More than 3 million people live with the pain of arthritis. While there’s no cure, doctors say there are treatments that can help manage the pain.
Dr. Matxalen Amezaga, a rheumatologist with Lee Health, says obesity, injuries, and even genetics can put you at risk for developing arthritis. “It’s a disease of joints and bones. We don’t understand very well what’s driving this process. But it’s more commonly seen in people above age 40.”
While arthritis can happen in any joint in the body, doctors say there are certain joints that are more commonly affected than others. “The ones we use the most, hands for example, feet, and the weight bearing joints, back, hips, knees, and ankles,” said Dr. Amezaga.
The symptoms can range from stiffness, pain, joint cracking, tightness in the joint, or where the joints lock up. Most patients will notice the symptoms during some type of activity. “The tendons, the ligaments, the cartilage and the lining, all of that gets effected and we start getting thinning of the cartilage and inflammation around that area,” said Dr. Amezaga.
While the diagnosis is common, health experts say treatment varies depending on the cause. “There are things we can do to improve it but unfortunately, we don’t have a cure and the last thing is surgery to replace a joint,” said Dr. Amezaga.
Before considering surgery, doctors recommend over-the-counter relief, exercise, water aerobics, losing weight, and even diet changes. If a patient is experiencing any of the symptoms it’s important they talk to their doctor.
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Lee Health in Fort Myers, FL is the largest network of health care facilities in Southwest Florida and is highly respected for its expertise, innovation and quality of care. For more than 100 years, we’ve been providing our community with personalized preventative health services and primary care to highly specialized care services and robotic assisted surgeries. Lee Health - Caring People. Inspiring Care.
