Arthritis
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Central Oregon Spine & Sports, LLC
Pain Management & Sports Medicine located in Bend, OR
There are nearly 54 million adults in the United States living with arthritis, and that only accounts for conditions that have been diagnosed by a doctor. For many, the pain of arthritis can interfere with daily activities and seriously impair their quality of life. At Central Oregon Spine & Sports in Bend, Oregon, Philip Wallace, MD, helps his patients find relief from their arthritis pain. With cutting-edge solutions in the field of regenerative medicine, Dr. Wallace can help you make arthritic pain a thing of the past. To learn more, schedule an appointment online or by phone today.
Arthritis Q & A
What is arthritis?
Arthritis is a chronic inflammation of the joints. Anyone can develop arthritis, but it’s more common in people who are over the age of 65 or overweight, and occurs more frequently in women than men.
There are over 100 different types of arthritis, but the two most common are osteoarthritis, where the cartilage in your joints breaks down, and rheumatoid arthritis, an autoimmune disorder that affects the linings of your joints.
What causes arthritis?
The different types of arthritis have different causes.
Osteoarthritis is caused by the general wear and tear of the cartilage in your joints. Your joints’ cartilage is a hard, slick substance that coats the ends of your bones and provides cushioning and protection. When that cartilage wears down, the bones in your joints directly rub against one another, which is painful and can lead to restricted movement in the joint. Osteoarthritis can happen gradually over time, or it can come on suddenly as the result of an injury or infection.
Rheumatoid arthritis is caused by an autoimmune disorder that attacks the synovial membrane, a tough lining that covers all of your joints’ parts. The synovial membrane becomes swollen and inflamed, leading to pain in your joints and eventually the degradation of the cartilage and bone within your joints.
What are the symptoms of arthritis?
Arthritis can lead to a number of symptoms in your joints, including:
- Stiffness
- Swelling
- Pain
- Redness
- Limited range of motion
The symptoms of arthritis can develop gradually or come on suddenly. They also tend to worsen with age.
How is arthritis treated?
Dr. Wallace uses a wide range of methods to treat arthritis and help his arthritic patients find pain relief.
Certain regenerative medicine treatments, such as prolotherapy, are incredibly effective in treating and restoring damaged joints. In prolotherapy, Dr. Wallace injects a solution of natural substances directly into your joint. This solution provokes your body’s natural healing process and leads to the rapid growth of new, healthy tissues that restore proper functioning to the joint and alleviate your pain.
Facet joint blocks are also an effective solution for arthritis. In this procedure, Dr. Wallace injects a small amount of local anesthetic directly into your facet joints, which are paired joints on the sides of each of your vertebra. The anesthetic works by reducing the inflammation in the joints, thereby providing long-term pain relief.
To learn more about how the pain management experts at Central Oregon Spine & Sports can relieve you of your arthritis symptoms, schedule an appointment online or by phone today.
