedic Specialist Bryan Christensen, MD, says the symptoms can be treated:
Here’s a summary of Dr. Christensen’s remarks:
Arthroscopy refers to a type of surgery involving the joint — looking inside the joint with a specialized camera. You make a small incision about the size for a pencil and then place the camera inside the joint to look around. Once you are inside the joint, you can address anything in there that needs to be taken care of, such as a tear of the meniscus, which is the shock absorber inside the knee. You can either repair it or clean off the rough edges. If there is a torn ligament, you can reconstruct the ligaments. In the shoulder you can repair torn tendons or other structures through two to three incisions.
The benefits of arthroscopy include a much smaller incision for the patient, quicker recovery time and less post-operative pain.
Arthritis is something I do treat regularly. I treat both hip and knee arthritis, as well as in the back, shoulder, hand, as well as other places in the body. However, hips and knees are the most common locations in the body where we treat arthritis.
The first line of treatment for any kind of arthritis is typically over-the-counter medication, such as Tylenol. They typically have tried this approach before they come to see me. The next level would be an anti-inflammatory medication in addition to applying ice to the joint. We’d also recommend modified activities to avoid high impact activities, such as running and jumping, which have wear and tear associated with them. We try to have patients remain active by encouraging them to do low-impact activities, such as walking, biking and swimming. These take stress off the joint.