Arthritis Joint Pain

There are two basic types of arthritis: rheumatoid arthritis, and osteoarthritis. The common denominator between the two is inflammation of the affected joints that can make daily tasks or activities difficult or painful.

Rheumatoid Arthritis Pain (RA)

Rheumatoid arthritis is an inflammatory autoimmune disease. The body recognizes its own tissue as a foreign invader and essentially attacks itself. Rheumatoid arthritis can appear at any age, but most commonly affects women in their middle age. There are a few characteristics that distinguish rheumatoid arthritis from other forms of arthritis, which are as follows:

• Rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune disease, not a condition.
• Rheumatoid arthritis affects the body symmetrically. If the joints on one hand are affected, the other hand is too.
• Rheumatoid arthritis can affect other parts of the body as well as joints, such as eyes, heart, and lungs.

As RA progresses, the bones and cartilage in the affected joints can become disfigured over time. People who have RA can experience feelings of hopelessness & depression. While there is no cure, early diagnosis and treatment can help keep the disease in remission.

Osteoarthritis Pain (OA)

Osteoarthritis is caused by the breakdown of cartilage within the joints, which results in pain and swelling in the affected joints and, in some cases, in the adjoining ligaments, tendons and muscles. When the cartilage breakdown occurs over time from wear-and-tear on the joints, it is referred to as “primary osteoarthritis,” but it is important to recognize that primary osteoarthritis is NOT an essential part of the normal aging process. When a joint becomes arthritic sometime after an acute injury, it is referred to as “Secondary OA.” A complication in correctly diagnosing and treating arthritis is that there are so many other medical conditions that share the same symptoms, including biotoxicity, fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue syndrome or an acute joint or muscle injury.

If properly diagnosed and treated, arthritis doesn’t have to stop you from enjoying an active lifestyle. If you already have tried different medications and treatments with unsuccessful results, don’t give up yet.

How We Can Help

The Kaplan Center offers customized, integrated treatment programs, designed to relieve you of your arthritis pain and forestall its degenerative process on your joints.

At the Kaplan Center, our physicians have years of experience treating patients with chronic pain conditions, and we completely reject the notion that “you just have to live with it.”

At your first visit, your Kaplan physician will take time to explore the onset of your condition, the specific nature of your symptoms and the overall status of your health. You’ll also be asked about the medications and therapies you’ve tried in the past, and what has and hasn’t worked you. To gather additional information about your condition, specialized diagnostic laboratory testing may be necessary. After reviewing all of the factors contributing to your condition, your physician will spend time talking with you about your diagnosis and working with you to create a customized and multi-dimensional treatment plan that addresses not only your immediate pain but for also any possible underlying or co-existing conditions that may be causing or aggravating your symptoms.

Some of the therapies we offer to address arthritis include:

• Acupuncture
• Cold Laser Therapy
• Frequency Specific Microcurrent
• Herbal Remedies and Nutritional Supplements
• Nutritional Counseling
• Osteopathic Manipulative Medicine
• Perineural Injection Treatment™ (PIT)
• Physical Therapy
• Platelet Rich Plasma Therapy (PRP)
• Prescription Medications
• Prolotherapy