Osteoarthritis: after your diagnosis

A diagnosis of osteoarthritis (OA) can be disturbing. Does this diagnosis mean you're destined for a life of constant pain? Can you continue working, travelling, enjoying sports such as golf or swimming, living life as before? The answers are largely reassuring: OA is not a disease that you need to dread.

Even when severe, osteoarthritis is limited to the joints and won't affect your heart, brain or other parts of the body. And, today, the great majority of people with OA can effectively ease their pain and improve their joint movement with a combination of anti-inflammatory drugs, exercise, rest, moist heat and a take-charge approach to their condition.

There's no need to let arthritis take charge of your life — take charge of it instead.

Virtually all cases of osteoarthritis respond to treatments aimed at easing your pain and stiffness, keeping you active and productive, protecting and strengthening affected joints and preventing symptoms from getting worse.

To achieve those results, you need to work with your doctor to develop an individual action plan. This plan will take into account the severity of your symptoms, the joints that are affected, your age, the limitations on your daily activities and other health problems you may have. For many people, combining several of the following therapies works best.

When pain and immobility from hip or knee osteoarthritis can't be relieved in any other way, surgical joint replacement may be necessary.

Fortunately, the past two or three decades have seen medical science make great advances in joint-replacement surgery and most people with severe arthritis can look forward to dramatic improvements after a surgical procedure.

Being overweight puts extra stress on your weight-bearing joints — especially the knees and hips. If you're overweight and have osteoarthritis, losing those extra pounds could dramatically improve your symptoms.

Heat applied with a hot-water bottle, hot towels, hot packs, a hot shower or a heating pad can be a very effective treatment for the pain and stiffness of OA. For unknown reasons, moist heat seems to provide the greatest relief.

Heat can also be administered as deep or penetrating heat in clinical procedures that use diathermy or ultrasound devices. Cold is most useful for joints that are acutely inflamed — which is rarely a problem in osteoarthritis.

Doctors once advised their osteoarthritis patients against exercising, believing that exercise could further damage their joints. But current beliefs rank exercise as one of the best treatments for osteoarthritis. The proper exercises can relieve pain, improve flexibility and help you in your weight-loss efforts.

As a bonus, exercising will reduce stress, lower your risk for heart disease, diabetes and several types of cancer — all of which can enhance your overall health.

As Dr. Joseph Buckwalter of the University of Iowa says, "Joints aren't like the bearings in your car, which wear out after a certain number of miles. The more you use them, the better off you may be."

A wide variety of drugs, both over-the-counter and prescription, can help ease the vexing symptoms of OA.

There are several injections that will help loosen up or otherwise soothe arthritis-stricken joints.

If you've been diagnosed with osteoarthritis, keep these different treatments in mind. You can discuss with your doctor which ones are best for you.