What is arthritis?
Arthritis is a large family of 100-plus conditions that cause joint problems, including pain, stiffness, weakness, and deformity. When untreated, arthritis can interrupt and seriously limit your activities.
The most common forms of arthritis are:
Osteoarthritis
Osteoarthritis is the most common joint disorder among Americans. It develops when cartilage — the protective material over your bones — wears down to expose the bones.
This type of arthritis develops because of normal age-related cartilage loss, physical trauma, or repetitive joint overuse. Osteoarthritis often occurs in the hips, knees, and spine but can affect other joints, too.
Rheumatoid arthritis
Rheumatoid arthritis develops when your immune system starts manufacturing substances that attack your joints. The damage begins with the synovial membrane — the inner joint lining and triggers swelling inside the joints and surrounding tissue.
Rheumatoid arthritis can cause extensive joint deformity over time. It can affect any joints but occurs most often in hands, knees, and ankles.
Post-traumatic arthritis
Post-traumatic arthritis develops after joint injury. Some bone fractures can affect the end of a bone, changing the cartilage surface. Eventually, sometimes even years after the initial injury, the affected joint may develop post-traumatic arthritis.
Arthritis is treatable but seeking help as soon as you notice symptoms is important in maximizing treatment efficacy and preventing joint erosion.
What are the signs of arthritis?
Arthritis symptoms can include:
- Pain
- Swelling
- Stiffness
- Limited range-of-motion
- Clicking when you move the joint
- Changes in the joint’s appearance
Arthritis symptoms might be irregular, or you may have particularly severe discomfort during cold weather or other times.
Don't wait until you have debilitating symptoms to seek help. ROC Orthopedics offers all types of arthritis care, from conservative approaches to joint replacements.
What kind of arthritis treatment will I need?
ROC Orthopedics offers arthritis treatments for all stages and types of arthritis. If you seek treatment in the early stages of the disease, you can potentially ease symptoms and prevent further joint damage with a combination of non-surgical interventions like physical therapy and platelet-rich plasma (PRP) injections.
For severe arthritis that doesn't improve with non-operative treatments, a surgery like hip arthroscopy may help. ROC Orthopedic is one of a select few practices offering hip arthroscopy.
With this surgery, your doctor can remove damaged tissue and make other joint corrections to ease your symptoms and potentially delay arthritis progression.
In some cases, as with severe joint damage and deformity, you may need a hip, knee, or ankle replacement. ROC Orthopedics is one of just two Portland-area medical practices to offer both anterior and posterior hip replacement.
The surgeons also provide minimally invasive and robotic-assisted surgery for joint replacements in their outpatient surgery center where possible.
Learn more about your arthritis treatment options by calling ROC Orthopedics or scheduling an appointment online.
