Arthritis doctor in Hyderabad | Orthopedic Surgeon | Arthritis Specialist

If you are wondering what exactly is arthritis and have the notion that it affects only elderly people then you could be wrong!

Arthritis is not a single disease. It is rather a term that refers to more than 100 different types of arthritis and related conditions.

Can Arthritis Affect only Joints?

Arthritis affects people of all ages, ethnicity, gender, and races. Though it looks like arthritis is a mild condition, capable of damaging only your joints, it can affect your lungs, eyes, heart, kidneys, and skin as well.

Does Arthritis Cause Structural Changes in the joints?

Arthritis can remain an asymptomatic and subtle condition for years, but in most cases, it is capable of permanently damaging the joints and causing changes in joint structure. In a majority of the cases, joint structural changes are seen on X-rays but are also visible as knobby finger joints (Rheumatoid arthritis).

Furthermore, there could be a very strong possibility that you could miss the initial signs and symptoms of arthritis.

What are the Symptoms of Arthritis?

The most common signs and symptoms of arthritis include:

• Joint pain – mild, moderate, or severe
• Stiffness in the joints
• Redness
• Swelling
• Reduced mobility & restricted motions

What happens if you have arthritis?

If you have arthritis, you will feel stiffness in your joints, doing routine activities become difficult for you; walking upstairs and downstairs become troublesome; you will also experience moderate to severe joint pain. The symptoms can progress and become worse over a period of time.

What are the major causes of arthritis?

• Joint injuries, excessive usage, and post-traumatic injuries
• Demanding jobs and professions such as construction works carpentry and farming
• Sports that involve repetitive joint movements and usage
• Lifestyle factors such as poor diet, lack of exercise, activity or work, excess body weight (obesity)

Common types of Arthritis

These are the most common types of arthritis: Osteoarthritis , rheumatoid arthritis, infectious arthritis, gout, juvenile idiopathic arthritis, and psoriatic arthritis.

Is there a way to prevent arthritis and remain healthy?

Proper diet, rest, work, and life balance can help in preventing arthritis even if it is due to aging.

Though aging is an inevitable part of your life, you can prevent joint problems by managing your weight, staying active, and eating a healthy diet.

Diet – avoid sugar, salts, highly processed foods, red meat, and packaged foods.

Consume – berries, leafy greens, whole grains, fruits, and olive oil.

Activity – remain active, and walk regularly.

Involve in physical activities regularly. If you experience mild to moderate joint pain and stiffness, you can apply hot or cold compresses, use OTC medications and use assistive devices. Next, talk to your physiotherapist about a set of exercises and activities.

Bottom Line

If you think that you could have a joint problem, then get an accurate diagnosis done by a specialist orthopedic doctor. An orthopedic doctor specializes in diagnosing the cause of your joint pain. The doctor will treat the condition and help preserve your joint. He or she will also suggest or recommend many things to improve mobility, joint function, and quality of your life.

Based on the severity of the condition, treatment options may vary and they involve medications, physical activity, weight management, and surgical intervention.

Whether it is a mild, moderate or severe (chronic) joint problem affecting joint mobility and quality of life, there are different treatment options and surgical solutions. If you are searching for the best arthritis doctor in Hyderabad, meet Dr. Praharsha M.

A hip joint is a ball and socket joint. It has a ball at the top of the thigh bone that fits into a socket in the pelvis.

The ends of bones in a typical joint are covered by cartilage (a smooth slippery surface). This smooth but tough cartilage surrounding the bones’ end help in the smooth movement of the bones against each other preventing friction. The cartilage within the joints acts like a shock absorber.

Joints naturally experience wear and tear throughout our lives due to normal aging, overuse, injury, or other factors. As a result, the cartilage in the hip joint can become thin, while the bone surfaces can become rough. Consequently, these changes may cause pain, swelling, and joint stiffness. This condition is known as osteoarthritis of the hip joint.

Although arthritis has many forms, osteoarthritis most commonly affects the hip and knee joints. In addition, doctors also call osteoarthritis degenerative arthritis or age-related arthritis. Generally, it affects older adults, and in particular, women may experience it more often than men.

What Happens If You Have Osteoarthritis of the Hip?

If you have this condition, you may feel pain in different areas, such as the thigh, buttocks, groin, or knee. In addition, you may experience sharp or stabbing pain or, sometimes, a dull ache. Furthermore, your hip may feel stiff, especially after periods of inactivity.

What Are the Symptoms of Osteoarthritis of the Hip Joint?

If you have osteoarthritis, you may experience the following symptoms:

• Pain, tenderness, or swelling in the hip joint
• Joint stiffness, especially after sitting for a long time
• Stiffness while getting out of bed, particularly in the morning
• Crunching sound in the joint
• Difficulty in moving the hip joint to perform routine activities

Arthritis Causes

• A family history (genes) inherited from parents
• Excess body weight (obesity or overweight)
• Heavy lifting
• Professions involving long periods of standing
• Deformity in the hip joint
• Injuries
• Age 45 years or above
• Overuse of the joints
• Repetitive stress and mechanical overload
• Hip fracture or hip trauma
• Hip dislocation

Diagnosis of Hip Osteoarthritis

Your doctor performs a physical examination, takes your medical history, and checks the mobility of your hip joint. Your doctor may order an X-ray. The X-ray of the hip joint shows spurring of joint margins and narrowing of the joints (thinning of cartilage in the joints) and joint space narrowing if you have osteoarthritis of the hip joint.

Management of osteoarthritis

Your orthopedic doctor, physiotherapist, occupational therapist, and dietician form a multidisciplinary team to effectively manage your condition. The management approach varies according to the stage and severity of the condition. Customized exercise programs, weight reduction methods, activity restrictions, balance training, and medications are included in a typical management program.

If these approaches do not offer any relief, as seen in most severe cases, total hip replacement surgery is recommended.

Learn more about Robotic Hip Replacement

Bottom Line

Osteoarthritis of the hip may progress to the point where you may need joint replacement. Early diagnosis and prompt management of the condition can help in preventing progressive degeneration of the cartilage and delaying surgery.

Avascular necrosis causes | Dr. Praharsha Mulpur Explains

Lack of blood supply to a bone results in the death of bone tissue. This condition is known as avascular necrosis or osteonecrosis. The condition can lead to minute breaks in the bone – which gradually cause the bone to collapse over a period of time. The process of bone damage may take several months to years. When a bone breaks or a joint dislocates, it can lead to blockage of blood flow to a section of the bone. Excessive and long-term use of certain medications, high-dose steroids, and alcohol can also cause avascular necrosis. Avascular necrosis can affect anyone, but it is most common in people between 30 to 50 years of age.

Avascular necrosis Causes

When the blood supply to a bone or joint is reduced, interrupted, or blocked – avascular necrosis occurs. The cause of a reduced blood supply can be:

Injury or trauma: bone fracture, bone injury or trauma, or a dislocated joint can damage nearby blood vessels. Radiation therapy can also weaken bones and damage blood vessels.

Medical conditions such as Gaucher’s disease and sickle cell anemia can reduce blood flow to bones.

Fatty deposits in blood vessels:  lipids and fats accumulate and lead to the formation of plaque that blocks small blood vessels and reduces blood flow to bones.

Medical conditions associated with avascular necrosis include:

Sickle cell anemia, Systemic lupus erythematosus, HIV/AIDS, Gaucher’s disease, Pancreatitis, Certain types of cancer, such as leukemia and divers’ disease (Decompression sickness)

Symptoms

Avascular necrosis can affect the hip, thighs, buttocks, groin, shoulder, knee, hand, and foot. The condition develops gradually and can cause mild to severe pain. In cases involving the hip, patients typically feel pain around the buttock, groin, and thigh. Avascular necrosis of the hip and knee is common. It can affect one or both hips or knees.

Complications

Avascular necrosis can progressively become severe and worsen over time. As the condition progresses, the bones can become weak and eventually collapse. Furthermore, untreated avascular necrosis can lead to severe arthritis and significantly affect joint function.

Diagnosis

To determine the extent of the condition, your orthopedic doctor will perform a physical examination by pressing on your joints and checking for tenderness. In addition, the doctor will move your joints through different positions to determine whether you have restricted joint movement.

Furthermore, imaging tests can help your doctor identify changes in the affected bone.

X-rays: In particular, X-rays can help detect bone changes during the later stages of avascular necrosis.

In the early stages, X-rays usually don’t reveal bone changes or any issues in the bones.

CT and MRI Scans: These scans show early changes in the bones that are indicative of avascular necrosis. MRI and Ct scans produce detailed images.

A bone scan after injecting radioactive material into a vein helps in spotting the damaged or injured parts of the bones. On an imaging plate, these spots appear as bright spots.

Treatment

Early detection of the condition helps in giving effective treatment in the initial stages of bone damage.  Doctors prescribe over-the-counter pain-relieving medicines and drugs to slow down the progress of avascular necrosis. If the cause of blockage is excess cholesterol and fat deposits then cholesterol-lowering drugs and blood thinners are prescribed. Taking rest as advised by the doctor and exercising under the supervision of a physiotherapist help maintain or improve movement in the joint.

Surgical treatment: Core decompression, bone reshaping (osteotomy), bone transplant (graft), and joint replacement are the surgical treatment options.

Bottom Line

You should consult an orthopedic doctor for any ongoing joint pain – especially when the pain is persistent. You must immediately seek emergency medical care for a possible dislocated joint or broken bone.

Pseudogout causes & Symptoms | Dr. Praharsha Mulpur

Pseudogout or calcium pyrophosphate deposition disease (CPPD) is a condition in which you have sudden and painful swelling in one or more joints. It can last for around a few days to weeks. The condition is commonly known as pseudogout because it looks similar to gout. The other common feature of both these conditions is the deposition of crystals within a joint though the type of crystals differs for each condition.

What are the symptoms of pseudogout?

The signs and symptoms associated with pseudogout include warm, swollen, and severely painful joints. The episodes may last for a few days to weeks. Pseudogout mostly affects the knees. It may also affect other joints, but ankles and wrists are affected less often.

What are the causes of pseudogout?

Pseudogout causes: The most prominent reason for this condition is due to deposition of calcium pyrophosphate dihydrate crystals in the affected joint of the body (most commonly in the knee joint). The condition is mostly associated with advancing age as older adults and people above age 65 to 70 years develop pseudogout. However, a majority of elderly people who have crystals in their joints never develop this condition. In addition, some people may have symptoms and others don’t have any symptoms at all.

What are the risk factors for pseudogout?

Age is a major risk factor. And also, the condition runs in families (genetic predisposition). This means people have a strong hereditary tendency to develop this condition. In addition, any serious accidental injuries, joint trauma, or post-surgical injury may also increase the risk of developing pseudogout.

Pseudogout causes: Certain medical conditions – such as underactive thyroid or an overactive parathyroid gland and mineral imbalances (excess iron or calcium in the blood or magnesium deficiency) can also increase the risk.

Bottom Line

The deposition of calcium crystals in the joints can damage the joints and cause stiffness, restricted mobility, and severe pain. The symptoms associated with pseudogout mimic the signs and symptoms of osteoarthritis or rheumatoid arthritis.

You should meet Dr. Praharsha Mulpur if you have sudden and severe pain, warmth, and swelling in your joints – especially in your knee joints. The symptoms may also be due to other joint conditions. Therefore, to rule out other joint conditions, a comprehensive physical and clinical examination and evaluation of the condition based on the symptoms is important.

Fibromyalgia treatment in Hyderabad | Dr. Praharsha Mulpur

Fibromyalgia is a condition characterized by widespread musculoskeletal pain associated with fatigue, sleep, memory, and mood problems. Researchers believe that fibromyalgia increases painful sensations by affecting how the brain and spinal cord process painful and non-painful signals. Symptoms often begin after events such as Physical trauma, surgery, infection, or significant psychological stress. In other cases, symptoms gradually accumulate over time without a single triggering event occurring.  Many people with fibromyalgia also experience tension headaches, temporomandibular joint disorders (TMJ), irritable bowel syndrome, anxiety, and depression. There is no cure for fibromyalgia, but various drugs can control symptoms. Exercise, relaxation, and measures to reduce stress can also help.

Fibromyalgia Symptoms

The main symptoms of fibromyalgia include:

Widespread pain

Fibromyalgia Symptoms

People with fibromyalgia often describe the pain as constant and dull, lasting for at least three months. Doctors consider the pain widespread when it affects both sides of the body and occurs above and below the hips.

Malaise: People with fibromyalgia may feel generally unwell or exhausted.

Sleep Problems: People with fibromyalgia may sleep for long hours but still wake up feeling tired. Pain can disturb their sleep, and many people also experience sleep disorders such as restless leg syndrome and sleep apnea.

Cognitive Difficulty: People often refer to this problem as “fibro fog.” It can affect concentration, attention, and the ability to focus on mental tasks.

Fibromyalgia often occurs alongside other conditions, including irritable bowel syndrome, chronic fatigue, migraines and other types of headaches, interstitial cystitis, and painful bladder syndrome.

Fibromyalgia Causes

Many researchers believe that repeated nerve stimulation in people with fibromyalgia can cause changes in the brain and spinal cord. These changes can increase the levels of certain chemicals in the brain that transmit pain signals. In addition, pain receptors in the brain may become more sensitive and develop a stronger response to pain signals.

Several factors may contribute to these changes, including genetics. Because fibromyalgia can run in families, certain genetic mutations may increase a person’s likelihood of developing the condition. Furthermore, some disorders may trigger or worsen fibromyalgia.

Physical or Emotional Events: Physical events, such as car accidents, can trigger fibromyalgia.

Persistent psychological stress can also trigger fibromyalgia.

Risk factors for fibromyalgia

your gender

Fibromyalgia is diagnosed more often in women than in men.

Family history- If you have a parent or sibling who also has fibromyalgia, you are more likely to develop fibromyalgia.

If you have osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, or lupus, you are more likely to develop fibromyalgia. 

Complications

The pain, fatigue, and poor-quality sleep associated with fibromyalgia can affect your ability to function at home and at work. It can also lead to pain-related anxiety.

Diagnosis

In the past, doctors would check 18 specific points on a person’s body to see how much those points hurt when pressed hard. New guidelines from the American College of Rheumatology do not require a tender point test. Instead, the main factor required for a diagnosis of fibromyalgia is pain that has spread throughout the body for at least 3 months. To meet the criteria, there must be pain in at least 4 of these 5 areas: upper left region including shoulders, arms, or chin upper right region including shoulder, arm, or chin lower left region including hips, buttocks, or legs lower right region including hips, buttocks or legs. Axial regions including neck, back, chest, or abdomen test. Doctors may want to rule out other conditions with similar symptoms.

Blood tests include complete blood count, erythrocyte sedimentation rate, cyclic citrullinated peptide assay, and rheumatoid factor. Other tests include thyroid function tests, antinuclear antibody serology, and vitamin D test.

Fibromyalgia Treatment in Hyderabad

In general, fibromyalgia treatment includes both medication and self-care therapy. The focus is on minimizing symptoms and improving overall health. There is no cure for every symptom, but trying different treatment strategies can have cumulative effects. Medications can help relieve fibromyalgia pain and improve sleep.  The common choices include over-the-counter pain relievers, muscle relaxants, and other prescription medicines. In addition, physical therapy, exercise, and other lifestyle and dietary modification can also help improve the condition.