Osteoarthritis

Injury	Diseases	Nutrition	Poison
Symptoms	Surgery	Test	Special Topic

Osteoarthritis

Alternative Names

Hypertrophic osteoarthritis; Osteoarthrosis; Degenerative joint disease; DJD; OA; Arthritis - osteoarthritis

Treatment

OA cannot be cured. It will also most likely become worse over time. However, your OA symptoms can be controlled.

While you can always have surgery, other therapies can improve your pain and make your life much better. Although these treatments cannot make the arthritis go away, they can often delay surgery.

MEDICATIONS

Over-the-counter pain relievers, which you can buy without a prescription, can help with OA symptoms.

Most doctors recommend acetaminophen (Tylenol) first, because it has fewer side effects than other drugs.
If your pain continues, your doctor may recommend nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). These drugs help relieve pain and swelling. Types of NSAIDs include aspirin, ibuprofen, and naproxen.
Taking acetaminophen or another pain pill before exercising is okay. However, do not overdo the exercise because you have taken medicine.
If you are taking pain relievers on most days, tell your doctor. You may need to be watched for side effects, such as ulcers and bleeding. These drugs may also increase the risk for heart attacks and strokes.

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Corticosteroids injected right into the joint can also be used to reduce swelling and pain. However, relief only lasts for a limited time. More than two or three injections a year may be harmful.

Many people use over-the-counter remedies such as glucosamine and chondroitin sulfate.

These supplements may help control pain, although they do not seem to help your joint grow new cartilage.
Some doctors recommend a trial period of 3 months to see whether glucosamine and chondroitin work.

Capsaicin (Zostrix) skin cream may help relieve pain. You may feel a warm, stinging sensation when you first apply the cream. This sensation goes away after a few days of use. Pain relief usually begins within 1 - 2 weeks.

Artificial joint fluid (Synvisc, Hyalgan) can be injected into the knee. It may relieve pain for 3 - 6 months.