Physical Medicine For Arthritis
Arthritis is a degenerative condition and while it can occur in anyone, it has been found to affect about 50% of people over the age of 65. With so many people suffering from arthritis in Columbus GA, it has put an economic strain on our health care system costing over $10,000,000 per year. In addition to the massive amount of money spent on arthritis, the disease has been cited as the number one cause of disability in older adults.
Understanding Arthritis in Columbus GA
As mentioned above, arthritis is a degenerative condition that typically results from excessive wear and tear on certain joints. The degeneration associated with this disease primarily affects the cartilage that covers the bones in the joints throughout our bodies. arthritis decreases the cartilages ability to absorb stress causing it to degenerate faster. As the cartilage degenerates, surrounding stabilizing and supporting structures such as ligaments, tendons, and muscles are overworked often times resulting pain. In the late stages of arthritis, bones may even began to push against each other causing more pain and degeneration. While this disease process can sound frightening and unavoidable, it is important to understand that you can prevent its development and ProMax Medical Center has the most up-to-date treatment and preventive measures available.
Arthritis has a predisposition to affect joints that are commonly overworked and overused. These are typically weight-bearing joints in the body that have sustained repeated amounts of heavy stress. Therefore, the knees, hips, neck, lower back, big toes, and hands are most commonly affected. However, it should be understood that arthritis can affect any joint in the body. Joints that have had serious trauma or repeated micro-stress due to repetitive labor and movement are more prone to the development of arthritis.
Symptoms Associated with Arthritis
Our doctors at ProMax Medical Center have observed a wide range of symptoms in their patients with arthritis, but some have been more common than others. Commonly observed symptoms have included:
- Varying degrees of joint pain that are worse with movement
- Pain with joint movement that is worse after rest
- Swelling and joint enlargement in the joints
As mentioned previously, the hips and knees are a common location for the development of arthritis. ProMax Medical Center has observed the following symptoms directly related to knee and hip arthritis:
- Pain that travels from the hip to the groin
- Pain that travels down the thighs
- Aching or stabbing pain in the knees
- Pain in these joints that is worse with cold weather
- Pain in these joints during jogging or running
Arthritis Treatments at ProMax Medical Center
Our primary focus of care will be to restore the normal alignment of joints throughout the body. It has been demonstrated through animal and human studies that bones that are not in their proper positions are more likely to degenerate faster and therefore are more prone to the development of arthritis. Since our office looks at all aspects of health, our treatment programs will include various forms of physical therapy, nutritional, and supplemental advice. These forms of treatment have been shown in various studies to prevent and slow the development of arthritis.
If you fear that you have developed arthritis or are concerned about its development, please contact ProMax Medical Center to schedule an individualized consultation today. Our integrated medical team can help you get back on your feet.
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