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Healthy You Archives |
Aging Well
Oh, Those Stiff Joints!Everyday ways to cope with arthritis pain
Marilyn Stephen of Coplay enjoys a game with grandchildren Samantha, 9, and Matthew, 16. Osteoarthritis is the progressive loss of the cartilage that cushions our joints. Most commonly it affects the knees, hips and back, but many people also have arth-ritic wrists, hands or fingers. You’re at higher risk if there’s arthritis in your family, you’re overweight, or if you’ve injured or repeatedly stressed the joint. Age is another risk factor—more than half of Americans over age 65 have arthritis, and nearly 80 percent have it after age 75. If you’re one of them, here’s how to cope: Don’t ignore it. “See your physician as soon as you start having joint pain,” says Deborah Bren, D.O., family physician at Lehigh Valley Hospital and Health Network. “Don’t wait until you can’t stand the stiffness and soreness. Your doctor can help slow the progress of the disease as well as ease your symptoms.” Watch your weight. “Maintaining a healthy weight is the best thing you can do for arthritis,” Rappaport says. “It keeps added pressure off the joints.” Being only 10 pounds overweight increases the pressure on your knees by 30 to 60 pounds with each step. Stay active. Exercise is part of any weight control program, and it’s critical for people with arthritis. “Motion is lotion,” says Melissa Armstrong, R.N., geriatric nurse specialist at Lehigh Valley Hospital and Health Network. “Exercise moves lubricating fluid into your joints.” Armstrong recommends low-impact activities like aqua-aerobics, easy biking or walking (with a cane or walker if you need it). “See a physician or therapist before starting any exercise program,” Bren says. “Arthritis varies from person to person, and you need to find out which exercises work best for you and how to do them correctly.” Make it easier on yourself. If daily activities have gotten hard to do, look into the new devices out there that can help you—for example, fat pens with gel padding or large-grip kitchen tools. Stay “plugged in.” Keeping involved with family, friends and activities (including educational or exercise classes for people with arthritis) will help you cope. Try a nonprescription treatment. “Try aspirin to reduce swelling and acetaminophen for pain,” Bren says. A glucosamine and chondroitin supplement may be useful for stiffness and swelling. Many people get relief from heat patches, ointments like Icy-Hot, or sitting in a hot tub. Finally there’s acupuncture. It won’t slow the progress of arthritis, but it might relieve the pain. If you need something more, talk to your doctor about prescription drugs, injections or surgery. Vioxx is now off the market because of increased heart attack risk, and there is uncertainty about Celebrex and other medications for arthritis symptoms. “You and your doctor can weigh the risks against the benefits,” Rappaport says. Injections of synthetic joint fluid (Synvisc, Hylagan) can improve motion in the knee. “Cortisone injections can help relieve pain and stiffness during acute flare-ups, but shouldn’t be used more often than three times a year per joint,” Bren says. If you do need surgery, tiny incisions may be all that’s required if the problem is a tear in the meniscus (cartilage). The surgeon extracts pieces of torn cartilage and bone trapped in the joint. If you need a complete knee or hip joint replacement, these surgeries are more streamlined than they used to be. You’ll have a shorter hospital stay and a quicker return to normal life, and the artificial joint should last 10 to 15 years.
Want to Know More? Click here for information on how to limit the impact of arthritis on your life: Click here. This page last updated 2/12/08 04:08 PM
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