Degenerative arthritis treatment 

Osteoarthritis is also known as the degenerative arthritis which is just one of the many types of arthritis. Degenerative arthritis treatment would only manage the symptoms of this disease like the pain and swelling of the joints. With the degenerative arthritis, slow loss of the cartilage that cushions the joints is inevitable. This would normally occur as the body ages. A result of one study made, it showed that for males this would normally occur before the age of 45 years old and for the females after the age of 55 years old. Osteoarthritis or degenerative arthritis is said to be related to the aging process and could affect the feet, spine and the joints that would support the person’s weight like the joints in the knees and hips.

Degenerative arthritis treatment

Degenerative arthritis treatment would also include a non-surgical option and a surgical option. Non-surgical options are the treatment of the symptoms by prescribing drugs or medications to the patients. This would include giving of pain relievers like aspirin and Tylenol. Steroids and NonSteroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs (NSAIDS) can also be given to reduce inflammation. Prescribing of NSAIDS is not done often because of the side effects it has like causing dizziness, heartburn and even nausea. The serious side effects of these drugs are chest pain, weakness of one part of the body and always being short on breath.

Doctors would recommend that the patients would undergo degenerative arthritis treatment through physical and occupational therapy, controlling weight gain and daily exercises like swimming because this is done through water hence there would be less impact to the joints. Walking and cycling would also be good for the patients with degenerative arthritis.  Physical therapist could provide some support devices to reduce stress on the joints like canes, braces, splints and walkers for the patients.

A simple change in one’s daily diet could also help the patient a lot. Eating plenty of vegetables containing anti-oxidants and vitamins can make the body stronger.  It would also strengthen the immune system as well. Alcohol and fatty foods should be eliminated from the patient’s diet.

Surgical options like Osteotomy can be done as a degenerative arthritis treatment. This treatment would require a bone removal procedure to re-align the bones especially in the knee areas. Another surgical option is arthroplasty wherein the joints are replaced with prosthesis or an artificial implant to ease the pain and for better mobility of the patient. In serious cases, a total hip replacement would also be an option.

These types of treatment could make the life of an arthritic patient more comfortable. There are still other treatments that a patient could try like treatment via the natural way, using the medicinal properties of herbs to help with the pain and reduce inflammation. Most patients take ginger tea because of its gingerol content while some would use peanut oil to be used as a lubricant to massage the affected areas. Application of capsaicin cream would also help control the pain. Hot and cold compress applied on the affected joints are also effective in reducing the swelling of the joints and in minimizing the pain.