Osteopathy for Arthritic Pain Surrey

Osteoarthritis is one of the most common subsets of arthritis. It leads to stiffness and pain in the joints. Osteoarthritis is characterised by wear and tear to the cartilage of the joint. The cartilage is there to protect the endpoints of the bones in the joint. This is targeted to prevent friction while the joint moves. 

However, if the cartilage is damaged, it leads to bones grinding against one another. Not only does this increase friction, but it also causes pain and limits the range of motion. While most Osteoarthritis develops over time from repeated use, please note that it doesn’t have to take a long time to develop. In fact, it can be inflicted by a single joint injury. 

Osteoarthritis alters the joint structure. Tissues that are supposed to hold the joint together suffer a significant amount of degeneration due to Osteoarthritis. Furthermore, it leads to an inflamed joint lining. 

Some common symptoms of Osteoarthritis are: 

• While moving the joints, you may notice a cracking or creaking sound.
• You can have swelling, tenderness, and discomfort during movement at the affected joint. 
• Osteoarthritis limits the range of movement of your joint. 
• With Osteoarthritis, weakness can develop, and muscle mass in the area can reduce.

Remember that Osteoarthritis can affect any joints in the body. However, the most commonly affected joints are the weight-bearing joints at the hips and knees and often used joints such as the fingers and thumbs.  

In day to day life, the joints in the human body can be exposed to some injuries. Your body will be able to repair most of them on its own, and they may not cause any discomfort. However, if the injury affects the joint and the cartilage gets damaged, it will likely lead to pain and limited function and inflammation. 

Another cause of Osteoarthritis is obesity, as obesity causes greater weight and pressure to the joints without a suitable build-up of functional muscle to support the joints. Because the knees and the hips bear most of the body’s weight, this condition is more common in overweight people.

Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) is an autoimmune disease that makes joint pain spread throughout the body. The most significant part of RA is that it doesn’t affect just one joint, but it affects joints on both sides of the body. 

For example, if your left fingers are inflicted by Rheumatoid Arthritis, then the right fingers can suffer as well. This is one characteristic of RA that helps medical professionals diagnose the condition without confusing it with Osteoarthritis. 

As you may know by now, RA is a chronic condition that leads to pain and swelling of the joints. Rheumatoid Arthritis expresses itself in symptoms called flares. The breaks between episodes of flares are known as remission when the symptoms are dormant. 

Please note that RA can damage a variety of organs. In the joints, it leads to swelling, pain, inflammation, stiffness, total loss of function, and as it progresses to complete disfigurement.  

An autoimmune disease targets the immune system of the body. When the immune system tries to fight off infection, it sometimes attacks the joints. This leaves the joints stiff, painful, and swollen.

People who come from families exhibiting a history of Rheumatoid Arthritis are more likely to be diagnosed with it. Furthermore, people who smoke are susceptible to RA because smoking lowers the immune systems’ inhibitions and, in the process, makes it weaker. 

Some common symptoms of Rheumatoid Arthritis are: 

• Poor joint reflexes and weak muscles 
• Warm and soft joints, indicating swelling
• Limited joint function and a restrained range of motion
• Redness or inflammation around the joint

Rheumatoid Arthritis is a life-altering condition, and it has several complications. This means that if you have RA, you are more susceptible to other medical issues. These issues include carpal tunnel syndrome, swelling in different parts of the body like the lungs, heart, etc. 

Furthermore, Rheumatoid Arthritis puts the patient at a heightened risk for heart failure and stroke.

Ankylosing Spondylitis is a longstanding medical problem that primarily affects the spine and sacroiliac joints. It leads to inflammation of several parts of the body, including the spine. The onset of Ankylosing Spondylitis takes place during the teen years and young adulthood. It’s a rare kind of arthritis that affects men more than women. 

This condition starts by affecting the point where the spine is conjoined with the pelvis, also known as the sacroiliac joints. It targets the apex where the tendons and the ligaments are connected with the bones. Furthermore, it can force the vertebrae to weld together.  

AS causes pain and stiffness in the shoulders, lower back, hips, thighs, hands, feet, and heels. Some common symptoms of Ankylosing Spondylitis are:

• Back pain that gets worse after long periods of inactivity or after sitting. 
• Lethargy. 
• Trouble breathing deeply. 
• Swollen joints. 

Please note that with AS, the development of symptoms varies from person to person. 

Much like several other arthritic conditions, AS presents its own set of complications. People with AS are prone to an eye condition called Uveitis. This problem is characterised by pain and swelling in the eye, which can limit your vision. People suffering from this condition can develop an aversion to bright lights, making them highly sensitive to intense visuals. 

Another difficulty with AS is that it can complicate your heart valve. This is an extremely rare condition. It leads to an expansion of the biggest artery in the human body, called the Aorta. It’s highly dangerous because it can alter the frame of the aortic valve. 

It can leave the patient fatigued and struggling for air. This happens because the heart loses its ability to pump blood to different parts of the body with efficiency. 

The causes of Ankylosing Spondylitis are not known yet. While there’s no possible cure for this condition, treatment can help ease the pain. Exercising, Osteopathy and pain-killers are among the top strategies that doctors recommend. 

Osteopathy treatments take into account the complete medical history of the patients. Osteopaths assess the complete physical profile of the body, especially the mobility, strength, and flexibility of the joints. Furthermore, the blood circulation and common weakness of the patient are analysed. 

This helps your Osteopath develop a personalised treatment plan with strategies that will help your unique condition.