Joint Stiffness After 50: Is It Arthritis?

Osteoarthritis (OA) is the most common form of arthritis, causing severe disability in over 40 million people worldwide. Beginning with inflammation, OA can gradually worsen until much of the joint has been destroyed. To maintain mobility and alleviate pain, it’s important to find a doctor that can accurately diagnose and treat the issue.

At Keck Medicine of USC, Orthopaedic Surgery in the Boyle Heights neighborhood of Los Angeles, California, orthopaedic and sports medicine specialist George Hatch, MD, diagnoses the cause of joint stiffness and provides treatment for common painful joint issues, including various forms of arthritis. 

Types of arthritis 

Osteoarthritis, also called OA or age-related arthritis, is usually caused by general wear and tear and repetitive motions made over time. OA causes chronic, slowly worsening joint stiffness and pain. Recent injuries can cause similar acute symptoms that subside after the injured tissues heal, but reappear later in life.

Any joint can suffer from arthritis, but common culprits include the knees, shoulders, hips, neck, and lower back. You may experience added symptoms like swelling, instability, decreased range of motion, grinding or clicking, or even joint deformity.

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is less a case of your joint suffering damage and more a case of your immune system going into overdrive and attacking your own body. Most people with RA have swelling along with pain and joint stiffness, and in many cases the same joints on each side of the body will be affected.

Treatment options for arthritis 

As you age, arthritis symptoms generally get worse. Changes to your gait to accommodate for the pain can mean you develop new aches as a result. Dr. Hatch uses the following solutions to create a customized, multipronged plan to alleviate your OA or RA symptoms:

• Rest, ice, compression, and elevation (RICE method)
• Over-the-counter (OTC) medications like acetaminophen or ibuprofen
• Braces or splints to immobilize a painful joint and allow it time to heal
• Physical therapy to improve flexibility and mobility
• Corticosteroid injections to reduce inflammation around your joint
• Disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs)
• Orthobiologic treatment like platelet-rich plasma (PRP) injections

If conservative, nonsurgical treatments fail to address your joint stiffness, pain, and inflammation, Dr. Hatch also provides surgical solutions including arthroscopy to diagnose and treat hidden joint issues, arthrofibrosis treatment (to break up scar tissue around your joint) or traditional partial or complete joint repair and replacement.

Struggling with joint stiffness? Schedule an appointment with Dr. Hatch by calling Keck Medicine of USC, Orthopaedic Surgery at 323-442-5860, or booking an appointment online today.