Proven Methods for Managing Osteoarthritis

Osteoarthritis most often affects the joints you rely on most — your knees, hips, and hands. Continued use of these joints worsens the underlying cause of your joint pain, the wearing away of the cartilage meant to cushion your joints. 

When your joint pain and damage get too bad, you may need joint replacement surgery. Taking steps to better manage your osteoarthritis during the early stages of the progressive disease may prevent or delay your need for surgery. 

At Addison Pain + Regenerative Medicine in Addison, Texas, our pain management expert, Dr. John East, specializes in finding solutions for chronic pain conditions when other treatments fail.

Here, we share some of the proven methods that can help you manage your osteoarthritis.

Move your joints

When you’re in pain, the last thing you want to do is move. But inactivity may worsen your pain and your joint condition. Lack of activity causes your joints to stiffen, making it harder to move. 

Inactivity also leads to loss of muscle mass and strength, placing more stress and strain on other body parts, like the bones, ligaments, and tendons that make up your joint. The additional workload placed on your joint contributes to the breakdown of cartilage, starting and accelerating the degenerative changes that lead to osteoarthritis.

Exercise can help manage your osteoarthritis, but you want to choose joint-friendly activities like walking, biking, and swimming. We can help you find an exercise routine that works for you or refer you to a physical therapist for a personalized program.

Get to a healthy weight

Osteoarthritis tends to affect large weight-bearing joints like your hips and knees. The more weight these body parts carry, the greater the stress. 

The force of weight on your knee when walking is about two to three times your body weight. So, if you weigh 150 pounds, it feels like 300 to 450 pounds to your knees. Excess body weight increases the load-bearing on the joints that support your weight during movement.

Getting to and maintaining a healthy weight can help you manage your osteoarthritis. Exercising regularly and eating a balanced diet can help you get to and stay at your healthy weight. 

Joint injections

At Addison Pain + Regenerative Medicine, we find solutions for your pain when other treatments fail. Exercise and weight management are essential for your joint health but aren’t always enough.

We offer joint injections to reduce your pain. Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) and bone marrow aspirate (BMA) injections are our most popular treatments. These injections contain healing properties that reduce your inflammation and may potentially repair some of your joint damage.

We also offer hyaluronic acid (HA) injections to lubricate your joint and corticosteroid injections to reduce your pain and inflammation.

Managing your osteoarthritis sooner rather than later may delay the progression of the disease and your need for surgical intervention. Let us help you get control over your joint pain. Call our office today at 972-380-0000 or use the book online button to schedule an appointment anytime.