Arthritis can be treated by the following four ways.
1. Medication
2. Physical Therapy
3. Weight loss
4. Surgery
Medication:
Medication can help if there is a need for pain relief, increased level of activity or prevention of further damage from inflammation. Some medications are relatively mild and sold without a prescription – common enough to be found for sale in vending machines and convenience stores. Others are powerful prescription-only drugs.
Physical Therapy:
The best form of arthritis physical therapy is exercise. Exercise whenever it is best for you. Loosen up with exercises first thing in the morning. Or wait until later, when you are less stiff or even toward the end of the day. Exercising later but not before bed time may help you sleep better and fell less stiff in the morning. However avoid exercising tender, injured or severely inflamed joints. If you feel new joint pain, stop exercising. Warm up your muscles with a warm shower, heat packs or massage before exercising. But don’t apply heat to an already inflamed joint. After exercise it may help to apply eighter heat or cold to affected joint for 10 to 15 minutes.
Weight loss:
Studies have indicated that losing extra weight lowers the risk for developing osteoarthritis of the knee. Losing weight can help slow the progression of arthritis too.
Surgery:
If joint pain is keeping you on the sidelines, a surgical procedure may be one way to get you back on your feet and back into life. Your doctor may recommend some form of joint operation when other treatments such as medications, physical therapy, and weight loss fail to relieve your arthritis symptoms. Surgeons use various procedure to relieve pain, slow or prevent cartilage damage and restore mobility and stability. Because joint operations pose some risks, you and your doctor need to discuss these issues before deciding whether it’s the best option for you. The strength of your bones and the ligaments supporting your joints, your age, your weight and your ability to participate in rehabilitation can all affect the outcome of joint operation. It’s also important to understand and accept the limits that it may impose.
