Osteoarthritis Treatment

By Carol & Richard Eustice, About.com Guides to Osteoarthritis

Osteoarthritis is a painful disease which can interfere with a patient's ability to perform routine daily activities. The goals of osteoarthritis treatment are to relieve pain and other osteoarthritis symptoms, preserve or improve joint function, and reduce physical disability.

1. Medication Options
2. Pain Relief
3. Natural Remedies

4. Osteoarthritis Diet / Exercise
5. Joint Surgery Options
6. Osteoarthritis Research

Medication Options

While pain relief is the primary treatment goal of osteoarthritis medications, localized inflammation may also be relieved by using certain drugs. It's important to know your medication options. Osteoarthritis patients are commonly prescribed analgesic medications and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory medications.

• Osteoarthritis Medications - What Are My Options?
• NSAIDs - 10 Things You Need to Know
• Mobic - What You Need to Know
• Celebrex - What You Need to Know

• COX-1 and COX-2 Explained
• Analgesics - 10 Things You Should Know
• Steroid Injections - What You Need to Know
• Acetaminophen - Best Treatment Option for OA?

Pain Relief

Managing osteoarthritis pain can involve medications, natural remedies, exercise, weight loss, joint protection, mobility aids, assistive devices and more. Your doctor will likely recommend more than one treatment approach to best manage pain. Be compliant with your treatment plan and keep a diary to track the effectiveness of treatment.

• Ways to Manage Osteoarthritis Pain
• 25 Effective Osteoarthritis Treatments
• Thermotherapy or Cryotherapy for Osteoarthritis
• Massage Therapy Helps Relieve Pain
• Topical Creams for Arthritis Pain Relief
• Knee Braces Help Painful Knee Osteoarthritis
• Hyaluronan Injections for Knee Osteoarthritis

• Treatment of Osteoarthritis
• Delaying Osteoarthritis Treatment
• Capsaicin - 10 Things You Should Know
• Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation (TENS)
• Lateral-Wedge Insoles May Ease Knee Pain
• Knee Taping - An Effective Treatment Option for Osteoarthritis

Natural Remedies

Natural remedies and alternative treatments have gained popularity. Many osteoarthritis patients use complementary and alternative medicine along with conventional medicine. Alternative treatments can be effective for some patients. Learn about different alternative treatments and discuss your options with your doctor. Beware of quack cures which try to sway you by emphasizing the word "natural".

• Dietary Supplements: An Alternative Treatment for Osteoarthritis
• Glucosamine: 10 Things You Should Know
• Acupuncture for Osteoarthritis

• Proper Body Mechanics Important for People with Arthritis
• Herbal Remedies for Osteoarthritis
• Pycnogenol - Natural Pain Relief for Osteoarthritis

Osteoarthritis Diet / Exercise

There are contradictory reports about the effect of diet on osteoarthritis. Patients are typically interested in finding out what changes to their diet may increase or decrease osteoarthritis symptoms. Learn more about known scientific conclusions regarding diet and osteoarthritis.

• Does Diet Affect Osteoarthritis?
• Foods With Antioxidants May Ward Off Knee Osteoarthritis
• More: Diet and Arthritis
• Water Exercise Helps Osteoarthritis Patients

Joint Surgery Options

Joint surgery, though considered a last resort treatment option, has helped many osteoarthritis patients with severe joint damage. When the affected joint severely limits mobility and function and conservative treatments have failed to provide enough relief, surgery may be considered. Know what to expect before, during, and after joint surgery.

• What Is Arthroscopy?
• What Is Joint Replacement Surgery?
• What Is an Osteotomy?

• What Is Arthrodesis?
• Total Knee Replacement - What You Need to Know
• Total Hip Replacement - What You Need to Know

Osteoarthritis Research

We keep an eye on all research news, especially upcoming therapies or treatments for osteoarthritis. No new medication or treatment makes it to market without rigorous testing and FDA approval in the United States. Once it is showing positive results in phase III clinical testing, it's looking promising. There are also studies which assess what causes osteoarthritis, what makes it worse, and what makes it better.

• Hand Osteoarthritis and Being Overweight - What's the Connection?
• Calcitonin May Act as Disease-Modifying Drug for Osteoarthritis
• Exercise Neither Increases Nor Decreases Knee Osteoarthritis Risk

• Does Cracking Your Knuckles Cause Arthritis?
• Why Are Football Players at High Risk for Osteoarthritis?
• Can Diacerein Act as a Disease-Modifier for Osteoarthritis?