Osteoarthritis, or "wear and tear" arthritis, has traditionally not received the same amount of research attention as the other arthritis conditions. More recently much more research is going into the cause and pathophysiology behind this widespread condition. Newer medications and techniques are being developed.  What was once thought to be a condition one simply had to accept, there are now newer treatments that can improve pain and functional ability.

Treatment for Osteoarthritis

There are both non-surgical and surgical options for treating osteoarthritis.  Before considering surgery you should confirm that you have maximized your non-surgical treatments.  Options include:

-Weight loss

-Physical therapy

-Medication/Supplements

-Steroid injections

-Joint lubricant treatments

-Regenerative medicine treatments such as Platelet Rich Plasma

-Bracing/Orthotics

Joint Lubricant Therapy

Joint lubricant treatments, or Viscosupplementation injections are a novel and efficacious method of treating arthritis beyond steroid injections. These synthetic gel treatments act as a lubricant to give longer lasting relief and are worth discussing with your physician if you are having persistent pain. Injections of viscosupplementation solution directly into a painful joint has been shown to relieve pain better than placebo, and for longer than steroid injections. Furthermore, utilizing imaging guidance to confirm the joint itself has been treated rather than surrounding tissue is the ideal way to perform these treatments. For patients who have persistent arthritis pain despite pain medications and physical therapy, viscosupplementation injections are a worthwhile treatment to consider.

Platelet Rich Plasma treatment

Regenerative treatments with Platelet rich plasma combined with Viscosupplementation solution is also possible.  For those people with osteoarthritis that still have some healthy cartilage remaining in a damaged joint, PRP + Viscosupplementation may be useful as well.  This is a new and exciting treatment.  For more information follow the link.