Joint Pains Experienced in Old Age

Joint Problems

Old age comes with wisdom, and it also means that your body slows down. The body becomes vulnerable to diseases and thus needs more attention. Your visits to the doctor become regular, you have to start taking medications and you have to start watching your diet.

However, it is also an excellent time to observe life and enjoy your sunset years with peace and tranquillity. Justin Badiyan, MD, understands the complexities associated with pain in your body and offers consultation and therapy to manage pain.

The older generation experiences more joint pains and needs to know how to manage the pain effectively. Knowledge of the manifestation of various joint pains helps to identify the types of pain as you experience them.

Osteoarthritis

This is a degenerative disease that attacks the cartilage at the joints of your body. The water content in the cartilage reduces, shrinking the cartilage and causing pain. It also causes tenderness and stiffness with a cracking sound when you move the affected joints.

It requires immediate treatment before degeneration continues. Regular exercising will also help strengthen muscles around the affected joints. High water intake helps to regenerate the lost water, thus avoid dehydration at all costs.

Check on your weight to reduce the stress and strain on your joints, especially during motion. When the condition persists, medications are offered and physiotherapy to strengthen the weak muscles and reduce the process of degeneration since the illness is not curable.

Worsening of the disease requires surgical measures that include the removal of affected parts, the use of artificial joints in place of removed bones, and regular cleaning and repair of affected parts.

Rheumatoid Arthritis

This is a condition whereby your immune system attacks your joints. Smokers have a higher chance of getting the disease, and it affects more women than men. The disease attacks the bones around the arms, fingers and elbows, and other smaller joints.

However, as it advances, it also affects larger joints such as the hip and the knee joints. The final stages of the disease may result in patient deformity. Always seek treatment immediately when the signs become apparent.

To avoid the infection in old age, engage in regular exercise, and avoid smoking. The use of medication helps to reduce the degeneration process and physiotherapy to strengthen the muscles. Surgical procedures help to remove deformed parts and make a correction on affected regions.

Knee Tendon Tears

This joint defect affects younger individuals mostly from sports injuries, but older people suffer from it due to tendon aging. The tendon that connects the shin to the knee cap ruptures and in severe cases, dissociates the knee cap from the shin.

These prevent the straightening of the knee due to severed connection. It causes severe pain and swelling in the knee area. The knee cap becomes displaced, moving from the joint socket.

Delayed treatment may see the muscle undergo reconstruction and reduce the chances of having a fully functional knee. A minor tear calls for a repair of the affected tendon, while significant or complete damage will require the use of muscles from other parts of the body.