Osteo Arthritis

Treatments and Prevention for Osteo Arthritis

Scientists believe that living a healthy lifestyle by watching your diet, exercising regularly and taking vitamins and supplements can slow down the process of osteo arthritis. Mild and moderate osteo arthritis can be managed at home by doing the aforementioned along with proper rest. Also, it is suggested that you watch your weight in order to shield joints from extra stress and weight. It is recommended to apply ice packs or heat on your joints once or twice a day when you feel mild pain and discomfort.

There is no known cure for arthritis. But treatments are available for patients to reduce pain, discomfort, and improve joint mobility. Many over the counter medications, such as Tylenol, are effective in relieving pain. But if these typical medicines don't work for you, then try using prescription drugs. Most common medications used to relieve pain are NSAIDs, Cox-2 Inhibitors, Nutricol, Cortisone, and Acetaminophen. The effects differ from person to person, but most patients do feel less pain after taking these medications

However, there are also some patients that feel no improvement at all. If this is the case, then doctors may recommend prescription medicines or joint replacement surgery which involves replacing a portion of your joint with a metal joint. The procedure seems to have a pretty good success rate of 85%. Successful operations also report well functioning artificial joints lasting up to 15 years.

Unfortunately, there is no cure or sure method of prevention of osteo arthritis. But you can exercise everyday, watch your diet, and control your weight to increase your chances of not being affected by osteo arthritis.

And be sure to check out our pages about What Is Arthritis, , , Arthritis Relief, and elsewhere on this site.