Is Arthritis Curable? Not Yet, But Treatments Can Help Manage It.

Often when people ask whether arthritis is curable, what they really want to know is whether there is a treatment for arthritis to help them go on living well despite the condition. So, it’s really important to keep in mind that there are ways that arthritic changes can be treated, although there is not currently a cure for arthritis.

The Difference Between a Treatment and a Cure

The term “cure” means that, after medical intervention, you no longer have that particular condition anymore. A treatment, on the other hand, can help manage a condition and improve your quality of life.

Some diseases that cause arthritis can be treated or cured. But most of the time the remaining arthritis, with or without underlying disease, causes some people to have pain and loss of function, while others are able to maintain high levels of function even with arthritis. Why is this so?

The arthritic changes in the joint, such as joint inflammation, have no cure but rather need to be managed with good common-sense solutions. The person may always have the condition, but there are arthritis treatments that can help mitigate the severity of problems arising from the condition and help with pain and function.

When a disease cannot be cured, treatments are used to help manage it. For example, someone suffering from knee pain due to arthritis may use the innovative Apos® biomechanical medical device that can be worn at home to help manage pain and function.

Understanding Arthritis to Better Treat Knee and Joint Pain

Although there’s no cure for arthritis that causes knee and joint pain, advances in research have allowed us to better understand the different forms of the condition and develop treatments. It is important to be familiar with the type of arthritis you have. There’s a huge benefit to addressing arthritis early and taking steps that can help manage the condition.

Rheumatoid arthritis

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a long-term and progressive inflammatory autoimmune disorder. RA occurs when your immune system mistakenly attacks your own body’s tissues. The immune system’s antibodies attack the smooth lining of a joint, called synovium, causing pain and inflammation.

When it comes to the causes of RA, doctors do not know why the immune system malfunctions and causes the disorder. Some RA patients tend to have genetic factors that make their predisposition to RA more likely. The condition can also be triggered by bacteria or a virus. Middle-aged women are also more likely to have RA than middle-aged men but, again, physicians are still unsure of what actually causes the condition to manifest.

For patients who do not continue to have inflammatory attacks, they are left with arthritic changes in their joints that need to be managed.

Osteoarthritis

Osteoarthritis (OA) occurs when the cartilage that cushions the ends of bones in your joints gradually deteriorates over time due to wear and tear. This deterioration causes bones within the joint to rub together causing pain, joint inflammation, and damage.

Although OA can affect any joint in the body, the disorder most commonly affects joints in the hands, knees, hips and spine. If left unaddressed, OA can cause mobility issues, chronic pain, joint swelling, and bone spurs.

If addressed early, OA symptoms can usually be managed through diet, exercise and non-invasive effective treatment, although the damage to joints can’t be reversed.

OA is prevalent in older adults as they have had more wear and tear on their joints over time but this type of arthritis can also come from injuries.

Gout

Gout is a type of arthritis that is caused when a surplus of uric acid causes sharp crystals to form in one or more of your joints. Gout is often found in the foot but can happen in knees, ankles, elbows, and other joints in the body. Those with gout often feel painful swelling at the joint while experiencing a gout attack.

Gout attacks normally last 3-10 days but having them often can increase chances of the condition becoming chronic and affecting day-to-day activities – so managing this from the start is important.

Gout is often caused by lifestyle choices such as eating too much red meat, organ meat, and certain fishes, not drinking enough water, and alcohol consumption. Genetics, certain medications like diuretics, or pre-existing conditions such as high blood pressure or diabetes also make it more likely for an individual to get gout. Middle-aged men or postmenopausal women are the most common groups with this condition.

Non-Invasive Pain Management Techniques and Treatments

Medication

If your doctor believes that your underlying disease or condition can be managed with certain medications, they will prescribe them to you. If your arthritis is in the earlier stages and not related to disease, they will likely suggest trying treatment options that do not involve prescription drugs.

Physical therapy

RA and OA patients can greatly benefit from physical therapy (PT) programs. PT is performed by a trained professional who assists in helping improve mobility, increase joint strength, and overall restore the use of the affected joint. Physical therapists will often recommend other treatments to use in conjunction with PT that can help conditions improve.

Doing specific exercises may help people with arthritis lose weight, increase strength in the muscles around the joints, promote bone strength, improve flexibility and range of motion, have more energy throughout the day, sleep better at night, and feel better, overall.

Hot and cold packs

Hot and cold packs are suggested to help reduce pain, swelling, and stiffness and reduce joint inflammation. Always perform these treatments following the advice of an expert.

Healthy Diet and Exercise

Maintaining a healthy diet and regular exercise are things everyone should strive to do but are especially important for people with arthritis.

Regular exercise combined with a healthy diet consisting of fruits and vegetables and foods with omega-3 fatty acids, vitamin D can help promote joint and bone health.

In addition to their primary benefits, maintaining a healthy diet and exercise can also help control weight which helps ease the symptoms of arthritis, boost the body’s immune system for those with RA, and lower uric acid levels in gout patients.

Biomechanical Therapy

Biomechanical treatments such as Apos® are geared towards improving movement patterns in order to readjust the pressure on the joints and improve muscle control⁴⁵ and coordination³.

Apos® was found to temporarily reduce pain¹, increase mobility¹, and improve quality of life². One study reported a reduction of over 58% in the consumption of over-the-counter painkillers after using Apos®. No cure doesn’t mean you have to live in pain, have invasive procedures, or take a ton of medication. Click below to learn more about Apos®.

Sources

1. Elbaz A, Mor A, Segal G, Bar D, Monda MK, Kish B, Nyska M, Palmanovich E. Lower extremity kinematic profile of gait of patients after ankle fracture. A case-control study. Journal of Foot and Ankle Surgery. 2016, 1-4.
2. Khoury M, Haim A, Herman A, Rozen N, Wolf A. Alteration of the foot center of pressure trajectory by an unstable shoe design. Journal of Foot and Ankle Research 2015 8:67.
3. Solomonow-Avnon D, Haim A, Levin D,Elboim-Gabyzon M, Rozen N, Peled E, Wolf A. Reduction of Hip Joint Reaction Force via Medio-Lateral Foot Center of Pressure Manipulation in Bilateral Hip Osteoarthritis Patients. J Orthop Res. 2016 34(10):1762-1771. doi: 10.1002/jor.23190. [Epub ahead of print].