Arthritis Treatment

Once a diagnosis of osteoarthritis has been established, your treating physician at OSC will work with you to carefully structure a treatment plan.

It will be helpful for your OSC Orthopaedist to know the following:

• Do you have a family history of arthritis?
• What type of work do you do?
• Do you enjoy sports or hobbies that require you to be active?
• Is there anything that you want to do, but cannot do now due to pain or stiffness?
• What types of medication have you taken for your arthritis? How well did it work? How well did you tolerate the medication?
• Do you exercise?
• Do you get adequate rest and nutrition?
• Have you had any other treatment(s)? Did the treatment(s) provide relief?

After you have answered all of these questions, your specialist will discuss the different arthritis treatment options available. Most patients are started on a conservative treatment regimen, which might include a prescription for anti-inflammatory medication, Physical Therapy or an exercise program, use of a heating pad and lifestyle modifications. If this conservative approach does not provide at least some relief after several weeks, more aggressive measures may be tried. Alternatives include steroid injections or, for the knees only, injections of a hylauronic acid joint lubricant. Many people will find that at least one of these options provides some relief; however, if nothing works to relieve the pain and stiffness, surgery or pain management may be the only remaining options.

Surgery is only considered as an option for patients who have intractable pain and cannot function as they desire. There are a variety of surgical options depending upon the joint affected. They are: