Osteoarthritis is a condition that occurs when the cartilage that acts as a protective barrier between your bones wears down and leaves the bones without anything to cushion them. Without any protection, they rub against each other. This leads to inflammation and swelling, causing pain, stiffness, decreased mobility, and a lower quality of life. Unfortunately, 27 million people in the United States alone suffer from this condition. But what are the best treatment options for osteoarthritis?

Best Treatment Options for Osteoarthritis

Although there is no cure for osteoarthritis, there are treatments and management options available for patients.

Treatment and Management Options

Physical Activity

Exercise is the best option to lessen arthritis pain and prevent any further bone damage. Activities such as strength training, stretching, walking, and swimming can help you build your muscles, protect your joints from injury, improve your flexibility, aid in lubricating your joints, and make you lose weight.

According to the Arthritis Foundation, walking and water aerobics are two of the best forms of exercise that patients can engage in.

Weight Loss

The stress that extra unnecessary weight puts on your back, hips, and knees causes arthritis. Exercise, eating healthy, and exercising aid in better weight management.

Medications

Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs)…

Like ibuprofen and naproxen can be taken to reduce the pain and inflammation caused by osteoarthritis. The downside of using these medications is they may cause stomach irritation and gastrointestinal bleeding in some patients.
Acetaminophen may also be taken to relieve mild and moderate pain. Although they cause few side effects to most people, large doses can be harmful to your liver.

Prescription NSAIDs like celecoxib, diclofenac, and piroxicam are generally safe, but they can cause stomach bleeding in some patients and may increase the risk of heart attack and stroke. You will need to be closely monitored by your doctor if you are taking such medications.

Corticosteroid injections

Corticosteroid injections offer quick, short-term relief from extreme pain. Your doctor can administer these injections to ease inflammation and swelling. The effect can last from weeks to months. Some patients can even experience relief for more than six months. However, these injections can be given no more than four times a year. Some side effects are damaged tendons, bleeding, changes in skin color and infection.

Topical relief

Topical pain relievers that come in creams, ointments, and gels can provide relief from mild pain when applied on the skin over the painful joint.

HA Injections

Hyaluronic acid (HA) injection can help lubricate the joints and improve the patient’s mobility. HA naturally occurs in the synovial fluid between joints. It not only lubricates the joints but also helps absorb shock. However, osteoarthritis patients have low amounts of HA.

Antidepressants may also be recommended by doctors to provide relief from chronic pain. However, some patients may experience suicidal thoughts, agitation, or restlessness.

Natural Remedies You Can Try

Turmeric has curcumin, which blocks certain enzymes and cytokines that lead to inflammation.

You can add it to your dishes, boil it, and drink it as tea, or take curcumin as a supplement.

Ginger has anti-inflammatory properties, and using it as an ingredient in a dish, taking ginger capsules, or drinking ginger tea may help manage the pain and inflammation caused by osteoarthritis.

According to some studies, ginger works just like Advil when it comes to pain relief.

Ginkgo biloba contains powerful antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties that will help reduce inflammation.

Although turmeric, ginger, and ginkgo, are generally safe to consume, it is important to talk to your doctor about using them as a home remedy. This is to prevent any contraindications with any drug you are taking.

Acupuncture, massage, cold compress, and physical therapy are safe, natural remedies that can help you manage your pain.

Surgery

There are different types of surgeries that can help osteoarthritis patients, and your doctor will recommend the best one for each situation.

These surgeries include:

✔ Arthroscopic surgery, which is an outpatient surgery procedure for the knees
and shoulders
✔ Joint replacement surgery where damaged joints are replaced by artificial
ones
✔ Osteotomy is for patients who are too young for joint replacement. The bone
is cut to redistribute weight on a joint and improve stability.
✔ Joint fusion is done by joining two bones on each end of a joint.

Prevention

Although there are a lot of risk factors that increase the likelihood of developing this condition, there are also things that you can do to keep your joints healthy. Some of these are:

✔ exercise
✔ weight management
✔ occupational risk management
✔ taking needed rest
✔ blood sugar management

If you’re suffering from osteoarthritis and would like to know which treatment and management options are best for your condition, talk to an spine surgeon today.