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Joint Pain & Arthritis: What's Happening Inside Your Body?
If you are experiencing joint pain and stiffness on a regular basis, you're not alone. Arthritis is one of the most common ailments in our country, causing pain medications such as aspirin and ibuprofen to be among the top ten drugs used.
There are different types of arthritis, all of which can result in the same troubling discomfort and difficulty in maneuvering through one's day. These various types of arthritis are caused by different processes in the body.
As we age, there is a natural wear and tear of joint cartilage. Although physical trauma to a joint will increase its wear, there are actually many other contributing factors to arthritis. Most of these are easy to assess and can be modified, leading to a reduction in symptoms, less damage to joint tissue, and less reliance on pain medications. Aspirin and ibuprofen take their own toll on the body, and can eventually aggravate the condition, leading to more dependence on them — a vicious cycle that's hard to break.
Some types of arthritis can be classified as an autoimmune condition, in which your immune system has become "confused" and has mounted a dysfunctional immune response to your own joint tissue. The joint cartilage becomes inflamed, leading to chronic pain and stiffness. Excess fluid accumulates in the joint, causing uncomfortable swelling. Over time, the joints become damaged and somewhat deformed. The inflammation results from a number of factors which can often be corrected, leading to relief. Various laboratory assessments can help you discover them.
Identifying the various contributing factors is the first step in regaining the comfort and ease of movement you once knew. The following questions can help you figure out the first steps.
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