Arthritis is the swelling or sensitivity experienced in your joints. Arthritis typically causes joint soreness, stiffness and discomfort. Because of the nature of arthritis, the symptoms typically grow worse with age. You’ve probably heard of the two most common forms of arthritis: osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis.

Osteoarthritis causes our body’s cartilage to break down. This causes pain because the cartilage is supposed to act as a barrier between our bones, where our joints form.

Rheumatoid arthritis on the other hand, is actually a disease where the immune system attacks the joints.

Both forms of arthritis cause pain and discomfort and can be treated in a variety of ways.

Rehab therapy, which is a fancy phrase for our exercise physiologist walking our patients through stretches and exercises, can be helpful for some forms of arthritis. Exercises and stretches can strengthen the muscles surrounding the painful joints, and improve motion.

We also offer steroid injections, which decrease inflammation, ultimately decreasing pain. These work well for arthritis of the knee, shoulder, elbow and more. Read more about our injection services here, and consider Bay Area Wellness Center as your partner in helping you live a happier and healthier life.

Source: Mayo Clinic

Author Kelsey Kelsey is Bay Area Wellness Center’s Marketing Assistant. She comes from the advertising world with 3+ years of experience in research, strategy and media planning. Interested in collaborating with us? Shoot Kelsey an email at marketing1.bawc@gmail.com and she’ll get back to you!