3 Common Joint Disease Types and Their Treatment Methods

People have more than 200 bones and more than 200 joints that connect these bones. People can get trauma at any of these bones and joints. Different diseases may affect people’s life. We should care about our bone and joints health because they play a pivotal role in our bodies. Neglecting care rules may lead to disability. In this article, we want to introduce you to several common joints diseases and how to treat them.

1. Arthritis
Arthritis is a medical condition when one or more joints are swollen and tender. This condition can’t be treated, in addition, it can worsen with age. The treatment plan for arthritis is created to slow down the process and reduce symptoms of arthritis. There are seral forms of arthritis, but the most common are osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis. Treatment depends on the type of arthritis. Symptoms of arthritis include:
- Pain
- Stiffness
- Swelling
- Redness
- Decreased range of motion

There are several risk factors of arthritis: if you have arthritis in your family history, the risk of arthritis increases with age, if you are a woman you have more chances of developing arthritis if you had a joint injury, and of course, people with obesity are more likely of arthritis development. In most cases, arthritis is treated with painkillers, NSAIDs, DMARDs, counterirritants, biologic response modifiers, or corticosteroids. If you are experiencing pain in joints, don’t neglect it and contact a pain management clinic as fast as you can.

2. Bursitis
Bursitis is a condition in which your small fluid-filled sacs become inflamed. These sacs are called bur-SEE, and they lubricate your bones. The most common locations of bursitis are shoulders, hips, elbows, knee heel, and sometimes at the base of your big toe. It occurs in joints that perform a big amount of motions. Bursitis symptoms include:
- Stiffness
- Swellings
- Redness
- Fever
- Decreased range of motion
- General illness

There are also risk factors of bursitis: people have more chances of arthritis developing as they age, previous trauma of a joint, people with several medical conditions like diabetes or rheumatoid arthritis, or if your job or hobby requires repetitive motions. This condition is diagnosed in a hospital, in most cases, it requires only a physical examination and medical history, but in some cases, it may require an X-ray test or MRI. Treatment may include medication, therapy, injections, assistive device, or surgery. The treatment method depends on your medical condition.

3. Lupus
Lupus is a long-term condition that may cause inflammation in different parts of our body, for example, inner organs or skin. This is an autoimmune condition, that is why our immune system tries to fight it and attacks our own body. There are only two types of lupus: discoid lupus and systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). The first type of lupus affects skin only, but the second may affect different parts of the body. Lupus symptoms include:
- Joint pain
- Skin rashes
- Fatigue
- Fever
- Weight loss
- Hair loss
- Ulcers in the mouth or nose
- Etc

Joint pain is a common symptom that can travel from one joint to another. It may cause serious joints problems, but not changes in the shape of joints or damage them. It’s vital to tell your doctor if you have joint pain, because treatment in the early stages may slow down this condition. Treatment in most cases includes one or more methods: NSAIDs, corticosteroids, DMARDs, BLyS-specific inhibitors, or acthar.

The bottom line
All in all, people should care about their body especially about joints and bones, because they provide us with movement, if you don’t want to be disabled, care about them properly. If you have no clue how to care about your joints, follow simple rules:
- Slim down if you're overweight
- Do aerobic exercise
- Build stronger muscles around your joints
- Stretch every day
- Try glucosamine and chondroitin supplements