Top Six Treatment Options for Oste... Health Article

Top Six Treatment Options for Osteoarthritis of the Knee

If you are diagnosed with osteoarthritis (OA) of the knee, your doctor may start you on one or more different therapies to reduce your symptoms. The choice of treatments will depend on a number of factors unique to you and your health needs, including your medical history, level of pain and the impact of OA on your daily life. Most likely, your treatment plan will include a combination of therapies, as well as healthy changes to your lifestyle such as eating right and exercising more.

Here are some of the most common treatments for OA of the knee. Be sure to talk to your doctor before starting any kind of treatment.

Lifestyle Changes

Healthy lifestyle habits can be especially helpful to people with OA of the knee. Your doctor will probably suggest incorporating these changes into your treatment plan:

• Moderate exercise
• Weight control
• Simplify daily routines to put less stress on joints

Medications

Many people with OA take pills to relieve pain. Here are some of the most common:

• Acetaminophen (e.g., Tylenol®), an over-the-counter pain reliever, is often the first choice in treating mild to moderate OA pain.
• NSAIDs (e.g., Aleve® and Motrin®), may be recommended to patients who are not getting relief from acetaminophen. These over-the-counter medicines sometimes cause stomach problems.
• COX-2 inhibitors (e.g., Celebrex®), another kind of NSAID which are prescribed by a doctor, do not cause serious stomach problems. However, recent studies have linked some of these drugs to increased risk of serious heart problems.

Physical and occupational therapy

Physical therapy uses exercises to condition muscles and improve flexibility and joint mobility. Occupational therapy focuses on helping you better manage your normal activities, like walking, bathing and dressing.

Injectable steroids

Injectable glucocorticoids are a kind of steroid that is injected directly into the joint. Because there may be a risk of damage to cartilage, most doctors limit steroid injections to three or four times a year per joint.

Viscosupplementation

In OA, the fluid inside your knee joint that provides lubrication and cushioning can become degraded. Viscosupplements, such as SYNVISC, are also injected directly into the knee and actually replace this diseased knee fluid with a gel-like substance similar to that found in healthy joints. This can provide cushioning and lubricating effects and has been shown in medical studies to relieve pain for months. To learn more about SYNVISC, the leading viscosupplement in the U.S., click here to get your FREE Knee Pain Relief Packet.

Surgery

Surgery may help you if you have severe joint pain and other therapies have not given you relief. The most common ones for treating OA of the knee are:

• Arthroscopic surgery, a minimally invasive procedure, used to repair injury or to clean debris from a joint.
• Osteotomy involves cutting bone to increase stability. It is usually reserved for younger, more active patients whose bones are not at the correct angles.
• Knee replacement, a complex procedure, involves replacing injured or damaged parts of the knee with artificial parts.

How do OA of the knee sufferers take the next step?

The most important thing patients can do is talk to their doctors. Whether cases are mild, moderate or severe, OA of the knee can progress and pain may get worse over time. With the right treatment, sufferers can get the pain relief needed to lead a more active life. Only your doctor can tell you what treatment is right for you.

Tylenol and Motrin are registered trademarks of McNeil Consumer & Specialty Pharmaceuticals, a Division of McNeil-PPC, Inc. Aleve is a registered trademark of Bayer Consumer Care LLC. Celebrex is a registered trademark of Pfizer Inc.

Important Safety Information

SYNVISC is used to relieve knee pain due to osteoarthritis (OA). It is for patients who do not get enough relief from simple painkillers such as acetaminophen, or from exercise and physical therapy.

SYNVISC is generally well tolerated. However, it may not work for everyone. The side effects most commonly seen when SYNVISC is injected into the knee were pain, swelling and/or fluid buildup around the knee. Cases where the swelling is extensive or painful should be discussed with your doctor. Other side effects such as rash have been reported rarely. Before trying SYNVISC, tell your doctor if you are allergic to products from birds - such as feathers, eggs or poultry - or if your leg is swollen or infected. Talk to your doctor before resuming strenuous weight-bearing activities after treatment. SYNVISC has not been tested in children, pregnant women or women who are nursing. You should tell your doctor if you think you are pregnant or if you are nursing a child.