Denton County Living Well Magazine Summer 2015 | Page 50

When
Arthritis Strikes

Y

Courtesy Orthopedic Surgery Specialists
our joints enable your body to flex and move about.
You have your joints to thank for being able to wave to
a neighbor or take a brisk walk, but you may not think
much about joint health, until arthritis symptoms strike.

Arthritis is an inflammation of the joints that occurs when the cartilage that keeps your joints moving freely and functioning properly begins to break down or gets inflamed. With arthritis, your
affected joints won’t work well and you may experience pain,
swelling and stiffness.
The most common form of arthritis is osteoarthritis (OA). Osteoarthritis can result from advancing age, carrying excess weight,
performing repetitive motions or injury to a joint. One thing is for
certain, when arthritis strikes, your quality of life can be impacted.
Treatment is most likely necessary to repair the affected joint and
get you moving again.

Care for Hips and Knees
If you are experiencing pain or stiffness in your hip or knee, it’s
important to discuss your symptoms with your doctor.
“A thorough review of your medical history, physical exam and a
few simple X-rays of the joint are typically the first steps in providing a diagnosis of hip or knee osteoarthritis,” says orthopedic surgeon Jay S. Bender, M.D. “There is no known cure for OA, but its
symptoms can be controlled. At Orthopedic Surgery Specialists,
we use non-operative measures whenever possible to minimize
pain and improve mobility.”
Non-operative treatments usually include anti-inflammatory agents
or arthritis medication such as ibuprofen. For individuals with advanced hip or knee osteoarthritis, joint injections may be a better
treatment option. Physical therapy is an important adjunct in the
treatment of hip and knee OA. Therapeutic and aquatic exercises
can maintain range of motion and strength in the affected area.
“An assistive device such as a cane may also help offset some
of the weight-bearing load on these major joints,” adds Bender.
“A minimally invasive or total hip or knee replacement procedure
may be necessary if non-operative care doesn’t provide sufficient
symptom relief.”

Keeping Your Hands and Fingers Moving
Pain, tenderness and limited mobility in your hand, wrist or fingers
should prompt you to see an orthopedic specialist. Early diagnosis and treatment of a hand issue may resolve a problem before it
can have a long-term effect on your hand function.

“As our population ages, I see more and more cases of wearand-tear osteoarthritis of the hand, wrist or thumb base as cartilage breaks down over time,” says hand surgeon Timothy Larson,
M.D. “Because we rely on our hands and digits for so many daily
tasks, any discomfort or weakness can have a significant impact
on daily living.”
Dr. Larson and the staff at Orthopedic Surgery Specialists take a
similar conservative approach to treatment of hand and wrist OA
as they do with hip and knee osteoarthritis. Activity modification,
strengthening exercises and joint-protection techniques, such as
splinting, may be implemented initially.
Surgery may be necessary as a last resort beyond therapies and
medication. Orthopedic Surgery Specialists provide a range of
surgical options. Surgical options such as joint replacement, complete or partial joint fusion, ligament reconstruction and a variety
of other surgical procedures can be done as more definitive ways
to handle painful arthritic conditions of the fingers, hand, and
wrist.

Less Can Be More
When arthritis strikes in the shoulder, elbow, hip or knee, mo