Arthritis Is More Than Occasional Joint Pain
Arthritis is a broad term for conditions that affect the joints. There are many different forms of arthritis, and the cause, progression, and appropriate treatment can vary considerably from one type to another. Common symptoms include joint pain, stiffness, swelling, and reduced mobility.
Osteoarthritis is the most common form. It is a degenerative joint disease in which tissues within the joint change over time and most commonly affects areas such as the knees, hips, hands, neck, and lower back. Symptoms often include pain with activity, stiffness after rest, swelling, and increasing difficulty with everyday movement.
Knowing What Type of Arthritis You Have Matters
Not every painful or stiff joint is caused by osteoarthritis, and not every type of arthritis should be treated the same way. Rheumatoid arthritis, for example, is an autoimmune disease that can affect multiple joints and requires medical management that is very different from treatment for osteoarthritis.
At Innovative Medical Center, evaluation begins with your symptoms, health history, previous diagnoses, available imaging, and how joint pain is affecting your mobility and daily activities. Your provider may evaluate range of motion, strength, stability, swelling, tenderness, and joint function. Imaging may also be reviewed or recommended when clinically appropriate.
For patients with osteoarthritis or other musculoskeletal joint concerns that fall within our scope of care, we can then determine which conservative treatment options available at IMC may be appropriate.
Arthritis & Related Joint Conditions We Evaluate
Arthritis can affect different joints and produce very different functional limitations. Knee arthritis may make stairs or walking difficult, while arthritis affecting the hip or spine may interfere with standing, mobility, or everyday movement.
Depending on where you are experiencing symptoms, you may also want to learn more about:
- Knee Pain – osteoarthritis is one of the most common causes of chronic knee pain, stiffness, and reduced mobility
- Hip Pain – arthritis of the hip can cause pain, stiffness, and difficulty with walking or everyday movement
- Shoulder Pain – arthritis and other joint conditions can affect shoulder movement and function
- Back Pain – degenerative changes involving joints in the spine can contribute to pain and stiffness
- Neck Pain – osteoarthritis can affect the cervical spine and contribute to pain or reduced range of motion
- Sports Injuries – previous joint injuries can increase the risk of developing osteoarthritis later in life
- Interventional Pain Management – non-pharmaceutical injection options may be considered for certain arthritic joints
- Physiotherapy & Functional Rehabilitation – exercise and rehabilitation can help address strength, mobility, and function for people with osteoarthritis
- Regenerative Medicine – PRP may be evaluated as an option for certain joint conditions, with candidacy and expectations based on the individual patient
Not every type or stage of arthritis is appropriate for every service IMC provides. Treatment recommendations are based on the type of joint problem, severity of symptoms, examination findings, health history, and individual goals.
Frequently Asked Questions About Arthritis
What is arthritis?
Arthritis is a broad term used for conditions that affect the joints.
There are many different types of arthritis with different causes and treatment approaches. Joint pain, stiffness, swelling, warmth, and reduced function can occur depending on the type of arthritis involved.
What is osteoarthritis?
Osteoarthritis is the most common form of arthritis.
It is a degenerative joint disease in which tissues within the joint change and break down over time. It commonly affects the knees, hips, hands, neck, and lower back.
What are the symptoms of osteoarthritis?
Common symptoms can include:
- Joint pain
- Stiffness, particularly after rest
- Swelling
- Reduced range of motion
- Difficulty with everyday movement
- Changes in joint function
- Clicking, grinding, or other joint sounds
Symptoms often develop gradually and can become more noticeable as the condition progresses.
What joints are commonly affected by osteoarthritis?
Osteoarthritis can affect many joints, but it commonly occurs in the knees, hips, hands, neck, and lower back.
At IMC, knee and other weight-bearing joint concerns are among the arthritis-related problems we commonly evaluate.
What causes osteoarthritis?
Osteoarthritis involves changes throughout the joint that develop over time.
Age is one factor, but joint injuries, repetitive stress or overuse, excess body weight, genetics, and other factors may also influence a person’s risk.
It is therefore more accurate to think of osteoarthritis as a joint disease rather than simply assuming that painful joints are an unavoidable part of aging.
Is arthritis just a normal part of getting older?
No.
The likelihood of developing osteoarthritis increases with age, but persistent joint pain and significant mobility limitations should not simply be dismissed as “normal aging.” Osteoarthritis is a recognized joint disease with symptoms that can be evaluated and managed.
Is osteoarthritis the same as rheumatoid arthritis?
No.
Osteoarthritis is a degenerative joint disease. Rheumatoid arthritis is a chronic autoimmune disease in which the immune system attacks the body’s own tissues and can cause joint pain, swelling, stiffness, and loss of function.
Patients with rheumatoid arthritis generally require ongoing medical care to manage the underlying autoimmune disease. IMC should not be presented as a replacement for rheumatology or other appropriate medical management.
What does “bone-on-bone” arthritis mean?
“Bone-on-bone” is a common phrase used to describe advanced osteoarthritis in which there has been substantial loss of cartilage and joint space.
It generally indicates significant structural change within the joint, but imaging is only part of the clinical picture. Symptoms, mobility, examination findings, and how the condition is affecting everyday life are also important when considering treatment options.
Can bone-on-bone arthritis be treated without surgery?
Some patients with advanced osteoarthritis may still use non-surgical treatment to address pain, strength, mobility, or function.
However, conservative treatment cannot be assumed to be appropriate for every patient with severe arthritis, and it should not be presented as a guaranteed alternative to joint replacement. When severe joint damage significantly limits quality of life and conservative options are no longer adequate, orthopedic evaluation may be appropriate.
When should I have joint pain evaluated?
Consider an evaluation when joint pain or stiffness persists, repeatedly returns, limits your mobility, interferes with everyday activities, or is accompanied by recurring swelling or reduced range of motion.
An evaluation may also be useful when you have been told you have arthritis but your symptoms or functional limitations have changed.
How is arthritis diagnosed?
Diagnosis usually begins with your medical history and a physical examination.
Your provider may evaluate the affected joint for pain, swelling, range of motion, tenderness, strength, and function. X-rays or other imaging may also be used when appropriate to evaluate structural changes within the joint.
The evaluation is particularly important when the type of arthritis has not previously been established because different forms of arthritis require different treatment approaches.
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