World Arthritis Day, is celebrated every year on 12 October by healthcare practitioners, patients, family members all around the world in order to spread awareness about this chronic, lifelong disease and destigmatize all misbeliefs surrounding it. The main focus of this day is on spreading awareness about the symptoms of all kinds of arthritis, stress on the importance of early diagnosis so that patients receive the necessary medical attention at the earliest of the stages. Extensive research and advancement in technology has made it much easier for healthcare professionals to diagnose, analyze, treat and help patients recover from arthritis. Recent case studies and research shows that doctors are now able to accurately pin down the defect in the patient’s body and treat it with a balanced amount of medicine, therapy and rehabilitation.
The theme for World Arthritis Day 2021 (WAD) is “Don’t Delay, Connect Today: Time2Work”. It is a day when all communities come together in order to spread global awareness about this lifelong disease. It serves as an opportunity to patients, survivors, healthcare practitioners to come forward and amplify their fight against arthritis. On this day, awareness is spread about the importance of diagnosis in the earlier stages of the disease. The theme for every year is put forth by the European Alliance of Associations for Rheumatology (EULAR).
Arthritis is a severe joint related disease which mostly affects middle aged to older people and has a higher chance of worsening with age. Let us take a look at the multiple types of arthritis:
I. DEGENERATIVE ARTHRITIS-
1. Osteoarthritis: The most common form of joint disease, it affects the entire joint including the bone, cartridge, ligaments and muscles.
II. INFLAMMATORY ARTHRITIS-
1. Rheumatoid Arthritis: In this case, the body’s immune system attacks its own tissue resulting in damaged joint linings and in severe cases joint deformity. It often causes fingers to lose their natural shape and cause bone erosion. There is no permanent cure for this type of arthritis.
2. Psoriatic Arthritis: It affects those who suffer from a skin condition called psoriasis. It causes joint pain, swelling and stiffness.
3. Ankylosing Spondylitis: It affects the spine and the larger joints in the body and it usually causes lower back pain. This condition is common in males.
4. Gout: Also referred to as metabolic arthritis, gout is caused when higher levels of uric acid are found hence creating crystals resulting in severe joint pain and redness around joints. Sudden gout attacks are experienced usually overnight.
III. INFECTIOUS ARTHRITIS- Also referred to as septic arthritis, occurs when an infection from a different part of the body spreads or comes in contact with a joint and causes pain to that joint. Infection- causing bacteria can be from certain food poisoning or contamination, sexual transmitted disease or blood transfusion or surgery.
This chronic joint disease has affected millions of lives around the globe and changed the lifestyles of many. Recurring research and studies are carried out in order to search for a better treatment. Upon diagnosis, physiotherapy plays a more-than-vital role in treating the patient and carving out a safe path towards rehabilitation. Out of all these types of arthritis, osteoarthritis (OA) and rheumatoid arthritis (RA) are the most common ones and need physiotherapeutic treatment at all stages. A physiotherapist provides the patient with the necessary set of exercises based upon the nature and severity of arthritis, medical history and lifestyle, along with the perfect balance of medicines. In order to reduce the impact of these musculoskeletal diseases, a therapist will use remedies like occasional massages, set of exercises for joints, acupuncture, hydrotherapy, joint hypermobility along with added use of ice packs, heat packs, gels and creams and pain-relief medication. For the patient to recover and respond positively to the treatment, they need to understand their joints and muscles and the dysfunction that they are causing. This is a way of managing and understanding the pain leading to the transition towards healing. Osteoarthritis causes joint stiffness and swollen muscles resulting in restriction in a person’s day-to-day activities. Physiotherapeutic treatment, hence focuses on restoring the mobility and agility of the movement of the affected joints and muscles. Nowadays, arthritis is affecting people of all age groups ranging from 15-45 and above. Here’s a look at a few case studies to under the role of physiotherapy in the treatment of arthritis:
In the case of this female patient, age 45, during the onset of her menopausal phase, was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis. Being a banker by profession, she had to carry out her job by sitting at one place for long hours. It caused her muscle pain and stiffness in joints. Upon visiting a doctor, she was directed to a Rheumatologist and an Endocrinologist. Subsequent to that, she was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis and thyroid disorder. In this case, she was prescribed physiotherapeutic treatment, certain medicines and a strictly healthy diet. The results of this treatment turned out to be extremely effective and her symptoms were successfully managed. In this situation, we would like to stress on the importance of early diagnosis. Instead of ignoring the symptoms and suffering through the pain, we urge you to pay heed to the slightest of the symptoms and avoid the ordeal of arthritis.
Recent research and experiments have made it easy to not just treat but also prevent the disease to some extent. By taking necessary and precautionary care, following a few steps from an early age can certainly reduce the chances of being diagnosed by arthritis. One should follow a few measures to keep the joints healthy, like:
maintaining a healthy lifestyle, a balanced diet, exercising regularly, keeping your blood sugar in check, avoiding joint injuries, eating fish or consuming Omega-3 fatty acids, maintaining a correct posture (it reduces the risk of muscle strains). A few easy steps can certainly save a person from a future of prolonged muscle and joint pain. On the occasion of World Arthritis Day, we encourage you to brace a healthy lifestyle and join us in our fight against arthritis.
BIBLIOGRAPHY:
https://www.arthritis.org/
https://arthritisaustralia.com.au/what-is-arthritis/types-of-arthritis/
https://www.eular.org/index.cfm
https://www.versusarthritis.org/
Written by
Ira Marathe
(+91) 9146388179
maratheira@gmail.com