Painful swollen joints can have a huge impact on your quality of life and overall wellbeing. Osteoarthritis is a degenerative disease that is caused by gradual deterioration of the cartilage in your joints, leading to worsening symptoms.
However, while there is no cure for the condition, there are plenty of things you can do to relieve painful joints. Different approaches will be more effective depending on the stage of your disease and the severity of symptoms you’re experiencing. It’s worth using a combination of lifestyle changes, home-based care and medical treatments to manage joint pain.
Lifestyle changes for joint pain
- Maintain a healthy weight as this not only relieves pressure on weight-bearing joints like hips and knees but it also lowers systemic inflammation which can damage joints. Even losing a small amount of weight makes a difference.
- Low impact exercise helps keep painful joints supple and strengthens the muscles around them, which act as natural shock absorbers. Avoid high impact activities like running or jumping in favour of gentler movements like walking, swimming, cycling, yoga or Pilates.
- Getting enough good quality sleep can be a challenge when you’re in pain. Practising good sleep hygiene – such as going to bed at a regular time, optimising your bedroom environment so it’s cool and quiet, and avoiding eating late – can all help
Self-help for joint pain
- Stiff, painful joints will benefit from using ice packs to relieve swelling and inflammation as well as warm baths and heat pads to ease stiffness and relax tense muscles.
- Relieve pressure on tired hip and knee joints by wearing supportive footwear or using specially designed insoles that help to reduce the impact of walking.
- A physiotherapist can create a programme of exercises to stretch and strengthen muscles around the affected joint
Over-the-counter remedies for joint pain
- In the early stages of osteoarthritis, over-the-counter remedies (i.e. those that don’t require a prescription) are likely to provide sufficient relief from joint pain. Anti-inflammatory gels can be applied directly to the skin above the affected joint, or you can use painkillers and anti-inflammatory pills to treat pain and inflammation.
Injections for joint pain
- As your condition develops and over-the-counter remedies no longer provide sufficient pain relief, your orthopaedic consultant may recommend injections directly into the joint. Corticosteroid injections provide fast-acting relief from pain, swelling and inflammation that normally lasts up to two months. Injections of hyaluronic acid mimic the natural joint fluid, helping to cushion and lubricate the joint.
- Some orthopaedic surgeons, like Carrothers Orthopaedics, offer Arthrosamid injections which uses intra-articular polyacrylamide hydrogel that can delay the need for surgery for up to three years. The n-stride APS injection works differently. By collecting ‘good proteins’ (anti-inflammatory cytokines and anabolic growth factors) from the patient’s own blood, these injections help to improve mobility and comfort. The reduction in pain typically lasts between six and 12 months.
Surgery for joint pain
- Once osteoarthritis becomes severe, the most effective course of treatment is surgery. Joint replacement surgery is used routinely for severe joint pain. It entails removing the diseased joint and replacing it with an artificial implant. Among the most innovative approaches to joint replacement is the Mako robotic arm-assisted system, developed by Stryker. This uses an innovative computer programme which enables the surgeon to create a detailed pre-operative plan using CT scans of the patient’s joint. In the operating theatre, the Mako system uses a high-tech robotic arm which helps the surgeon to achieve pinpoint precision. The result is more accurate placement and alignment of the joint implant which leads to better performance, greater comfort for patients and less soft tissue and ligament damage.
Contact us for more information about diagnosing and treating osteoarthritis.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is there a cure for osteoarthritis?
There is currently no cure for osteoarthritis however there are many effective treatments to help manage symptoms.
Should I avoid certain foods if I have arthritis?
Some foods are known to increase inflammation in the body so it is advisable to limit your intake of fried foods, red meat, processed and sugary foods, fruit juice.
What causes joint pain in osteoarthritis?
The disease results in cartilage – which acts as a cushion between the bones in the joint – wearing away. Without enough cartilage, the bones can rub painfully together causing stiffness, swelling and loss of mobility.
Talk to an orthopaedic consultant | Cambridge
We are always happy to provide information and guidance about the various treatment options, both surgical and non-surgical, including Mako Robotic Arm Assisted Surgery and conventional surgery.
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