How to Relieve Symptoms of Osteoarthritis What You Need to Know About Osteoarthritis Treatments and More

Feeling pain in your knee or hands when you move? They could be symptoms of osteoarthritis. Here's what you need to know to get the best osteoarthritis treatments for you... Osteoarthritis is the most common form of arthritis among older people. It occurs when cartilage, the tissue that cushions the ends of the bones within the joints, breaks down and wears away. In some cases, all the cartilage may wear away, leaving bones that rub up against each other. Symptoms of osteoarthritis range from stiffness and mild pain that comes and goes to severe joint pain. Osteoarthritis affects hands, low back, neck, and weight-bearing joints such as knees, hips, and feet. Osteoarthritis is one of the most frequent causes of physical disability among older adults. The disease affects both men and women. Before age 45, osteoarthritis is more common in men than in women. After age 45, osteoarthritis is more common in women. About 33.6% (12.4 million) of individuals age 65 and older are affected by the disease. Osteoarthritis affects only joints, not internal organs. Causes and Risk Factors Researchers suspect that osteoarthritis is caused by a combination of factors in the body and environment. Osteoarthritis often results from years of wear and tear on joints. This mostly affects the cartilage. Osteoarthritis occurs when the cartilage begins to fray, wear away and decay. Putting too much stress on a joint that has been previously injured, improper alignment of joints and excess weight all may contribute to the development of osteoarthritis. Symptoms of Osteoarthritis Different types of arthritis have different symptoms. In general, people with most forms of arthritis have pain and stiffness in their joints. Osteoarthritis usually develops slowly and can occur in any joint, but often occurs in weight bearing joints. Early in the disease, joints may ache after physical work or exercise. Most often, osteoarthritis occurs in the hands, hips, knees, neck or low back. Common signs of osteoarthritis include: Joint pain Swelling Tenderness Stiffness after getting out of bed A crunching feeling or sound of bone rubbing on bone Not everyone with osteoarthritis feels pain, however. In fact, only a third of people with X-ray evidence of the disease report pain or other symptoms of osteoarthritis. Diagnosis of Osteoarthritis To make a diagnosis of osteoarthritis, most doctors use a combination of methods and tests, including a medical history, physical examination, X-rays and laboratory tests. However, X-rays are limited in their capacity to reveal how much joint damage may have occurred in osteoarthritis. They usually don't show osteoarthritis damage until there has been a significant loss of cartilage. It is important for people with joint pain to give the doctor a complete medical history. Answering these questions will help your doctor make an accurate diagnosis: Is the pain in one or more joints? When does the pain occur and how long does it last? When did you first notice the pain? Does activity make the pain better or worse? Have you had any illnesses or accidents that may account for the pain? Is there a family history of any arthritis or rheumatic diseases? What medicines are you taking? The physician will take a medical history, a patient's description of symptoms and when and how they began. The description covers pain, stiffness, and joint function, and how these have changed over time. A physical examination includes the doctor's examination of joints, skin, reflexes, and muscle strength. The physician observes the patient's ability to walk, bend, and carry out activities of daily living. They will use a combination of tests to find out if osteoarthritis is causing symptoms. A patient's attitudes, daily activities and levels of anxiety or depression also have a lot to do with how severe the symptoms of osteoarthritis may be. Osteoarthritis Treatment Osteoarthritis treatment plans often include ways to manage pain and improve function. Such plans can include exercise, rest and joint care, pain relief, weight control, medicines, surgery and non-traditional treatment approaches. Current osteoarthritis treatments can relieve symptoms of osteoarthritis, such as pain and disability, but there is no cure for osteoarthritis. Exercise is one of the best osteoarthritis treatments. It can improve mood and outlook, decrease pain, increase flexibility and help you maintain a healthy weight. Studies also show that people with knee osteoarthritis who exercise appropriately feel less pain and function better. The amount and form of exercise will depend on: Which joints are involved How stable the joints are Whether the joint is swollen Whether a joint replacement has already been done Ask your doctor or physical therapist what exercises are best for you. For temporary relief of osteoarthritis pain, you can use warm towels, hot packs, or a warm bath or shower. In some cases, cold packs such as a bag of ice or frozen vegetables wrapped in a towel can relieve pain or numb the sore area. A doctor or physical therapist can recommend if heat or cold is the best osteoarthritis treatment for you. For osteoarthritis in the knee, wearing insoles or cushioned shoes may reduce joint stress. Doctors consider several factors when choosing medicines for their patients. In particular, they look at the type of pain the patient is having and any possible side effects from the drugs. For pain relief, doctors usually start with acetaminophen because the side effects are minimal. If acetaminophen doesn’t relieve pain, then non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NAISD), such as ibuprofen and naproxen, may be used. Some NSAIDs are available over the counter, while more than a dozen others, including a subclass called COX-2 inhibitors, are available only with a prescription. Other medications, including the injectable corticosteroids and hyaluronic acid, and topical creams are also used. Most medicines used to treat osteoarthritis have side effects, so it is important for people to learn about the medicines they take. For example, people over age 65 and those with any history of ulcers or stomach bleeding should use non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, or NSAIDs, with caution. There are measures you can take to help reduce the risk of side effects associated with NSAIDs. These include taking medications with food and avoiding stomach irritants such as alcohol, tobacco and caffeine. In some cases, it may help to take another medication along with an NSAID to coat the stomach or block stomach acids. Although these measures may help, they are not always completely effective. Protecting and supporting the affected joint or joints is important. Some people use canes and splints to protect and take pressure off joints. Splints or braces are used to provide extra support for weakened joints. For some people, surgery helps relieve the pain and disability of osteoarthritis. A doctor may perform surgery to smooth out, fuse or reposition bones, or replace joints. The decision to have an operation depends on several factors. Both surgeon and patient should consider the patient's level of disability, intensity of pain, lifestyle, age, and occupation. Researchers suspect that heredity plays a role in some osteoarthritis cases. For example, scientists have identified a mutation, or gene defect, affecting collagen – an important part of cartilage – in patients with an inherited kind of osteoarthritis that starts at an early age. Osteoarthritis research Tissue engineering is an exciting area of research in osteoarthritis. This approach involves removing cells from a healthy part of the body and placing them in an area of diseased or damaged tissue. In some cases, this improves joint movement. Researchers also are studying whether exercise can treat or prevent osteoarthritis. Studies on knee osteoarthritis and exercise found that strengthening the thigh muscle, also known as the quadriceps, can relieve symptoms of knee osteoarthritis and prevent more damage. Early research suggests that acupuncture, which is the use of fine needles inserted at specific points in the skin, may provide pain relief for some patients. Some people claim that the dietary supplements glucosamine and chondroitin sulfate can relieve symptoms of osteoarthritis. The NIH-funded Glucosamine and Chondroitin Arthritis Intervention Trial, or GAIT, tested whether or not glucosamine and/or chondroitin have a beneficial effect for people with knee osteoarthritis. The results of the four-year study indicated that these supplements did not provide significant relief from osteoarthritis pain among all participants. However, a smaller subgroup of study participants with moderate-to-severe pain showed significant relief with the combined supplements. A long-term GAIT study revealed that subjects who took the supplements (alone or in combination) had outcomes. For more information, visit our Osteoarthritis Health Center. How Much Do You Know About the Types of Arthritis? About 46 million American adults – nearly one in five – suffer from some type of arthritis. It’s estimated that number will rise to 67 million by 2030.