Treatments for Arthritis

Treatments for arthritis help to reduce pain and swelling in the joints, keep the joints moving, and keep the disease from getting worse. When you have arthritis, it is important to develop a good relationship with your health care provider. Together, you can develop a treatment plan that will work best for you.

Treatments include:

• Over-the-counter medicines like analgesics (aspirin), other nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, or NSAIDS (Advil, Motrin, Nuprin), and acetaminophen (Tylenol).

• Prescription drugs to relieve pain, such as celecoxib (Celebrex) and refeoxib (Vioxx).

• Over-the-counter creams and sprays for pain relief.

• Corticosteroids (prednisone, cortisone, solumedrol, hydrocortisone) to decrease inflammation and suppress the immune system (used for rheumatoid arthritis) taken by mouth, injection, or applied as creams to the skin.

• Applying heat or ice to reduce pain and inflammation.

• Daily exercise (without overdoing it) to keep the joints moving and strengthen the muscles around the joints. Rest is also needed for joints affected by arthritis. You will need to find the right type of exercise and the right amount of rest. Your doctor can send you to a physical therapist to help you with an exercise and rest program. Walking and swimming in a heated pool can help arthritis. Stretching and gentle yoga can also help maintain flexibility.

• Controlling or losing weight to reduce stress on joints.

• Hydrotherapy, or exercising (swimming, water aerobics) or relaxing in warm water (baths, hot tubs) to help relax tense muscles and relieve pain.

• Mobilization therapy, including traction (gentle, steady pulling), massage, and manipulation (using the hands to restore normal movement to stiff joints) to help control pain and increase joint motion and flexibility.

• Relaxation therapy, or learning ways to release muscle tension by yourself, such as progressive relaxation where you tighten muscle groups one by one, relaxing tension throughout your body.

• Assistive devices for treating arthritis pain include splints and braces, which are used to support weakened joints or allow them to rest. Some of these devices prevent the joint from moving; others allow some movement.

• Surgery to repair or replace damaged joints. Knees and hips, for example, can be replaced. A new, artificial knee or hip is put in your body to take the place of the damaged joint (in severe cases).

• Nutritional supplements are often reported as helpful in treating rheumatic diseases. These include products such as S-adenosylmethionine (SAM-e) for osteoarthritis and fibromyalgia, dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) for lupus, and glucosamine and chondroitin sulfate for osteoarthritis. Reports on the safety and effectiveness of these products should be viewed with caution since very few claims have been carefully evaluated.

Note: Be aware that there are many products you can buy that make lots of promises to cure arthritis, but don't. Some of these products, such as snake venom, are even harmful. While not harmful, other products like copper bracelets don't cure the disease or ease symptoms.