Find Relief From Osteoarthritis So You Can Do The Things You Love
Arthritis pain can stop you from doing the things you love. Arthritis can affect almost any joint of the body and is painful; however it often affects the hands, hips, knees, neck and lower back. Over time, the condition gets worse and there is no cure. However, there are treatments that can help to relieve pain and help you to be active.
Several contributing factors may affect the disease, but researchers are not sure of the actual cause of osteoarthritis. Some of the contributing factors include injury, aging, weak muscles, heredity and obesity.
Most people do not have problems with osteoarthritis until after age forty. The condition is more prevalent in women than in men. One of the risk factors are sports injuries. Additionally, some jobs that put additional stress on the joints may be a factor in development of the disease.
Often osteoarthritis becomes worse with age. The pain can become so severe that a person is no longer able to work or enjoy their favorite hobbies. The condition may develop to the point that a doctor encourages the person to have joint replacement surgery.
Several medications do help with the disease. Some of these are available over the counter and include acetaminophen that helps with pain, NASIDs that help with both pain relief and to relieve swelling. Ibuprofen is a NASID.
If over the counter medications are not treating the pain effectively, your doctor may prescribe Tramadol, or stronger pain killers such as Darvon or codeine. Finally he may prescribe cortisone shots.
In addition, some people find help from a natural remedy called glucosamine. This naturally occurring substance is useful in rebuilding the skeletal structure that may have been lost due to osteoarthritis. Costco offers their own Kirkland glucosamine that is affordable and a very good product.
If you can find the correct treatments, you will be able to feel better and enjoy work and hobbies once again.
Perhaps you will want to pull out dreadnought acoustic guitar and fill the air with music once again. Fingers that had become useless on this instrument due to the pain of arthritis can become nimble again and you can enjoy your old friend.
On the other hand, perhaps you have given up video games. When you start feeling better, you need to find the ps2 transformers, because you are going to show the grandkids how a video game should be played.