Taming Osteoarthritis Symptoms May Require Several Strategies

If you are one of the millions of women who have osteoarthritis (OA), you know how much this degenerative joint disease can interfere with your life. Although there’s no cure for OA, there are several approaches that can help ease your pain, improve your mobility, and even slow the disease’s progression.

Get a Diagnosis

“If you have pain and you think OA is the cause, it’s important to have an evaluation, since knowing the diagnosis will determine the course of treatment,” says Linda Russell, MD, a rheumatologist and assistant professor of clinical medicine at Weill Cornell Medical College. For example, if you have rheumatoid arthritis, an autoimmune disease that causes joint inflammation, your treatment options will be different than if you have OA, a more common type of arthritis characterized by deterioration of the cartilage that protects the ends of bones in your joints.

Exercise Can Slow Progression

It may sound counterintuitive, but moving arthritic joints can improve your condition and help protect your joints.

“Strengthening the muscles around an arthritic joint can relieve pain and stiffness, and it also may slow the progression of the disease,” says Dr. Russell. “There’s always an exercise you can do. Some good options for OA patients include aquatic (water) exercises and/ or using a stationary bicycle or elliptical machine. These activities reduce the pressure on your joints.”

However, you don’t have to join a fitness club or buy expensive equipment. Walking can help ease your symptoms if you have arthritis in your lower extremities (hip, knee, ankle). Walking also improves circulation, lowers blood pressure, can help stop or slow bone loss and reduce the risk of fractures, and tones muscles that support your joints.

Dr. Russell recommends that patients with OA in their lower extremities avoid highimpact activities, such as running.

“There is a fine line between keeping strong and doing damage. Listen to your body; if you have increased pain or discomfort after doing a certain type of exercise, choose another type of activity,” advises Dr. Russell.

To find out what type of exercise is best for you, ask your doctor for a referral to a physical therapist, physiologist, or other health-care professional who can evaluate you and recommend exercises that are safe and effective for you. After a few training sessions, you can then do the exercises on your own at home.

Medications

“Pain relievers include acetaminophen (Tylenol), which is the safest option. Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), such as ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin) and naproxen (Aleve), can be used, as long as there are no contraindications,” says Dr. Russell.

NSAIDs are not recommended for people who take anticoagulants such as warfarin, who are at high risk of internal bleeding, or who have heart failure or high blood pressure. If over-the-counter NSAIDs aren’t effective, prescriptionstrength NSAIDs may be considered.

“We try to avoid using opioid drugs, such as oxycodone (Percocet, OxyContin), hydrocodone (Vicodin, Lortab), and fentanyl (Actiq), because of the risk of abuse, addiction, or overdose,” explains Dr. Russell.

Noninvasive Measures

If you are overweight, losing weight— even 5 or 10 percent of your total body weight—can have a significant effect.

“Being overweight dramatically increases the pressure on your lower joints; alleviating that pressure will also alleviate pain,” says Dr. Russell.

“Some joints, such as the knee and ankle, do well with braces or other support devices,” she adds. Consult someone who specializes in prosthetics and orthotics who can identify the type of device that will be most helpful for you.

Finally, consider seeing a rheumatologist, a doctor who specializes in treating arthritis.

“OA can be treated by your primary care physician, but that doctor must also focus his or her attention on many other aspects of your health. A rheumatologist’s primary focus will be on treating your OA,” explains Dr. Russell.

The post Taming Osteoarthritis Symptoms May Require Several Strategies appeared first on University Health News.

Read Original Article: Taming Osteoarthritis Symptoms May Require Several Strategies »