Arthritis treatment focuses on relieving symptoms and improving joint function. Sometimes physical therapy can be helpful for some types of arthritis. Exercises can improve range of motion and strengthen the muscles surrounding joints
If this doesn’t work, then surgery may be recommended after proper diagnosis and any of the following treatments can be suggested to the patient.
Joint repair – Joint surfaces can be smoothed or realigned to reduce pain and improve function. These types of procedures can often be performed arthroscopically through small incisions over the joint.
Joint replacement – This procedure removes your damaged joint and replaces it with an artificial one. The joints most commonly replaced are hips and knees.
Joint fusion – This procedure is more often used for smaller joints, such as those in the wrist, ankle, and fingers. It removes the ends of the two bones in the joint and then locks those ends together until they heal into one rigid unit.