With arthritis, pain and fatigue may become a frequent part of one’s day. Howbeit, experts, in this report by Sade Oguntola, say heat treatment is best for a joint that’s stiff and not moving well while ice is best used for a hot, red and swollen joint......READ THE FULL ARTICLE>>>
Mr Paul Anetor was diagnosed with arthritis at 35. He was diagnosed at 25 years when his body started to stiffen up and his knees were swollen and painful.
The thought ‘Let’s go for a walk’ was the most ridiculous suggestion someone could make to him because standing brings him excruciating pain.
Mrs Joan Adeleke has also been living with osteoarthritis for 15 years. “I broke my ankle in 1990 and was warned by an orthopaedic surgeon to expect the onset of osteoarthritis. What I didn’t anticipate was that within five years, not only both my ankle joints, but also my knees and hips would be affected,” retorted Mrs Adeleke.
Adeleke, a school teacher currently live with a dull constant pain in her finger joints that had made writing on the chalkboard difficult, especially during cold seasons.
Almost any joint can be affected by arthritis, but the condition most often causes problems in the knees, hips and small joints of the hands.
In decreasing morning stiffness, decreases range of motion, and other physical limitations that come with arthritis, they often reach out for an ice pack, a heating pad or hot water bottle.
Of course, use of ice pack or a heating pad is effective to alleviate some joint pains. Whether hot or cold therapy, each has its own appropriate uses. But in reducing inflammation, a major cause of joint pain arthritis and stiffness, use of ice pack is the best.
“The common belief is that heat is the best for any joint pain; it is erroneous. Arthritis is a common degenerative condition which comes with heat, swelling and pain in the affected joint. So in terms of treatment, the use of ice is logical,” said Dr Dele Obileye, a consultant orthopaedic surgeon, Suunydale Orthopaedic Hospital, Ibadan, Oyo State.
According to him, “applying ice will help to shrink tissues and swelling in those with purely degenerative condition. Applying ice also helps to desensitise the pain nerve fibre.”
Use of ice or freezing solution in medical treatment is not new. Rather than use anaesthesia when treating abscess, for instance, a freezing solution is applied.
However, Dr Obileye stated that for effectiveness, the ice needs to be applied for at least 30 minutes.
“It is best applied through a towel or as an ice pack. For instance, you can wrap about 10 ice cubes in a clean towel and apply to the aching joint for the coolness to penetrate.
“Placing an iced sachet of water may not be too effective because such will not be able to maintain the required cooling for at least 30 minutes,” he declared.
Using a cloth or towel between the skin and the cold source is important so as to prevent irritation or damage. However, the ice pack must be removed immediately if the skin becomes numb, blistered, bright red, or blotchy.
Nonetheless, there are two common types of arthritis– osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis. Osteoarthritis initially affects the smooth cartilage lining of the joint. This makes movement more difficult than usual, leading to pain and stiffness. The most commonly affected joints are those in the hands, spine, knees and hips.
Rheumatoid arthritis occurs when the body’s immune system targets affected joints, which leads to pain and swelling. The outer covering (synovium) of the joint is the first place affected. This can then spread across the joint, leading to further swelling and a change in the joint’s shape. This may cause the bone and cartilage to break down.
When to use heat to treat arthritis pain
Both hot and cold therapy has their appropriate uses. Heat should not be applied to a joint that is already hot, red and irritated. Also, cold therapy should not be applied to a joint stiff and not moving well. “Heat helps muscles relax and cold helps to minimise swelling and pain,” he said.
However, he declared that the use of hot therapy for all joints problem is a cultural practice that could be determinant if not advised by a doctor.
Painful joints, he said would also be eased with weight reduction, prescribed exercises or physical therapy, use of knee braces and topical ointments.
But Obileye declared: “The best thing is to catch the disease early and look out for other predisposing features such as obesity, poor muscle support. Weight loss is important in those that are overweight and where muscle to stabilise the knee joint, appropriate exercises have to be prescribed.”
Applying pain relieving creams to joints also need to be done with a lot of caution. “Before applying the cream, the area must be cleaned. Then the cream has to be gently applied with the finger tips and not violently rubbing in. I have seen patients who develop bacterial infection of the skin as a result of wrong application of these creams,” he declared.
The benefits of nutritional supplements that contain chemical substances like glucosamine for joint problems, the expert said may also not be limited when other interventions like weight loss and exercises are not adopted in patients with arthritis.
According to him, “the effect of nutritional supplements that contain chemical substances like glucosamine for joint problems is limited. It cannot be compared to losing weight or building of the muscles around the joint.”
Being overweight can increase complications of arthritis and contribute to arthritis pain. Being obese puts excess strain on the joints, particularly those that bear most of the weight, such as the knees and hips.
Making incremental, permanent lifestyle changes resulting in gradual weight loss is often the most effective method of weight management.
Dr Obileye also stressed the importance of seeking help for aching and stiff joints early, adding that such will enable early interventions to curtail worsening of the joint problem.
In a small number of cases, where the treatments haven’t helped or the damage to the joints is particularly severe, surgery may be carried out to repair, strengthen or replace a damaged joint…CONTINUE READING>>
