Treatment and Prevention
Treatments include physical therapy to improve mobility and flexibility, medications to manage pain, and surgery.
Talk to your physiotherapist or occupational therapist about "aids of daily living" such as canes, walkers, and braces if you have OA.
Nonprescription medications may be sufficient to treat pain and swelling for milder symptoms, but prescription medications are needed for more severe symptoms. The following are commonly used medications to treat osteoarthritis:
- Acetaminophen* reduces mild to moderate pain
- NSAIDs such as ibuprofen or diclofenac reduce both pain and swelling.
- Topical medications such as diclofenac or capsaicin lotion may be used for very mild pain or in addition to other treatments.
- Codeine may be considered to treat severe acute (short-term) pain.
- Cortisone, which is injected directly into the joints, can relieve severe swelling.
- Hyaluronic acid injections into joints can relieve pain and improve mobility.
- Other medications such as chondroitin or glucosamine may be used for mild pain; however more studies are needed to evaluate their place in therapy.
Surgery is an option if one joint is badly damaged or is causing severe symptoms. Different types of surgical options are available and include joint replacement, removal of osteophytes and cartilage from joint space, repair of bone deformity, rebuilding of the joint, or bone fusion. Joints that may benefit from surgery include knees, hips, shoulders and certain joints in the hands and the feet.
Many cases of OA can be prevented. To prevent the development of OA later on in life, maintain a healthy weight. Excess weight can put stress on weight bearing joints such as knees or hips and increase the wear and tear of the cartilage. Protect your joints from injury . Repeated minor injuries due to constant kneeling, squatting, or other postures that place stress on the knee joint can cause cartilage to breakdown. Exercise can help reduce joint pain and stiffness. Talk to your physiotherapist or occupational therapist about how low-impact exercise, such as bicycling, swimming, or water exercise could be beneficial for you.
*All medications have both common (generic) and brand names. The brand name
is what a specific manufacturer calls the product (e.g., Tylenol®).
The common name is the medical name for the medication (e.g., acetaminophen).
A medication may have many brand names, but only one common name. This article
lists medications by their common names. For more information on brand names,
speak with your doctor or pharmacist.