Arthritis Treatment Specialist
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Tobin Bone and Joint Surgery
Joseph P. Tobin, MD, FAAOS
Orthopedic Surgeon located in Hilton Head, SC & Pooler, GA
The most frequent cause of chronic joint pain is arthritis. If you’re affected by this incurable disease, fellowship-trained orthopedic surgeon Joseph Tobin, MD, of Tobin Bone and Joint Surgery, provides effective non-surgical arthritis treatments and surgery for advanced cases. Practicing in Hilton Head, South Carolina, and Pooler, Georgia, for over 20 years, Dr. Tobin has plenty of experience treating all forms of arthritis, including osteoarthritis and inflammatory arthropathies like rheumatoid and psoriatic arthritis. To benefit from comprehensive arthritis treatment, call your nearest office or book an appointment online today.
Arthritis Treatment Q&A
What is arthritis?
Arthritis is inflammation that can affect one, several, or multiple joints. It causes chronic or recurring joint pain, tenderness, swelling, and stiffness. More than 100 forms of arthritis exist, many of which are rare. The more common kinds of arthritis include:
Osteoarthritis
Osteoarthritis is the most widespread form of all. It typically develops in later life, after years of use causes the joints to wear. Osteoarthritis sets in when the articular cartilage that covers and protects the bones in your joints gets thin. That exposes the bone, which catches and rubs against the other bones in the joint.
Rheumatoid arthritis
Rheumatoid arthritis most often develops at a younger age. It’s an autoimmune disorder, which means the disease occurs when your immune system malfunctions. Instead of just targeting potentially harmful bacteria and viruses, it attacks the cells in your joint linings.
Rheumatoid arthritis is an inflammatory arthropathy, along with other forms of the disease, like ankylosing spondylitis and psoriatic arthritis. Gout and septic arthritis are also quite common, and conditions like lupus can cause arthritic symptoms.
Arthritis has no cure, but Dr. Tobin offers effective treatments that minimize your symptoms.
What arthritis treatments are available?
Although many different types of arthritis exist, the treatment for each is broadly similar. Dr. Tobin begins your treatment at Tobin Bone and Joint Surgery with conservative therapies that help reduce your pain and stiffness and keep you mobile. These might include:
- Activity modification
- Physical therapy
- Anti-inflammatory medications
- Mobility devices
- Shoe adjustments
- Thermal therapy
Some forms of the disease, like rheumatoid arthritis, are also treatable with disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs).
These arthritis treatments can keep you mobile and control your pain for years if you begin them early. As the disease worsens, you might require additional therapies like steroid injections into the affected joints.
What surgical arthritis treatments might I need?
Many patients manage their arthritis very well without needing surgery. However, the disease is likely to worsen over the years and could reach a stage where treatments that used to work don’t anymore. At this point, surgery is a worthwhile option to consider.
Dr. Tobin can use arthroscopy to examine the joint and make repairs. This minimally invasive technique uses small incisions and a lighted camera on a flexible tube (the arthroscope) to see inside the joint. Dr. Tobin might also use arthroscopy when performing joint replacement surgery.
Joint replacement can resolve even the worst cases of arthritis by removing the diseased bone and cartilage and fitting a new, artificial joint in the hips, knees, or shoulders.
To find the arthritis treatment that’s right for you, call Tobin Bone and Joint Surgery today or book an appointment online.
