Arthritis is a usually chronic medical condition that affects the quality of the people’s life significantly. Arthritis can be viewed as the inflammation of joints that is often observed in elderly persons, but the problem is in the fact that there are many different types of arthritis, and some of them affect young people (Adams Media 12). In spite of the type of arthritis, almost all individuals suffering from this medical condition indicate such symptoms as the pain in joints, inflammation, and stiffness of joints (Schwarz 8). In addition, patients often note that the pain increases at night. Therefore, the arthritis treatment is oriented not only to avoiding the joint destruction but also to relieving the condition and reducing symptoms and pain. Although the arthritis management can be different depending on the type of the disease, there is a standard scheme of treatment that includes the following methods presented as steps: the medications therapy, the necessity of decreasing the tension on joints, the physical and manual therapy, and the diet.
If a person complains of the pain and inflammation in joints, the first step to take after consulting the doctor and making all the necessary analyses is to provide a patient with the anti-inflammatory drugs and analgesics in order to reduce the pain. According to Yazici, the preliminary medication therapy is most important for a person because certain drugs can reduce not only the pain but also the joints’ inflammation (Yazici S11). The reason is that the pain can be discussed as only a consequence of the inflammation that needs to be addressed as quickly as possible. Thus, Jankowska-Polanska, Nawrocka, and Uchmanowicz note that only the drug therapy can promote the remission of the medical condition, and when the acute pain is reduced, it is also important to use anti-inflammatory gels, anticonvulsants, and protectors of joint tissues as medications to improve the function of joints (Jankowska-Polanska, Nawrocka, and Uchmanowicz 103). Such complex therapy aims to minimize any negative health consequences of arthritis and maximize the joints’ functioning. However, the researchers also claim that the drug therapy cannot be prolonged because of “drug-induced changes” that can be “a result of long-term pharmacotherapy” (Jankowska-Polanska, Nawrocka, and Uchmanowicz 103). From this point, although the process of treating arthritis is long, it should also include more steps other than the use of medications.
The second important intervention is the change in the tension on joints. Following the ideas by Yazici, in order to start the physical and manual therapies effectively, it is often necessary to provide the rest for inflamed joints during the period of the medication therapy (Yazici 9). This note can be discussed as reasonable because the primary goal is to decrease the inflammation. Schwarz proposes to use orthopedic soles and other devices to decrease the tension on inflamed joints (Schwarz 8-9). Thus, Schwarz states that it is necessary to “invest in devices that will conserve energy and reduce stress and strain on affected joints” (Schwarz 9). These simple measures can be considered as appropriate in order to decrease the discomfort that is often experienced by a person with arthritis, and they are necessary to prepare a patient for another stage in the treatment plan.
The next step that needs to be taken by an individual who suffers from arthritis is the use of advantages associated with the physical and manual therapies. According to Schwarz, the joint deformity can be prevented if a person pays attention to special physical exercises and strategies to reduce the stiffness of joints (Schwarz 5-6). These exercises can be discussed as important to strengthen muscles that are near joints in order to guarantee their mobility. As it is stated by the author, the “gentle exercise helps to relieve pain, keep stiffness at bay, and improve your overall well-being” (Schwarz 5). From this point, such measures as the simple physical activity are important to help a person cope with the pain. In addition, the physicians focus on the significant role of the manual therapy as supportive to physical exercises in improving the joints’ mobility (Adams Media 23). These practices are effective to be used by a person with arthritis regularly in order to improve the quality of life. Still, there is one more step that needs to be proposed to a patient suffering from arthritis in order to complete the scheme of the arthritis management.
The final step and recommendation associated with treating a medical condition of arthritis is the change of the diet in order to increase the joints’ mobility and protect them from deformity and further destruction. Clinicians usually propose diets with the high content of vitamins such as A, B1, B3, B6, B12, E, and C. In addition, the food should include different microelements in order to have the high nutritional value (Adams Media 52). Thus, in order to achieve the results in the arthritis treatment and avoid the progression of joints’ inflammation, people need to eat the food that is rather balanced in terms of vitamins and microelements. Schwarz also pays much attention to the role of the diet in treating the medical condition because the changes in the diet with the focus on eating more healthy foods can influence the success of the whole treatment process that is quite complex in its nature (Schwarz 12). From this point, while treating arthritis, people should not ignore recommendations regarding the changes in their diet in spite of the fact that this step is not of a high priority. The reason is that the healthy diet contributes to improving the features of joints tissues, and it can lead to increasing the overall quality of the person’s life.
The expected results of the arthritis treatment that can be organized with the focus on the above-mentioned steps and directions are the following ones: the reduced pain and joints’ inflammation, the increased mobility of joints, the decreased risk for deformity and even destruction of affected joints, and the improved quality of life. From this perspective, in order to achieve the positive outcomes of the arthritis treatment, it is necessary to follow the physicians’ recommendations step-by-step. The persistence and patience are important qualities in order to achieve optimistic results in the process of treatment because this medical condition is typically discussed as the chronic one. The problem is in the fact that there are many different types of arthritis, and the treatment options can differ significantly. However, the proposed scheme can be discussed as rather traditional and applicable to any type of arthritis because it suggests the steps that are taken in various treatment plans as they guarantee of the positive outcomes for the patient.
Works Cited
Adams Media. Arthritis: Medical, Alternative, and Complementary Treatments: The Most Important Information You Need to Improve Your Health. Avon: Adams Media Publishing, 2012. Print.
Jankowska-Polanska, Beata, Agnieszka Nawrocka, and Izabella Uchmanowicz. “Quality of Life and Methods of Coping with Stress Depending on the Used Form of Therapy of Rheumatoid Arthritis Treatment.” Progress in Health Sciences 4.2 (2014): 102-110. Print.
Schwarz, Shelley. Arthritis: 300 Tips for Making Life Easier. New York: Demos Medical Publishing, 2008. Print.
Yazici, Yusuf. “Corticosteroids as Disease Modifying Drugs in Rheumatoid Arthritis Treatment.” Bulletin of the NYU Hospital for Joint Diseases 70.1 (2012): S11-S13. Print.