Who does osteoarthritis affect?
When osteoarthritis affects your joints, simple, everyday movements can hurt. Osteoarthritis is most common in older people and affects the hips, knees, hands and back. Although you cannot cure osteoarthritis, there are many treatments that can help with your pain and make it easier for you to move. If you have arthritis, talk with your doctor about techniques and devices that may help you function more normally.
What can be done to relieve osteoarthritis pain?
Maintaining a healthy weight and exercise can help relieve the pain caused by osteoarthritis and improve your joint function.
Heat relaxes tense, painful muscles and increases the regional blood flow, thus helping to relieve pain.
Pain relief medications can be utilized, but do not cure osteoarthritis or decrease the rate of cartilage breakdown and should be used in conjunction with other treatments recommended by your doctor.
Medications commonly used to treat osteoarthritis include:
- Acetaminophen
- Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs
- Corticosteroid injections in the joint
- Hyaluronan injections
- Opioids
Is surgery a treatment option for osteoarthritis?
Surgery relieves severe, disabling pain and may restore joint function and mobility. Surgery is usually reserved for people with severe osteoarthritis who do not get pain relief from medication or other treatments and who have significant loss of cartilage. Some surgical procedures, such as osteotomy or arthroscopy, may postpone total joint replacement.
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