Why Does Arthritis Cause Fevers, and How We Can Help?
At Oklahoma Spine & Pain Management in Oklahoma City, we see it all the time. Fever is a common symptom for many medical conditions, indicating the inflammatory response in the body. A healthy immune system functions to detect and fight off foreign organisms (viruses, bacteria), and fever occurs as a result of immune system activation. Rheumatoid arthritis however, also known as inflammatory arthritis, is an autoimmune disease in which the immune system attacks the joints, creating inflammation, and in turn, causing fever.
Arthritis and Fever
Dr. Darryl Robinson, MD and his team of pain management experts at our clinic know that arthritis is the inflammation of joints, causing pain, fever, and other symptoms. In some cases, fever can be a subtle symptom of underlying arthritis, appearing before any other symptom. And at many other offices, it’s often overlooked, but our pain management experts at Oklahoma Spine & Pain Management take all symptoms into account to insure the best patient outcome possible. Something that well-trained providers look for in patients with arthritis are flu-like symptoms, including: muscle pain, malaise, fatigue, and mood changes. This inflammatory reaction activates the immune system, leading to the release of cytokines, which is the body’s protective response towards inflammation caused by pathogenic organisms.
If you ask our experts at Oklahoma Spine & Pain Management in Oklahoma City, arthritis can be one of three things: inflammatory, non-inflammatory, or auto-immune. Fever can be caused by inflammatory and autoimmune arthritis, and it is rare in non-inflammatory arthritis. Inflammation can be localized to the affected joint or can be systemic. High-grade fever is seen in systemic inflammation and low grade in localized joint inflammation. Rheumatoid arthritis causes fever because the body’s immune system mistakenly detects an inflamed joint as a foreign object and initiates an immune response against it causing more inflammation and fever. This is also why rheumatoid arthritis is so painful, and why we have so many patients coming into Dr. Robinson’s office to manage their arthritis pain.
Some medications used to treat autoimmune arthritis suppress the body’s immune response. In this case, if a patient is on such medications and presents with fever, it must be looked at, as it cannot be due to arthritis. It is advisable that if you are taking medications for arthritis and still having a fever to consult with your doctor to investigate further.
How Can We Help to Relieve Arthritis Pain and Fever?
Our expert pain management staff at Oklahoma Spine & Pain Management in Oklahoma know that pain and fever in arthritis are caused by inflammation induced by the autoimmune response of the body, or by arthritis itself. To relieve both fever and pain, Dr. Robinson knows that it is crucial to target the root cause of the joint inflammation. Because fever and pain are the symptoms of arthritis, if only symptoms are managed, it’ll be effective for the short term and there will be a relapse in symptoms.
Dr. Darryl Robinson’s pain management clinic, Oklahoma Spine & Pain Management in OKC, has several services for arthritis, such as steroid injections. Steroid injections not only alleviate pain, but work as an anti-inflammatory agent to overcome the inflammation caused in the joints. When the inflammation is treated by any of the treatment options, it will ultimately give relief from pain, fever, and other symptoms. The effect produced is also long-term depending on the chosen pain relieving method. Other non-surgical pain relief treatments that we have at Oklahoma Spine & Pain Management in OKC include nerve blocks, trigger point injections, and radiofrequency ablation.
If you are experiencing joint pain, fever, and inflammation, we suggest that you get in touch with us at Oklahoma Spine & Pain Management so we can help you manage your symptoms. Dr. Darryl Robinson will discuss with you the available options to treat the cause of your pain and fever, and will advise you on the best treatment option.
Dr. Darryl Robinson at Oklahoma Spine & Pain Management in OKC is a board-certified physician who uses advanced treatments to maximize patient outcome. Him and his team of passionate pain management experts work hard to make sure that you can get back to feeling yourself again. If you’re interested in booking an appointment with Dr. Darryl Robinson in OKC to treat rheumatoid arthritis pain, fill out the form below or call (405) 703-4950.
