Osteoarthritis is the most common forms of arthritis and is a degenerative joint disease that affects the cartilage in the joints.
There is no cure for osteoarthritis, but the condition can be managed to help relieve the symptoms.
Exercise
Exercise is an important treatment for people with osteoarthritis as regular exercise keeps you active, builds up muscle and strengthens the joints. Exercise is also good for losing weight, improving your posture and relieving stress, all of which will ease symptoms.
Pain relief medication
Medication is prescribed based on the severity of your pain and other conditions or health problems you may have. Paracetamol, codeine and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) help with pain relief. They are in the form on topical creams applied directly on affected joints. Steriod injections may also be given for particularly painful cases as can they ease pain for several weeks or months.
Surgery
Surgery for osteoarthritis is recommended when other treatments if the joints is severely damaged or has not responded to other non-invasive treatments.
Joint replacement
Joint replacement surgery, or Makoplasty, is done to replace hip and knee joints. Your affected joint is removed and replaced with an artificial joint or prosthesis made of plastic and metal.
