Arthritis Treatments:
Help Is On the Way!

Each of the millions of people with arthritis experiences the disease in different ways. One of the main factors considered when developing treatment plans is whether it's osteoarthritis or rheumatoid arthritis. Rheumatoid arthritis is usually treated with prescription medications because the disease can progress beyond the joints. It's a systemic disease that can eventually harm organs if left untreated.

Osteoarthritis, on the other hand, is a disease that can often be more easily managed through a combination of treatments. Many of the treatments are self-management options too, which gives you greater control over your life. Learning the different options is important so you can do the most possible to manage pain and prevent as much joint damage as possible.

There are two overriding goals when treating arthritis. The first is to slow or stop the progression of the disease to prevent further joint damage. The second and equally important goal is to restore quality to life through pain management techniques combined with treatments that restore joint flexibility.

That sounds like a tall order, but millions of people with arthritis are using a combination of medications, exercise, heat and cold packs, and joint support devices that enable them to function while improving general well-being.

Following is a summary of the most common arthritis treatments:

Rheumatoid Arthritis

• Medications including nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDS), analgesic drugs, and many others that are typically prescriptive
• Surgery including arthroscopy and synovectomy to remove diseased joint lining
• Full or partial joint replacement
• Exercise
• Diet
• Pain management therapies

Osteoarthritis

• Medications that may be over-the-counter or prescriptive
• Supplements include glucosamine and chondroitin sulfate
• Exercise
• Weight loss
• Physical therapy
• Heat and cold
• Surgery including arthroscopy and a synovectomy to remove diseased joint lining
• Full or partial joint replacement

For over two decades there has been a debate in the treatment of osteoarthritis about the use of the joint supplements glucosamine and chondroitin. Osteoarthritis is a condition that causes problems of wearing out of the normal smooth cartilage surfaces of the joints. Often called wear-and-tear arthritis, osteoarthritis causes joint pain, swelling, and deformity.

Osteoarthritis is the most common type of arthritis. How do glucosamine and chondroitin work? Glucosamine and chondroitin are two molecules that make up the type of cartilage found within joints. Inside your joints, cartilage undergoes a constant process of breakdown and repair.

However, to be properly repaired, the building blocks of cartilage must be present and available. The theory behind using the glucosamine and chondroitin joint supplements is that more of the cartilage building blocks will be available for cartilage repair.

• Glucosamine is a precursor to a molecule called a glycosaminoglycan-this molecule is used in the formation and repair of cartilage.
• Chondroitin is the most abundant glycosaminoglycan in cartilage and is responsible for the resiliency of cartilage. Treatment with these joint supplements is based on the theory that oral consumption of glucosamine and chondroitin may increase the rate of formation of new cartilage by providing more of the necessary building blocks.

There have been numerous studies to examine the treatment effects of glucosamine and chondroitin over short periods of time. Most of these studies last only one to two months; however, they have indicated that patients experienced more pain reduction when taking glucosamine and chondroitin than patients receiving a placebo.

The improvement experienced by these patients was similar to improvements experienced by patients taking nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory medications (NSAIDs) that have been a mainstay of non-operative arthritis treatments. The difference is that NSAIDs carry an increased risk of side effects including gastrointestinal complaints and bleeding.

The joint supplements glucosamine and chondroitin have few side effects, and thus their use as arthritis treatments would be preferred if the effects of pain reduction were indeed the same. Furthermore, there is an indication that NSAIDs may increase the progression of arthritis, whereas glucosamine and chondroitin may offer a more protective effect to the cartilage surface.

Exercise
Prolonged inactivity increases weakness and causes loss of muscle mass and strength. Because exercise raises the body’s level of endorphins (natural pain killers produced by the brain) it may somewhat relieve the pain. A regular exercise program helps you:

• Regain strength and energy
• Help to relieve tension
• Increase flexibility
• Strengthen your muscles
• Help reduces fatigue