Arthritis Treatments
Treatment will depend on your symptoms, your age, and your general health. It will also depend on how what type of arthritis you have, and how severe the condition is. A treatment plan is tailored to each person with his or her health care provider.
There is no cure for arthritis. The goal of treatment is often to limit pain and inflammation, and help ensure joint function. Treatment plans often use both short-term and long-term methods.
Short-term treatments include:
- Medications. Short-term relief for pain and inflammation may include pain relievers such as acetaminophen, aspirin, ibuprofen, or other nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory medications.
- Heat and cold. Pain may be eased by using moist heat (warm bath or shower) or dry heat (heating pad) on the joint. Pain and swelling may be eased with cold (ice pack wrapped in a towel) on the joint.
- Joint immobilization. The use of a splint or brace can help a joint rest and protect it from further injury.
- Massage. The light massage of painful muscles may increase blood flow and bring warmth to the muscle.
- Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS). Pain may be reduced with the use of a TENS device. The device sends mild, electrical pulses to nerve endings in the painful area. This blocks pain signals to the brain and changes pain perception.
- Acupuncture. This is the use of thin needles that are inserted at specific points in the body. It may stimulate the release of natural, pain-relieving chemicals made by the nervous system. The procedure is done by a licensed health care provider.
Long-term treatments include:
- Disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs). These prescription medications may slow down the disease and treat any immune system problems linked to the disease. Examples of these medications include methotrexate, hydroxychloroquine, sulfasalazine, and chlorambucil.
- Corticosteroids. Corticosteroids reduce inflammation and swelling. These medications, such as prednisone, can be taken orally or as an injection.
- Hyaluronic acid therapy. This is a joint fluid that appears to break down in people with osteoarthritis. It can be injected into a joint, such as the knee, to help relieve symptoms.
- Surgery. There are many types of surgery, depending on which joints are affected. Surgery options may include arthroscopy, fusion, or joint replacement. Full recovery after surgery takes up to 6 months. A rehabilitation program after surgery is an important part of the treatment.
Arthritis treatment can include a team of health care providers, such as:
- Orthopedist/orthopedic surgeon
- Rheumatologist
- Physiatrist
- Primary care doctor (family medicine or internal medicine)
- Rehabilitation nurse
- Dietitian
- Physical therapist
- Occupational therapist
- Social worker
- Psychologist/psychiatrist
- Recreational therapist
- Vocational therapist