Arthritis Treatment Advice

By: Tara Smith

The traditional treatment of arthritis is based on relieving pain and increasing mobility. Since the drug therapies have been around for at least fifty years and surgery has a fairly high success rate the conservative medical community tends to treat arthritis with painkillers and exercise. However, the recent trend is to go for other remedies like dietary supplements.

The only trouble with traditional treatment is that many painkillers can actually worsen the disease, while still masking the symptoms by providing pain relief. Many drugs prescribed for arthritis pain can upset the stomach causing nausea and diarrhea. If the wall of the gut becomes compromised due to the action of these drugs – or for any other reason – it can allow antigens to leak into the system enter the bloodstream and end up in a joint.

This happens due to the defensive white blood cells attacking the waste that is trying to get to the joints. When this happens, the pain can be excruciating for arthritis sufferers, since enzymes are also released to combat the invading cells. This then leads to further problems, as the ligaments and bone muscle that are meant to be getting aid from the medication are actually being traumatised further. This is when the affliction known as rheumatoid arthritis happens.

Even everyday medication like aspirin can have a negative effect on arthritis treatment. Since aspirin decreases the amount of essential vitamins the body needs, such as Vitamin B for example, this again can do more damage than good. With the body not getting the amount of vitamins it needs, the bones and cartilage begin to deteriorate, and lead to the same problems that cause arthritis in the first place.

Non-steroid anti-inflammatory drugs like indomethicin (Indocid) and ibuprofen and others, give pain relief and reduce joint swelling, but cause stomach problems with long-term use, while the Cox –2 inhibitors like celecoxib (Celebrex) while safer for the stomach, may cause cardiovascular problems.

Steroid medication causes a loss of potassium, but retention of sodium, while penicillamine, often used to treat RA, causes a lack of copper. Gout, the only form of arthritis scientifically shown to have a direct link to diet, is often treated with colchicine, which can cause a loss of vitamin B12. Osteoporosis is one of the long-term effects of steroid. Then other steroids like cortisone are injected into the painful joint to prevent this and other problems.

If you are receiving any kind of suppressive drugs, such as Matrex or anti-malarial medication, you will need to be closely watched as these can have serious side effects, whether the drugs are administered orally or via injection.

When drugs don’t seem to work, or the side effects are too serious, doctors may suggest surgery. Knee and hip replacements seem to be the flavor of the month and the success rate is about 95%, with most patients becoming pain-free. Replaced joint can last for up to fifteen years and when they start to give trouble can be replaced. There are a few unfortunates for whom the operation is not successful and the artificial joint must be removed. They are then left in a more debilitating condition than they started with.

Apart from the complete replacement of the joint, there are other surgery options like removing inflamed joint cavity linings, repairing damaged tendons or removing them completely. Doctors have succeeded in removing part of a bone that is causing pain; they have also released trapped nerves, and fused a joint to make it more stable. Therefore, it is advisable that you discuss the line of action or treatment with your doctor thoroughly before going in for any proposed surgery. You must be fully aware of the risks involved.

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