Arthritis Treatment in NJ & NY
The jar lid used to twist off without a thought. Now your fingers lock around it and nothing moves, and the ache that started in your knuckles six months ago has spread to your wrists and the base of each thumb. Metro Pain Centers identifies which joints arthritis has damaged and treats them so you can open a jar without running it under hot water first.
Understanding Arthritis at Metro Pain Centers
Arthritis is a degenerative or inflammatory joint disease characterized by the progressive breakdown of articular cartilage, the smooth tissue that covers the ends of bones within a synovial joint, resulting in pain, stiffness, swelling, and reduced range of motion as the joint loses its ability to absorb shock and facilitate frictionless movement.
Osteophyte-mediated joint space narrowing, the gradual reduction of the gap between opposing bone surfaces caused by the growth of bony spurs (osteophytes) along joint margins as the body attempts to stabilize a deteriorating joint, is a hallmark radiographic finding that Metro Pain Centers uses to stage arthritis severity and guide treatment decisions.
More than 54 million Americans carry an arthritis diagnosis, making it the leading cause of disability in the United States. The condition encompasses over 100 distinct types, but osteoarthritis and inflammatory arthritis account for the vast majority of cases Metro Pain Centers treats.
Metro Pain Centers manages osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, psoriatic arthritis, gout, and post-traumatic arthritis. Our physicians determine the specific type and stage because treatment intensity and approach differ for each one.
Understanding Your Condition
Our board-certified physicians use advanced diagnostic techniques to accurately identify the source of your pain, ensuring you receive the most effective treatment.
Symptoms of Arthritis
Morning stiffness lasting 30 minutes or longer suggests inflammatory arthritis, while stiffness that eases within a few minutes of movement points to osteoarthritis. Metro Pain Centers uses this distinction as an early diagnostic signal during patient evaluation.
Joint swelling that feels warm to the touch indicates active inflammation within the joint capsule. When swelling appears in symmetrical joints on both hands, our pain management physicians evaluate for rheumatoid or psoriatic patterns.
A deep, aching pain that worsens with use and improves with rest is the most common osteoarthritis complaint. Metro Pain Centers assesses whether the pain correlates with weight-bearing, gripping, or specific ranges of motion to localize the damaged compartment.
Reduced grip strength or difficulty with fine motor tasks like buttoning a shirt signals progressive hand and wrist arthritis. Our specialists track functional decline over time to determine whether the current treatment plan is slowing joint deterioration.
What Causes Arthritis
Cartilage breakdown from decades of mechanical load is the primary driver of osteoarthritis. The articular cartilage thins, softens, and eventually erodes, leaving the subchondral bone exposed. Metro Pain Centers diagnoses this progression through imaging and clinical examination.
Autoimmune dysfunction triggers inflammatory arthritis when the immune system attacks the synovial lining of joints. The chronic inflammation thickens the synovium, erodes cartilage, and damages underlying bone. Our physicians distinguish autoimmune arthritis from mechanical wear because the treatment pathways diverge.
Previous joint injury accelerates cartilage degeneration at the trauma site. A knee ligament tear in your twenties can produce post-traumatic arthritis in the same compartment by your forties. Metro Pain Centers evaluates injury history as part of every arthritis assessment.
Metabolic disorders such as gout deposit uric acid crystals within the joint space, producing sudden intense inflammation. Our pain management team identifies crystal arthropathies through joint aspiration and laboratory analysis.
How Metro Pain Centers Diagnoses Arthritis
Physical examination assesses joint tenderness, swelling, warmth, crepitus, and range of motion across all affected joints. Our board-certified pain specialists document the pattern of joint involvement to distinguish osteoarthritis from inflammatory subtypes.
X-rays reveal joint space narrowing, osteophyte formation, subchondral sclerosis, and bone erosions that define arthritis type and stage. Metro Pain Centers uses weight-bearing films for lower extremity joints to capture the true extent of cartilage loss.
Laboratory panels including ESR, CRP, rheumatoid factor, and anti-CCP antibodies detect systemic inflammation and autoimmune markers. Our physicians correlate lab findings with imaging to confirm whether the arthritis is degenerative, inflammatory, or both.
Diagnostic joint injections with local anesthetic confirm that a specific joint is the pain generator when multiple joints are symptomatic. Metro Pain Centers uses this confirmation to prioritize treatment toward the joint causing the most functional limitation.
Treatment Options for Arthritis at Metro Pain Centers
Intra-articular corticosteroid injections reduce inflammation and pain within the joint capsule. Metro Pain Centers uses ultrasound or fluoroscopic guidance to deliver medication precisely into the affected compartment for maximum therapeutic effect.
Viscosupplementation with hyaluronic acid restores joint lubrication in moderate osteoarthritis. Our physicians recommend this for weight-bearing joints where cartilage loss has reduced the joint fluid's ability to cushion and protect bone surfaces.
Interventional pain management at Metro Pain Centers includes radiofrequency ablation of the genicular nerves for knee arthritis and targeted nerve procedures for hip and shoulder arthritis that persists after intra-articular injections.
Physical therapy builds muscle strength around arthritic joints to redistribute mechanical load away from damaged cartilage. PRP therapy delivers concentrated growth factors to support cartilage preservation and reduce inflammatory signaling within the joint.
Schedule an appointment to discuss your arthritis treatment plan.
Your Arthritis Specialists at Metro Pain Centers
EXPERIENCE
Led by Dr. Rahul Sood
Led by Dr. Rahul Sood, Chairman of Anesthesiology at New Bridge Medical Centers, Metro Pain Centers delivers multilingual care in English, Spanish, Punjabi, and Hindi across all 12 offices.
Our physicians hold board certifications in anesthesiology and pain medicine, with training from Mount Sinai, Rutgers, and Thomas Jefferson University.
Related Conditions Treated by Metro Pain Centers
Arthritis overlaps with many conditions our physicians manage. Joint pain is the primary symptom that brings arthritis patients to our offices, and identifying arthritis as the specific cause guides the treatment approach.
Hip arthritis and knee arthritis are the most common weight-bearing presentations. Shoulder arthritis limits overhead function. Bursitis frequently accompanies arthritis when inflamed joints irritate adjacent bursae.
View all conditions we treat at Metro Pain Centers.
Arthritis Treatment at 12 NJ and NY Locations
Can arthritis be reversed?
Cartilage lost to arthritis does not regenerate on its own. Metro Pain Centers focuses on slowing progression, reducing pain, and preserving function through targeted interventions and regenerative therapies.
What is the difference between osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis?
Osteoarthritis results from mechanical cartilage wear. Rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune condition where the immune system attacks joint tissue. Metro Pain Centers distinguishes between them through examination, imaging, and laboratory testing.
At what age does arthritis typically start?
Osteoarthritis commonly appears after age 50 but can develop earlier following joint injuries. Inflammatory arthritis can begin at any age. Metro Pain Centers evaluates patients across all age groups.
How do injections help arthritis?
Corticosteroid injections reduce inflammation inside the joint. Viscosupplementation restores lubrication. PRP delivers growth factors. Metro Pain Centers selects the injection type based on your arthritis stage and response history.
Does insurance cover arthritis treatment at Metro Pain Centers?
Metro Pain Centers accepts most major insurance plans. Our billing team verifies your coverage and explains costs before any procedures.
Hear From Our Patients
The doctors actually listen to you and take time to explain everything. I finally found relief after years of back pain.
From my first visit, I felt like they genuinely cared about helping me get better. The staff is wonderful and the treatments changed my life.
After seeing multiple doctors with no improvement, Metro Pain Centers finally gave me a treatment plan that works. I can't recommend them enough.
Get Relief from Arthritis Today
The jar lids, the buttons, the stairs that used to require no thought now demand negotiation with every joint in your body. Metro Pain Centers delivers the diagnostic precision to identify which joints need intervention and the procedural skill to treat them.