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By Dave Schafer
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Now, to deal with it
The arthritis pain was constant, and about once a month, for no reason that she can determine, it flared up with a dull pounding. Then, her doctor put her on anti-inflammatory medicine.
“It was like the condition was nonexistent,” she said.
Physical therapy, hot and cold compresses, weight control, and crutches or canes are often used to treat the symptoms of osteoarthritis. Wearing soft, cushiony shoes with an extra layer of protective padding helps to minimize the pain, according to WebMD.
Wright’s doctor said she would likely have a knee replacement surgery some day. Wright’s not accepting that without a fight. She started dieting and walking and has lost 13 pounds.
Minor surgeries are also used to combat osteoarthritis, but a Sept. 10 study published in the New England Journal of Medicine said arthroscopic surgery proved no more effective than medicine and physical therapy. Arthroscopic surgery cleans out the damaged cartilage.
Jones expects at least one knee replacement in his life. Until then, he tries to diet. He can’t exercise much because of his knee. To fight the pain, he uses Aspirin and Aleve.
Certainly, not all knee pain is arthritis. For any persistent pain, you should visit your primary care physician. If he says it’s arthritis, you may have to see a rheumatologist, a specialist who treats osteoarthritis, BlueCross BlueShield of Texas HMO Blue members pay $45 for a specialist visit. For PPO members, it’s $50 if the doctor is in the PPO network.
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| Other arthritis |
There are about 100 different forms of arthritis, according to the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases. The most common affecting the knee is osteoarthritis. Another common form is rheumatoid arthritis, in which a person’s immune system attacks his body tissues.
Less common is psoriatic arthritis, in which inflamed joints produce symptoms of arthritis for patients who have or will develop psoriasis.
Erik Wilbourn, a teen librarian at the McGovern-Stella Link Neighborhood Library, had his first flare-up of psoriatic arthritis when he was 16. He was limping when he got out of bed one morning, and didn’t know why until his knee swelled.
The arthritis has since spread to his back and right elbow. He was having the fluid occasionally drained, but after a few days of relief, the fluid would return, and his arthritis would flare up.
“I know this won’t get any better,” Wilbourn, 27, said. “It will deteriorate.”
Already, the fingers on his right hand have fluid in them, but they don’t bother him. He expects to be in a wheelchair by 35.
But Wilbourn won’t give in. “This is just something I have. It doesn’t define me,” he said.
Stress causes his arthritis to flare up. Not moving stiffens and hurts his body, so he walks or practices martial arts. He takes many medicines.
“Even on my worst days, I don’t let it stop me,” he said. “No matter how bad I am, I can always get around and work.”
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