Monday, March 12, 2012

Arthritis In Hands: What You Need To Know | New Health and Fitness

New Health And Fitness.Org - Health Information You Can Use

There are lots of joints in the hand that let you move it. These joints are pretty important to hand and wrist function, and if you get arthritis in hands, it can seriously impact your daily functioning. Each arthritis is different, and depending on which kind you have, it can have a different impact.

Arthritis is everywhere in the adult population, affecting one in five adults and about half of those are under 55 It is a key issue in adult life which can cause limitations; it can come from surgery or just be a debilitating condition like rheumatoid arthritis. Each joint has cushioning via the cartilage which is like a human shock absorber in the joint.

As time passes, your gliding layer in the joint wears down, and the cartilage gets damaged by wear and tear. Illness or injury can also cause damage. A joint that?s damaged gets limited in movement and can be very painful. The body will try to compensate and produce synovial fluid within the joint lining, and tries to use it as a cushion. Swelling and limited motion are the result. Increased swelling is caused by stretching over the joint covering called the pill. Over time this causes painful joints, limited motion, and if left untreated general shape changes.

Arthritis in hands is usually diagnosed by a medical doctor who runs tests, takes an x-ray and listens to your list of symptoms. Some of the latest equipment can also be used like a magnetic resonance imaging machine or MRI, although this is not always done. A scan can also be used to help the doctor find arthritis in earlier stages, because x-rays can miss the problem at that point.

Doctors can also use a direct examination method where they place a tiny camera in the joint so that they can see inside. Less invasive, arthroscopy is what the procedure is called. While this procedure is not always called for, it is one of the tools doctors sometimes use in the diagnostic process.

Bone scans are another tool that?s useful in diagnosing arthritis in hands. X-rays are limited in what they expose early on, so bone scans fill the gap with more details. The more information the doctor can acquire, the more precise the diagnosis and the more effective the treatment prescribed.

Once there is a diagnosis, treatment for affected joints can begin. Treatment for arthritis in hands can include splints, medications and injections, and if that doesn?t work, there?s also an operation. Depending on the level of joint damage, the specific treatment will be prescribed. As well, a doctor will take into account the patients level of activity, overall health and age.

There is no doubt that arthritis in hands can be a very painful condition. For more information, please visit my website: Rheumatoid Arthritis Symptoms.

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Source: http://newhealthandfitness.org/2012/03/11/arthritis-in-hands-what-you-need-to-know/

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