Living with arthritis can be disabling, and it interferes with performing the simplest tasks. Although there is no cure for this condition, arthritis treatment options are available to mitigate the pain and other symptoms.
The best solution is to talk with an orthopedic doctor about what you are experiencing, and the physician can explain the treatments that would work for you. Let’s talk about how treatment can help minimize or eliminate arthritis pain, and where you can go in Plantation to see a world-class orthopedist who can help you tamp down the pain effectively.
Arthritis Treatment and Control
Some of the most popular arthritis treatment options include the following:
Pain Medication
NSAIDs (nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs) can help to manage arthritis pain and alleviate inflammation. These medications include ibuprofen, such as Advil, and naproxen sodium, such as Aleve.
Because long-term and constant use of over-the-counter pain medicine can cause harm to your liver and other organs, your orthopedic doctor can recommend good alternatives.
Rehabilitation and Physical Therapy
Physical therapists can help you lessen arthritis pain by strengthening the supportive muscles. Your therapist will show you specific exercises and stretches that will make these muscles stronger, so when you put any kind of pressure on the joint in question, the muscles will do more of the work rather than the joint itself.
Steroids and Pain-Relief Injections
Steroids, especially corticosteroid injections, can help to immediately alleviate arthritis pain and inflammation. Your orthopedic doctor will inject this treatment directly into your joint that has arthritis pain, and you will enjoy immediate pain relief. This treatment is particularly popular because arthritis pain relief usually lasts for months before it has to be administered again.
Topical Treatment
Ointments and creams that have capsaicin and can help to reduce arthritis pain. These topical arthritis treatments are rubbed on the skin over your affected joint, and they are designed to impede the nerve transmission of pain signals from your joint.
PRP Therapy
Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) therapy is a relatively new treatment approach that leverages the natural healing features of the human body. This procedure is a physician-administered injection in which the doctor will take a small sample of your blood through your arm (like a usual blood-draw), process the blood in a centrifuge, and then inject the plasma solution with the concentrated platelets into your joint that has arthritis.
This treatment is a holistic method that harnesses your blood’s healing properties to help your body heal itself, in this case, to treat arthritis. You will probably not feel relief right away, because the platelets must go to work in the joint.
So far, patients have reported excellent results through this revolutionary treatment, especially in treating knee pain. It is used to manage different conditions which cause joint pain, including arthritis and tendonitis.
Surgery
Surgery is the best arthritis treatment when conservative options do not work. Joint repair, fusion, and joint replacement are common surgeries for arthritis, and orthopedic surgeons have developed better and better procedures with the constantly improving surgical technologies – helping their patients recover more quickly and completely from arthritis pain.
Treatment for Arthritis in Plantation, FL
At Baylis & Brown Orthopedics, Dr. Robert Baylis and Dr. Christopher Brown offer superior arthritis treatment and innovative solutions for all conditions that affect the musculoskeletal system. We can help you find long-lasting relief from your joint pain or any other musculoskeletal condition.
If you have any questions or would like to schedule an appointment, call us today at (954) 476-8800. You may also fill out our convenient appointment request form online now. We look forward to helping you tamp down your arthritis!