How is osteoarthritis treated? Complementary treatments for arthritis

As age increases, women are much more likely to develop osteoarthritis than men, which seriously affects their normal life, so active treatment is particularly important. Experts say that currently there are several good ways to treat this disease:

Physical therapy

Steam baths, hot spring baths, heat therapy devices, etc. can provide short-term relief for patients' stiffness and pain symptoms. Acupuncture and massage also have certain effects in alleviating the symptoms of osteoarthritis.

Chinese medicine external application

Traditional black plasters have a large drug loading capacity, strong penetration, can be effective for a long time, and have few side effects on patients. Compared with Western medicine which only treats the symptoms but not the root cause, it has the advantages of significant curative effect, complete functions, convenient use, safety and reliability. The purpose of external application of Chinese medicine to treat arthritis is to dispel wind and cold, relieve spasms and dredge meridians, promote blood circulation and remove blood stasis. At the same time, it also warms the kidney and assists yang, strengthens the body and consolidates the foundation, so as to achieve the purpose of strengthening muscles and bones and eradicating joint inflammation.

Surgery

Surgery is suitable for patients with late-stage joint spasm, atrophy, deformity, and damage. The surgical risk is relatively high and the surgical trauma area is relatively large. Since most arthritis patients are elderly people over 60 years old, it should be used with caution.

Adjunctive physical therapy:

In the acute phase, the main focus is on relieving pain, reducing swelling and improving function; in the chronic phase, the main focus is on enhancing local blood circulation and improving joint function. Note: Diathermy or ultrasound therapy is contraindicated in joints that have undergone arthroplasty or contain metal components to avoid deep burns.

Precautions

Eat more sulfur-containing foods, such as asparagus, eggs, garlic, and onions. Because sulfur is needed for the repair and reconstruction of bones, cartilage and connective tissue, and sulfur also helps in the absorption of calcium.

Avoid taking iron or multivitamins containing iron. Because iron has been linked to pain, swelling, and joint damage. The bioalkali in nightshade vegetables, such as tomatoes, potatoes, eggplants, peppers, etc. and tobacco, can aggravate arthritis symptoms.

People with arthritis should not use iron pans for cooking frequently. People who are used to cooking with iron pans and those with rheumatoid arthritis are prone to relapse of old diseases, and the iron content in serum decreases after the onset of the disease.

Stay optimistic: The prognosis for the vast majority of patients is good. People who have bone hyperplasia on X-rays alone may not necessarily have symptoms, and those who have bone spurs in the hip or knee joint are not likely to develop joint space narrowing within 10 years.