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Managing Osteoarthritis – Information for patients and their carers
Managing Osteoarthritis – Information for patients and their carersPosted in: Health | Posted on: 02 June, 2016 |
- Non Drug Management
- Land Based Exercise
- Pooled research shows that regular, guided exercise with strength training can have benefits similar to Non Steroid Anti-inflammatory medication
- Weight Loss
- Obesity is the single most important modifiable risk factor for knee osteoarthritis
- Even a 5% loss of weight can have a beneficial effect
- A 10% loss of weight has been shown to relieve pain in knee OA by 50%
- Hydrotherapy
- To relieve weight bearing pain, targeted water based exercise is beneficial
- Education
- Knowledge and understanding of the condition helps you understand the short and long term progress
- Can reduce anxiety by better use of analgesia and exercise strategies
- Topical Non-Steroidal Anti-inflammatory Drugs (NSAIDs)
- Suitable for knee and hand OA
- Reduces gastrointestinal side effects
- Requires regular application
- Oral Non-Steroidal Anti-inflammatory Drugs (NSAIDs)
- Is now recommended as first line oral therapy for osteoarthritis
- Cardiovascular, Kidney and gastrointestinal side effects need to be monitored
- Addition of a Proton Pump inhibitor (eg Omeprazole-Losec) can reduce GI side effects
- Paracetamol
- Safety concerns have recently reduced the use of Paracetamol as first line therapy
- Maximum dosage of 4g daily are occasionally exceeded with gastrointestinal and multi organ side effects
- One study has shown it is no better than placebo when used for osteoarthritis
- Glucosamine and Chondroitin Sulfate
- Have not been shown to better than placebo (20% response)
- Evidence for disease modification is weak
- Fish Oil
- Symptom improvement has been seen in low (.45g/day) and high (4.5g/day) doses
- No evidence of disease modification
- Surgery
- Arthroscopy for the management of Osteoarthritis is not effective
- Arthroscopy for new onset mechanical symptoms (locking, catching, localised joint pain) in the absence of significant OA may be of assistance
- Knee replacement is an effective treatment for end stage knee OA that has failed non operative therapies
