Osteoarthritis, or OA, is a common disease affecting as many as 33 million Americans, causing pain, stiffness and swelling in joints. OA reduces your joints’ mobility, interfering with your ability to work and live your life normally.
There is no cure for OA at this time. It will progress and damage your joints further unless you intervene now. Luckily, there are many ways to manage OA symptoms.
Long-Term Management
As a person with osteoarthritis, you’ll need to take a long-term view of your health. OA can’t be bested in one day or with a single pill. You’ll have to take a comprehensive approach to your health.
You have a team to help you, including your arthritis doctor and other health-care professionals, your family and friends, and your local Arthritis Foundation office. But you are the manager of that team. You must make a commitment to making healthy changes and choices and sticking with the OA management plan that you and your doctor will devise.
Top Tactics for Tackling OA
Your plan for taking on OA should include:
- Managing OA symptoms, like pain, stiffness and swelling
- Improving joint mobility and flexibility
- Keeping your weight in check
- Maintaining better fitness through physical activity
That sounds like a big project, but start by slowly making changes to your current routine, not trying everything all at once. Here are tips for managing your OA, and resources to help you.
Stretch Yourself. Slow, gentle stretching of joints may improve flexibility, lessen stiffness and reduce pain. Morning is a great time to stretch to get joints ready for the day’s tasks. The Arthritis Foundation offers stretching routines, including yoga- and tai chi-based moves, approved for people with OA on DVD or in live classes in your area. First, speak to your doctor to gauge your level of fitness and any special considerations.
Get Moving. Physical activity is a proven way to manage OA symptoms. Before you groan about hating exercise, just pledge to progress from dedicated couch-sitter to regular mover. Simple activities like walking around the neighborhood or taking a fun, easy land or water exercise class approved for people with OA can reduce pain and extra weight, which only worsens OA.
Now I am Taking Ibandronic Acid once a month with Glosomine with MSM and Calcium with Vitamin 600 D once a day and after fifteen days I don't find in change. My Physician advised me to take for five months . Now pls advice me what to do.
My Mom had RA when I was young and I felt her pain emotionally. When I turned 40 I started to feel her pain physically, my hands, shoulders and neck have been effected. I decided to become an exercise instructor before it was too late and would have to be on medication, which I did not want to do. I now instruct arthritis classes and various other classes, including tai chi and ai chi in the water and it has changed my life. Couple this with good eating habits to keep your weight down can really ease the pain. Write a pain diary and also a food diary (every pound of weight is equal to four pounds of pressure on your joints.)Join your Local YMCA and they can help!
Sincerely Jean Hickman
Try going to an Orthopedic Doctor if you are not already. I started going in 2007: Fall 2007 I had a total knee replacement... my Orthopedic Surgeon did a fantastic job. Fall 2008 total knee replacement for the other knee... again fantastic results. Both knees were torn up from the OA.
I have had back problems due to the OA for years. I had a disk go bad, spinal stenosis and spondylothisis... surgery for all that in April 2010, by another surgeon but in the same Orthopedic Practice... again, excellant results. Don't 'put up with' the pain... sounds more like you need to look at perhaps a new physician?!
Buy some Tumeric capsules, not the herb itself but the capsules. Tumeric is an amazing herb that relieves inflammation and pain. Please check with your doctor first before trying this .
If you go online and research Tumeric, you will find that this herb is used widely in India and has amazing properties to help relieve chronic pain.
You can either take the capsules orally or you can sprinkle the Tumeric powder in your drinks or on your food. Trust me, you will feel relief. Good luck my friend !!
I went to see a vascular surgeon who ordered me to wear a compression stocking (all the way up to my right thigh) for 6 months. After that time has passed, he will then do vein closure. This procedure is painless and will close off the painful veins in my leg and reroute blood to the healthy veins and improve circulation immensely. I cannot wait for this to happen.
As for the osteoarthritis in my right knee, my sports medicine doctor told me this: for every pound of weight that I lose, it takes 4 POUNDS off the knees. He told me to sit in a rocking chair with my legs stretched half way out in front of me and rock gently enough to make your knees move to "grease the joints". Walking at a moderate to slow pace is good too. If you can sit on the edge of your bed and lift one leg off the floor alternatively left and right, this is good too. I learned all this from physical therapy and it works.
The whole idea is to not sit or lay down in the same position for a long time, move around, keep the joints oiled for easier movement.
Right now, my right shin is in pain, dry heat from a heating pad does wonders for this. I was also advised to take Tumeric, an herb that you can take in capsules. Consult with your doctor first about this herb, but is EXCELLENT for alleviating inflammation of the whole body, stay away from salt, bad news. I wish wellness to all !!
I discovered this when I read that a new study from Harvard showed an increase in blood pressure from tylenol which I was taking. The report I read suggested up to 4000 mg for pain instead.
I took four pills thinking they were 1000 mg each. They were actually 1500 mg. Anyway my sciatic and knee pain was better the next day. I suggest you try 1000 twice a day and add as needed.
Good luck everyone, we're in this together!
I was forced into retirement in 09 after my foot surgery. It was retire or be fired and lose my benefits. All of you keep up the good work, live your lifes, and do not give into it.
Downsides? Your not going to be dancing or running for a while. Your going to want help getting groceries. If it's the gas pushing leg your going to want to wait a while before driving. It hurts a lot if you hit it on furniture.
Take those pain pills as percribled.
Do the exercise because it's the key to recovery.
Listen to your body, don't over do it. however, get up and move everyday. The more you increase that flexibilty the better and faster you will recover. Not everyone recover's at the same speed. I wasn't fast but I recovered very well. I would say at 10 months I was fully recovered.That's when I walked up and down hill all day long at a craft fair. Don't worry about how long it takes just make sure you get there.
My hip operation and recovery went very well. Here is why.
I was in good shape and not over weight. I followed the guidelines faithfully and exercised as much as possible as prescribed without putting undo stress on the new hip.
It took a while and at times it seemed like no progress was being made. I was patient and eventually it paid off. When I went to see my surgeon for the final visit I showed up on one crutch. He was rather upset as I was supposed to have been on two crutches at the time. I did not bother to tell him that I had been walking a mile a day using only a cane to lighten the load on the new hip.
After full recovery I was able to continue my active sailing lifestyle until just recently. I have just finished 8 years of voyaging in Mexico. The OA in my lower back has made it difficult for me to continue. It is okay, it was a great life and I have taken up computer science to keep me busy in my old age.
I hope this helps anyone who is considering hip surgery at this time or in the future. You are the one that has to do it, no one can do it for you, they can only help you reach your goal.
JB
I have been suffering with arthritis since my first knee sugery at the age of 15yrs old..now 47 it's not getting better.I've tried exercise, supplements..injections according to the Bone Dexa scan I had in 2009 the arthritis has progressed as if i was a 80yr old women..
Thanks, Sally
Thnks
Ismael
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