What Is the Best Treatment for Osteoarthritis?

Treatment for Osteoarthritis (OA) varies from person to person, and can include exercise, medication, surgery, and supplements.

Osteoarthritis(OA) is diagnosed primarily on X-Ray.Magnetic resonance imaging(MRI) may be done later to check for the extent of bone erosion and other injuries to the joint structure. For diagnosing OA, doctors ask for your medical history and look for the signs and symptoms. This is generally done byrheumatologistsand orthopedic surgeons.

Rheumatoid arthritis(RA) can affect all the joints of your limbs—hands, fingers, elbows, knees, and hips. Meanwhile,osteoarthritis(OA) frequently affects your knees, hip, and spine.

RAalways affects multiple joints on both sides of the body, whereas OA may only affect one particular joint or area of the body.

Most often,RAis frequently accompanied by signs such asjoint swelling, tenderness, andfever.RAmay also involve thelungs, eyes, and other organs. These signs are usually not seen in OA.

Once osteoarthritis (OA) starts developing, you can only slow down the progression of the disease and not reverse it. The best treatment for OA varies from person to person. Most often, a combination of various therapies gives the best results. These therapies include the following:

Physical measures

• Excess weight puts pressure on your knee joints, hips, and lower back.Weight losscan reduce your chances of disability due to OA.
• Exercise可以提高你的肌肉力量,减少吗joint painandstiffness.
• Supportive devices, such as awalking甘蔗,可以帮助你walk with ease.
• Heating pads/bagsorcoldtherapy can help relieve OA symptoms temporarily.
• Alternative/complementary therapies such as hot fomentation (spa), massage, acupressure, andacupuncturecan help relievepainfor a short time.

Drug therapy

• Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatorydrugs(NSAIDs) such asaspirin,ibuprofen,naproxen, andacetaminophencan help relieve thepainand swelling in patients with OA. These can be in the form of topical gels, oral pills, or injections.
• Some medications work to change how your body responds to pain. Popular options include prescription opioids containingoxycodoneorhydrocodone. Opioids can be addictive.
• Cymbalta(Duloxetine) is also one of the effective drugs for pain associated with chronic OA.
• Narcotics such as oxycodone and hydrocodone are prescribed if you have extreme joint pain or fail to respond to NSAIDs and analgesics.
• Sometimes, a steroid drug or lubricant, such ashyaluronic acid, is injected into thepainful joints. These shots may help delay the need forknee replacementsurgery by a few years in some patients with OA.

Surgery

• Surgical treatment becomes an option for severe cases that do not get any relief from the aforementioned treatments. This can be in the form ofarthroscopyor knee replacement surgery.
• Arthroscopy helps in repairing the joint damage by inserting a long camera like a tube in your knee.
• Knee replacement surgery is mostly advised in severely damaged knee joints, particularly if you areobese.

Supplements

• Manyover-the-counterdietary supplements, such as calcium,vitamin D,omega-3 fatty acids,glucosamine, and chondroitin, are used in the treatment of OA.
• 但是,首先,你需要咨询你的医生you are on some other medicines to avoiddrug interactions.

Osteoarthritis (OA) of the knees or hips can lead to the following complications:

• Deformities such as a bow-legged appearance due toknee jointinvolvement
• Chronic paindue to joint erosion affecting the quality of life
• Pinched nerves causing pain and muscleweaknesscausing restricted movements
• Stressfracturesover weakened bones
• Poor quality of life