SAM-e, which stands for S-adenosylmethionine, has become a popular dietary supplement used to treat osteoarthritis. SAM-e has been shown to be as effective as NSAIDs (nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs) for the treatment of osteoarthritis. SAM-e can cause certain side effects, especially at higher doses.

SAM-e is a naturally occurring compound in the body. SAM-e is thought to be involved in more than 35 biochemical processes in the body. SAM-e is thought to increase chondrocytes (the cells that make up cartilage), cartilage thickness and possibly decrease chondrocyte damage.

SAM-e has been used for over 20 years in Europe to treat arthritis and depression. Since it is not marketed as a prescription medication in the United States as it is in Europe, be careful and cautious about the brand and quality of the product that you purchase. Choose a dietary supplement brand with a good reputation. Read more about side effects, dosage, and safety warnings in SAM-e: 10 Things You Should Know.

Related Resources:

• Osteoarthritis Treatment Options
• Dietary Supplements for Osteoarthritis
• 25 Effective Osteoarthritis Treatments
• What Is SAM-e? (S-adenosylmethionine)
• SAM-e as Effective as NSAIDs for Osteoarthritis?

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• Join Us in Our Osteoarthritis Forum / Message Board

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Cane use can help reduce the risk of knee osteoarthritis progression, according to researchers. The knee is the most common joint affected by osteoarthritis.

Osteoarthritis most commonly affects a part of the knee known as the inner aspect of the tibiofemoral joint. A source of stress for this knee component is the knee adduction moment (an indication of weight placement while walking). A 20% increase in peak knee adduction moment is associated with at least a 6-fold increase in the risk of knee progression over 6 years. Doctors typically offer two easy solutions for reducing knee load, joint pain, and joint damage in knee osteoarthritis patients:

• cane use
• footwear, such as good walking shoes

Using a cane reduces knee load -- taking stress off of the knee. By reducing the risk of knee osteoarthritis progression, disability may also be prevented. Read more in Cane Use Cuts Risk of Knee Osteoarthritis Progression.

Related Resources:

• How to Choose and Use a Cane
• Before You Buy Mobility Aids for Arthritis
• Shoe Styles Can Impact Knee Osteoarthritis
• Knee Braces Help Painful Osteoarthritis of the Knee
• Arthritis Aids Make Living With Osteoarthritis Easier

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Diacerein is being studied as a disease-modifying medication for osteoarthritis. Disease-modifying drugs are known treatment options for rheumatoid arthritis and other inflammatory types of arthritis. Disease-modifying medicines help slow disease progression, slow joint damage, and decrease the chance of disability.

Diacerein is an anti-inflammatory medication that works differently from the typical nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) such as naproxen and ibuprofen. Diacerein blocks interleukin-1, as opposed to inhibiting the cyclooxygenase (COX) pathway as NSAIDs do.

Diacerein has been studied to treat knee osteoarthritis and hip osteoarthritis -- two of the joints most affected by osteoarthritis. A review of 7 clinical studies involving diacerein was published by The Cochrane Collaboration. Read more about their conclusions in Can Diacerein Act as a Disease-Modifier for Osteoarthritis?

Related Resources:

• Osteoarthritis Treatment Options
• NSAIDs: 10 Things You Should Know
• Osteoarthritis Drugs: What Are My Options?
• Cyclooxygenase: COX-1 and COX-2 Explained
• Calcitonin May Act as Disease-Modifying Drug for Osteoarthritis

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Your knees ache. It's happening more often. Could it be osteoarthritis in the knee? There are two general types of knee problems: mechanical and inflammatory. Some knee problems result from injury, such as a direct blow or sudden movements that strain the knee beyond its normal range of movement. Other knee problems can be caused by arthritis. Early symptoms of osteoarthritis can resemble ordinary aches and pains which nearly everyone experiences at some point.

Knee osteoarthritis results from wear and tear on the knee joint. In patients with knee osteoarthritis, the cartilage in the knee joint gradually wears away. Although knee osteoarthritis cannot be cured, effective management of pain and other osteoarthritis symptoms is possible. Early diagnosis and treatment help manage knee osteoarthritis symptoms. Do you know the basic facts about knee osteoarthritis? Take our quiz Knee Osteoarthritis - Test Your Knowledge

Related Resources:

• What Causes Knee Pain?
• Knee Braces Help Knee Osteoarthritis
• Knee Osteoarthritis - What You Need to Know
• Delaying Osteoarthritis Treatment - Don't Avoid the Doctor
• When to Ask Your Doctor About Osteoarthritis Symptoms

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Fatigue is typically associated with rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, and other inflammatory rheumatic conditions. Fatigue is not typically related to osteoarthritis -- or is it?

Fatigue is different than ordinary tiredness. Fatigue is extreme weariness, overwhelming exhaustion, a feeling of being "wiped-out," and having no energy -- even after a night's sleep. Fatigue affects a patient's ability to think, and its unrelenting presence can cause emotions to change quickly.

Fatigue in osteoarthritis is not routinely evaluated in the doctor's office and it has been the focus of only a few studies. The studies focused on osteoarthritis patients who were under the care of a rheumatologist -- and that's the minority of osteoarthritis patients, not the majority. Does fatigue play a role in osteoarthritis? Read more in Do Osteoarthritis Patients Feel Fatigue Affects Their Lives?

Related Resources:

• 10 Ways to Fight Fatigue
• I'm Tired of Being Tired
• Arthritis Patients Need More ZZZZZ's
• Fatigue Leaves Patients Unrefreshed: Are There Solutions?

Share Your Advice and Experiences:

• Join Us in Our Osteoarthritis Forum / Message Board

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Diclofenac sodium gel is an effective and well-tolerated treatment option for older osteoarthritis patients. Diclofenac sodium gel is a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug or NSAID in topical form. It is applied to the skin over an arthritic joint. The gel is a treatment option for arthritis affecting certain joints such as knee osteoarthritis or hand osteoarthritis.

According to a study presented at the 2008 Annual Scientific Meeting of the American Geriatrics Society and reported at Doctor's Guide, a total of 492 patients with pain in one knee were randomly assigned to receive diclofenac sodium gel, or a control. Of the study participants, 338 were younger than 65 years old and 154 were 65 years old or older. Patients were treated for 12 weeks and were assessed for pain and physical function before treatment started and at weeks 1, 4, 8, and 12. In the group of patients younger than 65 years old, the difference in pain scores among those using diclofenac sodium gel and those given a control treatment was not significant -- but physical function scores improved in the diclofenac sodium gel group.

In the overall study population, there was evidence of improvement in pain and physical function, suggesting diclofenac sodium gel may be a good alternative for older patients at higher risk of side effects from oral NSAIDs (nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs). Side effects for the gel included headache, arthralgia, back pain, application site dermatitis, and pain -- but were generally mild to moderate in severity among both age groups studied.

Related Resources:

• Voltaren Gel: 10 Facts You Need to Know
• Capsaicin: 10 Things You Should Know
• NSAIDs: 10 Facts You Need to Know
• Drugs A-Z: Diclofenac Sodium/Voltaren Gel
• Topical Creams for Osteoarthritis Pain Relief

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Glucosamine is a popular dietary supplement that is used to treat knee osteoarthritis. While the benefits associated with glucosamine have been debated by researchers, the supplement has reduced joint pain in some patients.

There are preliminary reports that suggest the use of glucosamine with vitamin C, bromelain, chondroitin sulfate, or manganese may enhance the benefit of glucosamine for osteoarthritis. Another preliminary report suggests there may be an added benefit for psoriasis if glucosamine is taken with fish oil. There are a lot of theories, but what are the facts? Read more in Glucosamine: 10 Things You Should Know.

Related Resources:

• The Facts of Dietary Supplements
• What Dietary Supplements are You Taking?
• Knee Osteoarthritis - What You Need to Know
• Chondroitin Not Effective for Severe Osteoarthritis Pain
• Dietary Supplements: An Alternative Treatment for Osteoarthritis

Share Your Advice and Experiences:

• Join Us in Our Osteoarthritis Forum / Message Board

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How is physical function assessed in osteoarthritis patients? How is it determined that you have worsening physical function and that usual daily activities are becoming more difficult for you? Doctors and researchers use several questionnaires that have been established as reliable tools for assessing the function of arthritis patients. These include:

• The Lequesne Algofunctional Index
• The Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAC)
• Katz Index of Independence in Activities of Daily Living
• Instrumental Activities of Daily Living
• The Arthritis Impact Measurement Scale (AIMS)

It's very important for a patient to get his or her initial osteoarthritis symptoms assessed so an accurate diagnosis of osteoarthritis can be formulated. It's important to begin an appropriate osteoarthritis treatment plan as soon as possible, but it doesn't stop there. Doctors and patients must track how physical function is affected by osteoarthritis. What is the patient having problems with, and what solutions may be available? Functional assessment is just as important as diagnosis and treatment. Read more in Physical Function - How Is It Assessed in Osteoarthritis Patients?

Related Resources:

• Coping Tips for Osteoarthritis
• 8 Best Things to Do for Arthritis
• Arthritis Affects Daily Living Activities
• 10 Ways to Improve Your Life With Arthritis
• Arthritis Aids Make Living With Osteoarthritis Easier

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Arthrocentesis is used to diagnose and establish the cause for monoarthritis (arthritis in a single joint) or polyarthritis (arthritis in many joints). Arthrocentesis, which is also referred to as joint fluid aspiration, is a procedure where fluid is drained from a joint using a needle and syringe. The fluid is sent to a laboratory for joint fluid analysis -- results give clues regarding possible causes for joint swelling.

Arthrocentesis is primarily used to establish the cause of the joint effusion. Removing joint fluid really has two purposes, though -- a therapeutic as well as a diagnostic purpose. The removal of joint fluid may also relieve pain and pressure on the joint. As a side benefit of the procedure, after joint fluid is withdrawn, a corticosteroid can be injected into the joint using the same injection site that was used to perform the procedure. Read more in Arthrocentesis - What You Need to Know.

Related Resources:

• Osteoarthritis Diagnosis
• What Is Joint Effusion?
• What Is Joint Fluid Analysis?
• Inflammation: The Battle Within
• Corticosteroid Injections: What You Need to Know

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Osteoarthritis is the form of arthritis most people think of when they hear someone mention "arthritis". Osteoarthritis is by far the most common type of arthritis. According to NIAMS (The National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases), it is estimated that nearly 1 in 8 Americans age 25 and older (about 12 percent) have the condition. The number of people affected by the disease will continue to climb as the baby boomer generation ages.

Most people think osteoarthritis is an old person's disease. Although osteoarthritis is most common among adults over 65 years old, people of any age can develop the disease. The number of people affected by osteoarthritis rises significantly after age 50 in men and after age 40 in women. There is more to learn about osteoarthritis. Do you know the basic facts about osteoarthritis? Take the Osteoarthritis Quiz - True or False?

Related Resources:

• Which Joint Hurts?
• What Is Osteoarthritis?
• Early Osteoarthritis Symptoms
• Osteoarthritis Treatment Options
• Osteoarthritis Signs and Symptoms

Join the Discussion:

• Join Us in Our Osteoarthritis Forum / Message Board

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