Over 1.3 million people in the United States have rheumatoid arthritis, a moderate to severe disease that can be a lifelong condition causing your joints to hurt and swell. This disease can make it difficult to engage in everyday activities. Thankfully there are numerous treatments available for managing the symptoms of this chronic disease, including Platelet-Rich Plasma (PRP). Rheumatoid arthritis can progress and worsen quickly, that’s why it is crucial to recognize the early signs of rheumatoid arthritis and treat it as soon as possible.
Treat Your Pain With Platelet-Rich Plasma
What is Rheumatoid Arthritis?
Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic, inflammatory, autoimmune disease that causes painful inflammation of the joints. It primarily affects the knees, hands, and wrists, but it can affect any joint in the body.
While this chronic condition can affect anyone, it’s more common in women ages 30 to 60. RA usually begins slowly with minor symptoms that come and go, making it less noticeable, however, these symptoms progress gradually over weeks or months.
Early Signs of Rheumatoid Arthritis
Symptoms of RA can vary from person to person and change as time goes by. The early signs of rheumatoid arthritis can be subtle, so recognizing them will help you get the treatment you need sooner and prevent further damage to your joints and body.
1. Fatigue
It takes energy for your body to deal with inflammation. Fatigue is your body’s response to inflammation affecting your joints and other parts of the body, skin, lungs, heart, nerves, and jaw. You may feel extremely tired and have a lack of energy while doing the same activities you’ve always done before.
2. Numbness and Tingling in the Hands
Numbness and tingling in the hands are common early signs of RA. Inflammation of tendons can create pressure on your nerves that becomes compressed. This nerve compression, wrist/hand pain, numbness, and tingling are known as carpal tunnel syndrome.
3. Joint Pain, Swelling and Stiffness
Joint pain, stiffness, and tightness are the most common symptoms of RA. Joints in the hands, wrists, feet, and knees are what are usually affected first, then over time, RA may affect other joints including the shoulders, hips, and elbows. Joint stiffness usually worsens when you rest, especially when you first wake up in the morning. It is common for your joints to feel more mobile after prolonged activity.
4. Low-Grade Fever
Low-grade fever affects some people with RA when the disease is causing inflammation. A low-grade fever ranges from 99.6 to 100.3 degrees Fahrenheit.
5. Weight Loss
A person with RA may experience weight loss for many reasons. One of the reasons for weight loss is that when a person with RA loses their appetite as a result of their symptoms, weakness and fatigue.
How Platelet-Rich Plasma Therapy Can Help
Platelet-Rich Plasma (PRP) Therapy uses the blood’s natural healing properties to repair damaged cartilage, tendons, ligaments, muscles, and bones. In other words, PRP is a regenerative therapy that helps your body repair itself. A growing number of people are turning to PRP injections to treat an expanding list of joint conditions, including Rheumatoid Arthritis, because this regenerative treatment:
- Inhibits joint inflammation and slows down the progression of RA
- Contains proteins that alter pain receptors and reduce pain sensation
- Stimulates the formation of new cartilage
- Increases the production of natural lubricating fluid in the joint
How Cutting Edge uses PRP Treatment Solutions
Recognizing the early signs of rheumatoid arthritis can help you treat the disease before it progresses. At Cutting Edge, we have spent decades perfecting every aspect of the PRP treatment procedure for our patients. With our expertise we can provide relief for your joint pain, schedule an appointment with us today.
