Not Ready for a Total Joint Replacement? 5 Treatments to Delay OA Progression

Understanding how our bodies move can be complicated without learning the relationship between bones, muscles, and joints. Bones form the structure from which everything works, but the complex relationship with the muscles and over 200 joints is critical to how we move every part of our bodies. 

Conditions like osteoarthritis destroy the connective tissue in joints over time, but there are ways to slow down the deterioration and avoid the need for joint replacement. To help spread information about osteoarthritis during Arthritis Awareness Month, let’s explore more about this disease, how it develops, what signs to look for, and what you can do to reduce its impact on your joints.

Residents of Fort Worth, Texas, who want to maintain healthy joints for as long as possible can rely on Dr. Joseph Daniels and the team at Southwest Orthopedic Associates for help.

Facts about osteoarthritis

For your joints to work correctly, bones are connected to other bones by a network of ligaments, tendons, and skeletal muscles. To keep them cushioned and prevent them from rubbing against each other, they also have cartilage, which provides cushion and lubrication. 

Osteoarthritis slowly erodes the cartilage, which strains the other musculoskeletal tissue and leads to damage in the bones without protection. This disease often happens in your lower back, hips, knees, hands, and neck, and affects over 80% of adults 55 and older.

Causes and symptoms

You’re at greater risk of the slow wear and tear in your joints when you get older, if you have joint injuries (secondary osteoarthritis), you’re overweight, you perform repetitive movements in specific joints, have bone disease, genetic deformities, or metabolic diseases. Women are at a greater risk of osteoarthritis, with the chances increasing during and after menopause.

Whatever the cause, if you have this joint disease, you’ll experience symptoms like pain, joint stiffness, swelling, tenderness, bone spurs, grating, popping, cracking, and loss of range of motion. 

Treatment options

To slow down the progression of osteoarthritis in your joints, try these options:

1. Weight loss

Extra weight adds stress to your whole body, especially to weight-bearing joints. Shedding some pounds can not only help you feel healthier, but it also lightens the workload on your muscles, tendons, and bones.

2. Dietary changes

Modifying your diet can make a significant difference, especially if you incorporate more foods that help reduce inflammation, such as fruits, vegetables, fish, seafood, nuts, berries, seeds, and moderate amounts of dairy, poultry, and eggs.

3. Regular exercise

Getting more time being mobile through exercise and other physical activities is beneficial for your overall health, but it is especially essential for your joints. Even joints that are affected by arthritis can benefit from it.

4. Anti-inflammatory medications

Over-the-counter and prescription medications that help reduce inflammation can also aid in managing arthritis, including nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), corticosteroids, hyaluronic acid, and analgesics.

5. Support devices

The device you use will depend on the severity of your issues, but braces, canes, walkers, and other tools can help keep you active and encourage you to use your joints.

Treatments like joint replacement can help when things get severe enough, but there are plenty of ways to reduce the impact osteoarthritis has on your life. For other ways to promote good joint health and other related problems, contact Dr. Daniels and Southwest Orthopedic Associates today.