What is Arthritis?

Are there different types of arthritis?

There are over one hundred different types of arthritis, each caused by different things and characterized by different sensations and types of pain.

The most common type of arthritis is osteoarthritis, which is marked by degeneration resulting from cartilage breaking and wearing down.

Osteoarthritis can be caused by both age and overuse, and due to the fact that it’s caused by the breaking down or degeneration of cartilage, it is sometimes referred to as degenerative joint disease.

Will I really get arthritis from popping my knuckles?

The old wives tells that popping your knuckles too much will cause arthritis is not completely true. However, osteoarthritis can be caused by any repetitive use of the cartilage that causes it to break down over time.

The Second Most Common Type of Arthritis

The second most common type of arthritis is rheumatoid arthritis, which occurs when the immune system begins to attack itself, causing the lining of the joints to swell and become painful. Another common painful arthritic condition is gout, which occurs when the body fails to eliminate uric acid resulting in painful inflammation.

Treatment for Arthritis

Here at LaserTech, we believe the key to any pain treatment is getting to the root cause of your pain and treating the cause, not just the symptoms. Arthritis can be treated with many non-invasive methods, such as:

• Hot and Cold Therapy – Using moist heat like a hot towel or microwavable heat pack or an ice pack can reduce pain
• Lifestyle Modifications – 
  • Weight Management – Losing weight can reduce stress on weight-bearing joints.
  • Exercise – Regular physical activity strengthens the muscles around your joints, improves flexibility, and reduces pain.
• Pain Medication – Over-the-counter options like acetaminophen or nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) can help manage pain.
• Non-Invasive Low-Level Cold Laser Therapy at LaserTech in Scottsdale