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Arthritis: Osteoarthritis Basics

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Are There Alternative Treatments for Osteoarthritis?

Some medical research has shown that the supplements glucosamine and chondroitin may relieve pain in some people with osteoarthritis -- especially in the knee. There is no evidence that glucosamine can help rebuild cartilage.

Some people also use methylsulfonylmethane (MSM) and S-adenosylmethionine (SAM-e) for arthritis but there is questionable medical evidence showing their benefits. MSM is a naturally occurring compound that is taken as a dietary supplement.

Acupuncture and bioelectric therapy also may be useful at relieving pain.

What Supportive Devices Are Available to Help With Osteoarthritis?

Supportive or assistive devices may be helpful to decrease pressure on the joints. Knee supports may be helpful for some people to stabilize the ligaments and tendons and decrease pain. Canes or crutches may be helpful to take pressure off certain joints.

When Is Surgery Necessary?

When osteoarthritis pain is not controlled with medications and the other mentioned treatments, or when the pain prevents you from participating in your normal activities, you may want to consider surgery.

There are several surgical procedures that could be used. They include:

  • Arthroscopy to clean out the damaged cartilage, although recent studies question the effectiveness of this type of arthroscopic therapy for treatment of knee osteoarthritis.
  • Joint replacement surgery to replace the damaged joint with an artificial one. Even under the best of circumstances, surgery cannot return the joint to its normal state (artificial joints do not have all of the motion of a normal joint). However, an artificial joint will diminish pain. The two joints most often replaced are the hip joint and the knee joint. Artificial joints are now also available to replace shoulders, fingers, elbows, ankles, and back joints to treat severe pain that has not responded to other treatments.
  • Joint fusion removes the damaged joint and fuses the two bones on each side of the joint. This is done more often in areas in which joint replacement is not effective.

Talk to your doctor to determine if any of these treatment options are right for you.

 

Reviewed by the doctors at The Cleveland Clinic Department of Rheumatic and Immunologic Diseases

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