If you are under the age of 50 and have consistent joint pain, it’s a good idea to see a doctor. One possible cause is arthritis, which needs early treatment to prevent the condition from getting worse.

Arthritis is the breakdown of cartilage in the joints, which causes inflammation. With rheumatoid arthritis, the body speeds up that inflammation process. Osteoarthritis is cartilage wearing out from use over time.

Arthritis symptoms

Symptoms include pain, stiffness and swelling. You may also see deformity in the joints of the fingers.

“Inflammatory arthritis may happen at an earlier age and has a genetic component,” said Salem Health Hand Surgeon Jeffrey Knight, MD. “Osteoarthritis most commonly affects people over 50 and is more prevalent with age.”

Dr. Knight said obesity can increase arthritis symptoms in the hips and knees. Staying active helps minimize the stiffness and pain of osteoarthritis, and Knight notes that improved diet and weight loss can help as well.

Still, for inflammatory arthritis, Dr. Knight said, the most critical thing is to catch it early.

“Early diagnosis and treatment are the most important things to prevent inflammatory arthritis from progressing,” Dr. Knight said. “Medical treatment targeted at stopping the body from producing the inflammatory factors can significantly slow the process. Over the last few decades, this has been shown to dramatically reduce the impact of such arthritis.”

Treatment options

For treatment, the hand surgeon said there are three categories: Mechanical, medical and surgical.

Mechanical treatment includes using braces and adjusting activity levels. The medical approach utilizes anti-inflammatory medication or cortisone injections. Surgery can remove the “bad” joints and fuse them to prevent painful movement or replace those joints with mechanical implants.

Care at Salem Health

Are you feeling symptoms of arthritis? Salem Health Orthopedics has the largest group of surgeons in the mid-Willamette Valley specifically trained in treatment of hand and wrist conditions — and, with two new Physician Associates, there are often appointment openings the same day.