Arthritis Specialist

What is arthritis?

Arthritis encompasses a large group of conditions that cause joint inflammation and damage. Most people visit Orange County Spine and Sports Physicians for help with either osteoarthritis or rheumatoid arthritis. 

Osteoarthritis

Osteoarthritis is a condition that causes fraying of the cartilage on the ends of your bones, allowing bones to rub against each other. This triggers inflammation and pain. 

Osteoarthritis commonly occurs in the hips and knees but also affects many other joints. In most cases, osteoarthritis happens on one side. For example, it may affect your left hip but not the right one.

Rheumatoid arthritis

In rheumatoid arthritis, your immune system lashes out at your joint lining. This causes serious inflammation and pain, often leading to joint deformity. 

Rheumatoid arthritis commonly develops in the hands, wrists, and knees, but it can also appear elsewhere in your body. It usually affects many joints simultaneously.

Both of these types of arthritis usually intensify over time. However, Orange County Spine and Sports Physicians can diagnose your arthritis and then design a plan to slow down damage and relieve symptoms effectively. 

What are the signs that I need arthritis treatment?

If arthritis symptoms significantly impact your daily life, it's very important to seek treatment. Some signs that you need help for your arthritis include:

• Persistent pain
• Uncomfortable swelling
• Stiffness
• Lack of normal joint movement

One very easy way to determine whether arthritis is affecting your life is to think about whether you've had to significantly modify, delay, or skip activities because of arthritis symptoms. If you've missed out on anything you enjoy because of arthritis, it's time to take control of the disease.

How is arthritis treated?

The Orange County Spine and Sports Physicians team includes highly skilled diagnosticians who use advanced ultrasound and X-ray techniques to pinpoint the type of arthritis, areas of damage, and treatment needs before designing a personalized arthritis management protocol for you. 

There are many different methods of arthritis management, including:

• Lifestyle changes
• Osteopathic manipulative treatment
• Physical therapy
• Injections
• Medication
• Interventional pain management procedures
• Regenerative medicine treatments

After medical procedures, the team works hand-in-hand with you and your therapists to help you become active and remain healthy. 

The Orange County Spine and Sports Physicians team can relieve your stiffness, swelling, and pain while helping you back to an active life. Call the office nearest you or book your appointment using the online scheduler now.