Osteoarthritis Pain Treatment

Treating Painful Osteoarthritis: What You Can Do

February 23rd, 2010

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Entering into a partnership with your doctor is the best way to go about getting effective osteoarthritis treatment. After diagnosing your condition, the health care provider will recommend suitable alternatives to make sure that the treatment plan suits your individual preferences and offers correct relief in relation to medical appraisal. To arrive at and establish the type of treatment that best suits your osteoarthritis difficulties, your medical history relating to heart diseases, high blood pressure, renal difficulties, or peptic ulcers plays a notable role.

Arthritis Relief

Painkillers and physical therapy are the most common alternatives for addressing osteoarthritis pain. Also, you can explore different physical activities and start a more suitable diet. However you cannot decide on taking physiotherapy or which diet is effective enough to cure your problem without consulting a doctor. A physiotherapist can also give you some different ideas about certain techniques or tools that you can use by yourself. Here are some ways to see to this: get a cane to walk with, add railings to your bath or shower, and see if you can walk with crutches.

Another technique of addressing osteoarthritis that is effective is weight loss. For persons already undergoing osteoarthritis, their obesity will only further aggravate pain in their knees and hips as they get compressed as a result of being overweight. Studies indicate that obese women who lose weight decrease their risk of hip osteoarthritis considerably.

You can take up regular physical activities in order to treat your osteoarthritis, in consultation with a health care provider. Swimming, walking and aerobics can help slow down the progression of this condition.

Making use of natural remedies is something you can do also, and is in fact a great treatment for osteoarthritis pain that offers a lot of relief from the swelling and pain. The application of a hot water bottle might be useful, and electric heating pads and certain ointments can also give a great deal of relief. There are also specific longstanding traditional approaches like a mud bath and wearing copper bracelets that are still used to treat osteoarthritis. Herbal treatments have also been known to help reduce arthritis pain.

As previously noted, many osteoarthritis conditions are the outcome of being overweight, and following a special osteoarthritis diet is one approach to treatment of osteoarthritis pain that is certain to bring some relief. A healthy diet is the best way to stay in shape, as you are probably aware. Moreover, it aids your body in fighting off infections.

Osteoarthritis Joint Pains

January 25th, 2010

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Osteoarthritis, one of the most common disorders that can affect anyone is actually a complex disorder comprising several conditions, all of which sharing one common symptom, arthritis joint pain. There are over a hundred different types of arthritis joint pains, but the most common is osteoarthritis.

It is unfortunate that those suffering from osteoarthritis joint pains, resign themselves to a life punctuated with nothing but agony, which does not have to be the case. While it is true that most forms of arthritis are irreversible (as it is impossible to grow back a cartilage), there are steps that can be taken to minimize the pain that is usually associated with this debilitating disease.

Protect Your Joints

Although arthritis can strike anyone at any time of their life, most cases of osteoarthritis occurs in people who are older. Aging appears to be a major contributive factor to osteoarthritis joint pains, a fact that is understandable as everyone goes through a considerable amount of wear and tear in their joints as they grow older.

Age also causes toxic waste circulation in the blood, dead cells, and liquid can accumulate in the various joints and cause inflammation and pain. If inflammation continues it can cause damage to the joints. In some cases the cartilage coating on the bone ends, wears down and the joints then rub, bone to bone creating extreme pain, osteoarthritis joint pain.

By consuming more fatty acids which provide lubrication for the joints, we can help the joints not wear down as much, and as a result less inflammation and less pain. Some recommend oils are:

Borage Oil
Primrose Oil
NKO Oil

A person suffering from Osteoarthritis join pains will benefit from these oils by feeling less joint stiffness and pain in the morning.

In order to prevent further damage and worse pain, be extra careful as you go about your daily routine. Below are some tips to help you protect your joints, recommend by the Mayo Clinic:

Save your weaker joints and use the strongest joint instead. For instance, you can carry things with your palm open. That way, you can distribute the weight equally over your forearm. Also, instead of lifting things off the counter or workbench, you can just slide them along the surface.

Save your little finger. Don’t put too much stress on your little finger by moving your hands in such a way as to push the other fingers toward your little finger. Instead, try brushing bread crumbs off the table with the palm facing you and the little finger resting on the table.

Avoid stressing your thumb and fingers by making a tight fist or holding items for too long. You can do this by holding a book, mug, or other things in the palm of your hand, instead of holding them with your fingers. If you’ve been reading a book for some time, use a book holder instead of continually supporting the book with your fingers.

Exercise those joints. Freedom of motion is one of the things that you may have to forsake if you suffer from arthritis joint pain. The longer you suffer, the shorter range of movement you will have at your disposal. You can avoid this by moving your joints through their full pain-free range of motion. Do this at least once a day and observe the results.

Learn to understand osteoarthritis joint pains. Of course, if you have osteoarthritis, it is most likely that you will experience arthritis joint pain. However, try to distinguish between arthritis joint pain and pain that results from overusing a joint. When you are able to do this, you can determine what specific activity that caused you joint pain and avoid doing it in the future.

Osteoarthritis Pain

October 18th, 2009

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There’s a lot you can do to relieve osteoarthritis pain, using natural remedies, Systemic Enzyme Formulas and Herbal Supplements!

There are tens of millions of people in the U.S. that suffer from osteoarthritis pain. The majority are older people. However, there are also substantial numbers of younger people who go through day after day, suffering. When you’re in almost constant pain, for whatever reason, it tends to take a lot of the shine off your life.

Most physicians opt for prescribing pain medications, unless they can diagnose a fixable condition and treat it.

Another aspect of osteoarthritis pain that is more than annoying to the patient is that, the perception of pain is subjective. This means that two people, with the same condition, may describe the intensity of pain differently. This does not mean that one person is braver than the other, only that the degree of pain is perceived differently.

Doctors tend to prescribe OTC remedies, testing the waters, so to speak. Pain medications can be addictive, so your doctor would rather avoid prescribing an unnecessarily strong medicine. However, there’s no way to measure pain.

When you experience osteoarthritis pain, there are several psychological side effects. First, the pain is unpleasant and given that pain requires energy to deal with it, you begin to feel constantly tired. Next, you begin to develop a discouraged and depressed outlook, which impacts your entire life. So, what can you do about it?

Even if you are prescribed pain medication, it soon becomes another annoyance – the fact that you have only two choices – suffer, or take the med. No one wants to be dependent on a drug that you ‘must take’. We all know that, taken on a long term basis, these drugs are harmful, causing our liver and kidneys to be taxed, processing these chemicals on a daily basis.

Wouldn’t it be nice to be able to correct the condition and be rid of that osteoarthritis pain?

It’s time to take the bull by the horns! While your physician may not be conversant in the relationship of nutrition and herbs with respect to specific medical conditions, the net makes it easy for you to do a little research on your own. Let’s see how you can help yourself and perhaps gain a new adherent – your doctor – to an alternative perspective on health.

Let’s say you have congestive heart failure, osteoporosis and arthritis. You probably have been prescribed a bevy of pharmaceutical medicines, have been told to perform certain exercises and perhaps lose some weight. Now, what else?

Do a few Google searches, with criteria such as ‘congestive heart failure nutrition’ to zero in on how nutrition plays a role in producing the condition. You may find that foods you dislike and avoid are just the ones with vitamins and minerals that can improve or even remedy your condition.

Do the same with herbs. While your heart condition and osteoarthritis may limit your options for exercise, yoga may be a good solution for you.

Gather as much of this type of information as you can find. (Materials with citations carry more weight with doctors.) Print it all out and send it, or drop it off to your doctor’s office.

Ask your doctor to review the material before your next appointment. Highlight information that relates to alleviating osteoarthritis pain. Some insurance providers will pay for certain supplements prescribed by a doctor, so long as the doctor can justify the benefit to your condition.

Life is too short to live with osteoarthritis pain on a daily basis.

Do something good for yourself with a little sleuthing on the net! You will find that Joint health formulas and Systemic Enzyme Formulas and Natural Herbal Supplements will do a lot more good for you than anything the doctors can hand out as Osteoarthritis Pain Treatment.

Help Cost Of Osteoarthritis Pain Treatment

September 27th, 2009

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Medical costs have skyrocketed, and it is not easy on sufferere of any chronic disease. The cost of osteoarthritis pain treatment can make the disease all the more unbearable, and this article is all about finding help to deal with those costs.

Because of the disturbing fiscal times, countless prescription assistance companies are ever-increasing community recognition on the subject of their programs. With our country’s unemployment rate nowadays at a record high-level, the worth of these programs is magnified. In addition to more than 450 patient assistance programs, it is a nice thing that there are companies that will assist the patient in applying for these programs.

Thus far, these programs have helped thousands of individuals find out if they may meet the criteria for free of charge or inexpensive prescription drugs. In the midst of added citizens out of work nowadays than ever in the preceding 36 years, this is extraordinarily beneficial information. Usually you will be required to fill out paperwork and provide documentation as to your lack of presciption insurance and employment. Prescription drug help is to be had for individuals that are in hardship and can qualify.

Citizens who meet the requirements for help for prescriptions from the participating patient aid programs have access to more than 2,47 brand-name and generic prescription medicine. These are not cut-rate generic versions. These are the precise same prescription medication, manufactured by the same company that produces your prescription drugs today. To receive help from one of these companies the individual by and large only need to telephone them on their toll free number and chat with an representative. It barely takes around 5 to 25 minutes to find out if the individual or someone you may know can meet the requirements for free or low-cost prescription drugs.

These assistance programs have turned out to be exceptionally valuable to millions of patients. With the rising unemployment rate comes an high quantity of patients who lose their health benefits. Millions of Americans are in need of prescription medicine assistance including those who require medication to battle such ever-present diseases as arthritis, cancer, heart disease, diabetes and asthma. Most people who could do with aid need it for more than one medicine. This can generate quite a confusing process because of all of the paperwork that should be completed, healthcare provider’s consent obtained and substantiation of income submitted.

Patient assistance companies relieve the individual of all of that hassle by acting as the patients counselor and performing all of the responsibilities. These companies charge a insignificant fee for their help nevertheless it is completely worth it. While our nation works at pulling through these harsh financial times, it is good to realize that there is help offered.

Preventing Arthritis

September 24th, 2009

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Arthritis can be prevented if the health of the joints is taken care of. Natural osteoarthritis pain treatment is the use of joint health supplements made from natural ingredients..

Prevent Arthritis with Wai Lana’s Yoga for Everyone

Do this to prevent arthritis

Arthritis prevention is not an actual science, but consultants have discovered some ways to lower your risk. Here is how:

1. Lose weight The single most vital measure anyone can take to prevent osteoarthritis of the knee is to lose pounds if they are overweight. Additional weight puts additional stress on your knees.

If you are 10 pounds large, for example, you put 60 pounds per square inch of extra stress on your knees every time you’re taking a step. That additional pressure can slowly but certainly wear away the cartilage in your knees, leading to arthritis.

Your weight and arthritis

A study has obviously supported the concept that weight loss weighs in on the side of prevention. In researches, oversized girls who lost 11 pounds or more over a 10-year period decreased their risk of developing osteoarthritis of the knee by 50%.

two. Stretch those muscles and do Wai Lana Yoga Any type of stretching is beneficial as long as you don’t bounce, which can lead to a muscle pull. This is according to of the professors of clinical medicine in new york city.

Hold your stretches

Try to hold a slow, steady stretch for fifteen to 20 seconds, then relax and repeat. It is best to flex up by stretching before any exercise, particularly running and walking. But it is also a smart idea to stretch every day. Ask your doctor to teach you stretches that target potential arthritis trouble spots, for example the knees or the lumbar region.

3. Walking is good Go for a good long walk at least3 times a week or participate in a step-aerobics or low-impact exercise routine maximum results. There is no evidence that running is bad for the joints, but recall, it may aggravate an injury if you already have one.

Just remember to check with your GP before starting a new exercise program.

The final analysis

The base line is that of all the healthful habits, exercise is the most significant. This is because folk are built to be active. Thus, it is actually vital for people to exercise to stay healthy and keep those joints free from wear. Doing non-jarring exercises like swimming and yoga, like to get the best out of your Wai Lana yoga practice is also very helpful.

Prevention is key Just keep in mind the unexercised body, even if free from the indicators of sickness or Problems like arthritis, is not at its actual potential. Hence, start to exercise right now!

Understanding Arthritis

September 24th, 2009

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The management of Osteoarthritis pain treatment is successful when the health of the joints is taken care of with joint health formulas constituted from from natural herbs and supplements.

Wai Lana Helps Everyone Do Yoga

Exercise and Arthritis

Your bones are connected by a lot of joints. Knee joints. Hip joints. The joints in your fingers and the joints in your toes.

Understanding your anatomy

In locations where bones meet, there is also cartilage, a rubbery, protective layer that ensures your joints bend smoothly and painlessly. But even cartilage can’t do this incredible job alone. A thin surface called the’synovium’ provides fluid that lubricates the moving parts of the joint. When the cartilage wears out of the synovium becomes inflamed, what happens generally a case of ‘osteoarthritis’ or ‘rheumatoid arthritis.’

Osteoarthritis

When osteoarthritis occurs, the cartilage can be eroded such a lot that bone does rub on bone. That type of arthritis develops gradually over a whole life as a straightforward result of the wear placed on your joints over the years. few folk escape some degree of osteoarthritis, how severe it is varies a great amount.

Over 50?

As a matter of fact, if you are over 50, you are likely to have at least one joint affected by osteoarthritis. Osteoarthritis has effects on men and women equally and is by far the commonest kind of arthritis, with almost 16 million US people in the list.

Understanding rheumatoid arthritis

With rheumatoid arthritis, damage to the synovium is at the source of difficulty. Doctors and researchers aren’t absolutely sure what causes it, but most think that rheumatoid arthritis is an illness in which the immune mechanism really attacks certain tissues in the body, including those that connect the joints and the synovium.

How Rheumatoid starts

Rheumatoid arthritis begins with swollen, red, stiff, and unpleasant joints, but it may progress until scar tissue forms in the joint or, in extreme cases, till the bones really fuse together. Virtually 75% of the 2,000,000 folk with rheumatoid arthritis in the U. S. are women. The disease can hit as early as teen years.

Exercising Your Prevention Options

Investing a little time doing weight bearing exercises reduced impact exercise and stretching, like yoga, can sum up to good results when it comes to staving off arthritis discomfort. Robust muscles help protect the joints from wear and tear, and the movement keeps joints flexible. Doing Wailana Yoga on a regular basis is very good for preventing or at least helping ease arthritis.

Fitness today That’s why the search for fitness is to hand even if you’re fifty years and over. But, most northern Americans over fifty are still right where they mostly were sitting back and watching others jog by. A lot of them say that that’s just for people who have been athletic all their life, or some say exercise is for young people and engaging into exercise will do them more harm than good. Being ignorant is something you will regret once you have arthritis.

Getting started

There are some people who do not exercise because they do not just have time or they have less energy than previously. These are all lame excuses. Hence, it’s time to start to dump those pains. Start exercising. You can start doing regular exercise, even if it’s just relieve stress by Wai Lana yoga.

Injuries And Osteoarthritis Knee Pain

April 11th, 2009

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How do we address the question: how to treat knee osteoarthritis? Should surgery be an option in osteoarthritis knee treatment? Is total knee replacement the right choice? Osteoarthritis pain treatment cannot be handled with just joint care to prevent osteoarthritis pain or natural remedies for osteoarthritis pain treatment.

Osteoarthritis Knee Pain – Overuse Knee Injuries – Braces That Can …

With the many demands placed on you today, and the fact that many of us live fast paced lives, it is understandable why knee pain is one of the most common musculoskeletal complaints people have when they visit with their physician. The knee pain can range from being mild to excruciating, as a result of having different knee ailments. As a result of this knee pain, millions of people seek pain relief in one form or another.

Knee pain severity varies among people, and as a result, you may require a unique treatment method tailored to your personal needs. Some people may simply need to rest their knee to find knee pain relief, while others may only find knee pain relief with the use of a knee brace, or as a result of having surgery.

There are many types of knee disorders and knee injuries that cause severe pain.

For example, If you are an athlete, you may have severe knee pain resulting from tears of the ligaments, muscles, or cartilage at the knee joint. Unfortunately, the more active you are, the higher the risk of a sports-related injury. In the case of a torn ligament (such as your ACL) your physician may look for you to obtain a knee brace to help provide meaningful, or they may recommend surgery in order to receive knee pain relief. In some cases, your physician may require the use of both surgery and a knee brace to achieve knee pain relief long term.

Knee Pain Relief for Knee Osteoarthritis:

Physical therapy and the use of medicines can help you manage the pain caused by osteoarthritis. Physical therapy is a special exercise program done with the help of a trained therapist, who helps you regain movement and flexibility of your knee, in the effort to reduce painful symptoms. Stability and balance may improve when the muscles around the knee are strengthened. It can be reasonably assumed that you will need physical therapy if you choose to undergo knee surgery.

Moreover, your physician may tell you to use pain-relieving creams or sprays that you can apply to your skin around your knee, to achieve some pain relief. In addition, your physician may recommend that you take oral medications, such as acetaminophen (brand name: Tylenol) or prescription medications to help relieve the pain.

Pain Relief for Overuse Knee Injuries:

Something as simple as overuse of the knees can cause people to seek knee pain relief. Minor insults to your knees, can worsen over time and become a more involved problem. Muscle strains and the inflammation caused by tendonitis can develop and worsen as people grow older. Tears, sprains and strains must be treated with care and allowed to heal over time. Some people use ice or heating pads for knee pain relief.

Author: Daniel P. Sims

If you would like free information just like this visit us online at http://www.drbraceco.com Dr. Brace Co. is an education based site that can provide helpful information and meaningful support for your knee.

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Is Total Knee Replacement The Right Choice?

April 10th, 2009

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Controlling osteoarthritis pain treatment can be a daunting task if treating osteoarthritis knee pain is faced with the question, should surgery be an option in osteoarthritis knee treatment? How to treat Knee osteoarthritis can be dealt with by resorting to joint care to prevent osteoarthritis pain, or natural remedies for osteoarthritis pain treatment.

Oxinium Knee Replacement For Young Patients With Osteoarthritis.

Total knee replacement is generally performed in older patients with osteoarthritis. For the first time in India, a new prosthesis for young patients with osteoarthritis will be introduced. This prosthesis made of a wonder material called Zirconium, a ceramic coated metal ensures longer survival of the prosthesis after implantation. The introduction of this prosthesis will hopefully encourage more number of young and middle aged Indians and Westerners to undergo knee replacement in India.

Advantages of Zirconium

1) The significant advantage of Zirconium knee implants is that it is considerably harder. On testing it lasts 85 times longer in tests that simulate the stresses inside the actual knee. Additional advantages are scratch resistance.

2) When it is wet, ceramic can glide smoothly along plastic, making for smoother motion than with metal-on-plastic. As a result, the Oxinium total knee replacement will not generate the quantity of plastic wear debris that cobalt chrome will, and the implants should last considerably longer. Zirconium is one of the six most biocompatible elements know to man. So, your immune system will more easily tolerate your new implant.

3) Lastly, patients who are allergic to nickel, the metal most often used in the current implants, cannot currently receive total knee replacements. The ceramic implant, however, can be implanted safely in patients with nickel allergies, since it uses a zirconium alloy with no nickel. Implants made of Oxinium have been implanted in larger number of patients in the UK Australia and the US with great success.

Who would benefit most from an Oxinium (zirconium) total knee replacement?

Three types of patient have been identified as the "best" candidates for an Oxinium total knee replacement.

"Younger" patients: Because Oxinium knee implants offer significantly less wear compared to cobalt chrome implants, they are expected to last considerably longer. In the past, orthopedic surgeons have advised patients less than 65 years of age to wait to have knee replacement surgery because the life span of the cobalt chrome knee implants is only 10-15 years. Now, surgeons have a viable option for a younger patient who previously would not be a candidate for a total knee replacement because the Oxinium knee implants should last much longer. Therefore, a patient under the age of 65 who has advanced arthritis of the knee no longer has to suffer for years until he reaches an appropriate age for total knee replacement surgery.

"Active" patients: Patients, who desire to return to an active lifestyle, including sports, dancing, gardening, or other strenuous activities, may also benefit from an Oxinium knee replacement. As a result of their high activity level, this patient population will put more "wear and tear" on their knee replacement, which can cause the implants to wear more quickly. An Oxinium knee is better able to tolerate this high activity level and last longer that the traditional cobalt chrome knee. Metal allergy patients: Because Oxinium is one of the most biocompatible materials known to man, it is the only choice for patients who exhibit metal allergies. Patients who have needed total knee replacement surgery, but could not tolerate the cobalt chrome implants due to their nickel content, can now have the surgery they need to return to an active lifestyle without the fear of an allergic reaction.

The first patient will be a middle aged Housewife with osteoarthritis. Whereas normal knee prostheses cost about 80,000 rupees, this new prosthesis may cost about 1. 25 lakhs, but it is comparable to the best in its category. The higher cost will be offset by the longer survivorship of the implant. A Total knee package is available for Indians and foreigners with normal and long life prostheses at affordable costs.

Author: Alampallam Venkatachalam

Dr.A.K.Venkatachalam, MS, DNB, FRCS (UK), MCh. (Liverpool) has worked with leading Knee surgeons in the UK, Belgium and Dubai earlier. He is affiliated to the Chettinad health city hospital in Chennai. Recovery from surgery is no longer a painful ordeal as expert anesthetists provide effective anesthesia and pain relief to inpatients. The intensive care unit is monitored by alert physicians round the clock and multi specialty referrals are readily available. There are well qualified physiotherapists to help you recover quickly from surgery.

Our track record

We have had the pleasure of treating patients from the USA, UK, Bangladesh recently and these numbers are increasing. Knee replacements are performed using the most modern techniques and prostheses. Amongst others the following procedures are routinely performed.

Knee Total knee replacement- normal and high flexion Unicondylar knee replacement Arthroscopic ACL reconstruction Cartilage surgery Osteotomy for osteo arthritis and knee cap problem Fracture http://www.kneeindia.com

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Should Surgery Be An Option In Osteoarthritis Knee Treatment?

March 31st, 2009

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Osteoarthritis pain treatment should not include any plans for surgery until a planned inflammation redcution therapy is carried out. Systemic enzymes and natural supplements effectively reduce arthritic inflammation and pain paving the way for knee excercises and other knee joint health improvment treatments.

What Are Surgery Options For Osteoarthritis Of The Knee

Conservative approaches to osteoarthritis of the knee include non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, good quality forms of glucosamine and chondroitin, physical therapy, corticosteroid injections, viscosupplementation (injections of lubricant into the knee), and bracing.

For people who do not respond to these measures, there are more aggressive approaches available. The first is arthroscopy. This is a procedure where small telescope is inserted into the knee. Using specialized cutting instruments, damaged and diseased tissue is removed and flushed out of the knee. For many patients this affords relief.

If the arthritis damage is limited to one side of the knee, an osteotomy (removal of a wedge of bone to help the bones of the knee line up better) can be a very good option. This procedure is best done in patients under the age of 60 who are active and who do not have severe inflammatory changes. The only disadvantage is that because bone is removed, it may make subsequent knee replacement surgery more difficult because there is less bone to anchor the replacement in.

Resurfacing is a procedure where a thin layer of the femur (upper leg bone) and a thin layer of the tibia (lower leg bone) are removed. A layer of metal is applied to the femur and a layer of plastic is applied to the tibia. Sometimes the back of the patella (kneecap) is also resurfaced. This type of procedure is good for people who only have a moderate amount of damage and who have relatively good bone stock.

A relatively new procedure is paste grafting. Here, a hole is drilled in an area of arthritis to expose bleeding tissue. A paste consisting of crushed up bone and cartilage cells is then placed in the hole and the patient is not allowed to bear any weight on the repaired knee for several months. The paste is supposed to promote regeneration of cartilage. Preliminary data is encouraging.

Cartilage plug grafting is a procedure used when there is a single localized defect in the cartilage of the femur. A plug of cartilage is removed from the intercondylar notch of the knee (a non weight-bearing area). The plug is then placed into the cartilage defect in the femur. While this is good for localized defects, it is not useful for large defects due to osteoarthritis.

Autologous cartilage implantation is a procedure where a plug of cartilage is removed from the intercondylar notch of the knee (a non weight-bearing area). The plug is then used to provide cartilage cells which are grown in a laboratory. The patient then undergoes a second surgery where the cartilage defect in the weight-bearing part of the knee is carefully debrided (cleaned), then a patch is placed over this defect and cartilage cells grown from the first harvesting procedure are injected underneath the patch. Cartilage cells then grow over a period of several months. This procedure is good only for isolated cartilage defects and not for generalized osteoarthritis of the knee. Patients must not bear any weight on the leg for at least six months.

Synthetic cartilage plugs can also be inserted. The plug is made of synthetic biodegradable material that permits the patient’s own cartilage cells to grow within the defect. This procedure is best used for younger patients (50 or younger) who have a localized defect. It takes several months for the plug to take hold.

Patients who have a damaged meniscus (cartilage cushion) due to arthritis can have a replacement meniscus donated from a cadaver source. These grafts can last about 4-5 years. The one danger is that the body may reject them.

Total knee replacement is a procedure where the end of the femur and the end of the tibia are removed and replaced with appliances consisting of metal capped with ceramic or plastic. Knee replacements last 12-15 years. A revision of this replacement may be required if the knee replacement is older than 15 years. Recent data indicates that a an exercise program instituted before surgery greatly enhances the chance of success.

Author: Nathan Wei

Nathan Wei, MD, FACP, FACR is a rheumatologist and Director of the Arthritis and Osteoporosis Center of Maryland http://www.aocm.org He is a Clinical Assistant Professor of Medicine at the University of Maryland School of Medicine and consultant to the National Institutes of Health. For more info:

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How To Treat Knee Osteoarthritis

March 31st, 2009

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Managing osteoarthritis pain treatment especially when it is osteoarthritis knee it is best to give systemic enzymes and natural supplements a trial at reducing arthritic inflammation and pain before considering any other major treatments.

Knee Osteoarthritis

Osteoarthritis, or degenerative joint disease, affects the elderly in parts of the body where it hurts the most. A person suffering from knee osteoarthritis will most likely equate it with cardiovascular disease because the breakdown of articular cartilage of knee joints restricts movement and the patient has to follow a set regimen affecting his lifestyle.

Knee Osteoarthritis is due to injury, congenital disorder, or obesity. The deterioration of articular cartilage, a smooth and fibrous connective tissue that acts as a protective cushion, narrows the joint space between bones. In time, the cartilage becomes grooved and fragmented and surrounding bones thicken or sprout into spurs. Sometimes, there is additional swelling in the knees caused when synovium, a membrane producing a thick fluid to nourish the cartilage, becomes inflamed and produces additional fluid known as ‘water of the knee’. Changes occur due to constant rubbing of joint bones leading to deformity of joints that is equally painful.

Knee osteoarthritis is diagnosed through physical and pathological examinations of joints on either side of knee including hip joints, checking on posture, and gait. Once knee Osteoarthritis is confirmed, a treatment is suggested depending on nature and extent of damage and on the personal physical history of patient. Women over 60 years of age are high risk factors for knee osteoarthritis as they spend major portion of their lives doing physically demanding work that has direct relationship with knee Osteoarthritis. Wearing high heeled shoes also aggravates the pain. In youngsters, knee osteoarthritis is hereditary or due to some injury.

Precautions such as weight reduction, changing work routine, postures, diet, avoiding injuries, participating in physiotherapy, and exercise are advised. Other methods of relief such as acupuncture, ointments, prescription drugs, magnetic pulse therapy, vitamin regimes, and topical pain relievers are temporary. Using prescription drugs and surgery should be a mutual decision between patient and doctor.

Author: Kristy Annely

Osteoarthritis provides detailed information about osteoarthritis, knee osteoarthritis and more. Osteoarthritis is affiliated with Gout Diet.

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