Tips to Manage Osteoarthritis

By Mike Selvon

Osteoarthritis, the most common type of joint inflammation, can be caused by several factors. Some people inherit defective cartilage or are born with abnormalities of the spine that place more stress and weight on one of their joints, causing back pain and spine inflammation.

Others have gained weight and developed the disease as a result of the increased pressure. Knee and hip osteoarthritis are especially prevalent in overweight individuals. Injuries contribute to the development of this disease in athletes and young people, and the knees and spine are commonly affected areas in this case.

Joint overuse increases the risk of developing the disease too, particularly in the hand and knee regions. Despite the reason, the Arthritis Foundation says there are things you can do to ease the pain and slow the progression of this disease, which afflicts nearly 21 million Americans.

Your doctor can diagnose you with osteoarthritis based on your description of symptoms, the location of pain, a regular physical exam, X-rays, blood tests, or joint aspiration (removing joint fluid). Next, treatment options can be discussed. Doctors typically recommend a physical therapy regimen involving muscle strengthening exercises because muscles also act as a cushion for the body, medications, analgesic creams, hot and cold compresses, removal of joint fluid, surgery, injection of medications into the joint, use of supportive devices such as crutches or canes, and weight control.

It can be disappointing to learn that your weight has caused osteoarthritis and that you now need to lose some weight to take the burden off your joints, even though you're suffering pain in your knees, hips, spine or shoulders. Despite how mentally difficult it may be to get started, your body will begin to feel a bit better as you exercise.

Mentally, you will feel better about yourself and more in control. Little by little, you will find that you have increased mobility and more ease at doing day-to-day activities.

Low impact exercises, such as swimming, biking or walking, are recommended. For people with knee pain, strengthening exercises with light weights for the quadriceps are encouraged.

Range-of-motion flexibility exercises that include stretching are very common in physical therapy sessions. Forget about aerobics or jogging, and avoid overdoing it.

If your joints hurt excessively more than 2 hours later, then you've pushed yourself too hard. Before and after exercising you can try heat/cold packs to reduce redness or pain. Braces, rest breaks, decreasing your speed or duration and reducing your weight can modify the level of intensity to give you the ideal workout.

Exercising is so important for people with osteoarthritis. The temptation is to just withdraw from physical activity to avoid the pain, but the Arthritis Foundation recommends looking up a center near you to engage in group exercise classes for greater physical and emotional strength.

Your doctor can refer you to a physical therapist or suggest an exercise plan as well. Some people like having a personal trainer to supervise them. After you work out, monitor your health for unusual or persistent fatigue, increased weakness and sharp chronic pain more than an hour later, increased swelling or decreased range of motion.

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