Osteo Arthritis – How To Find Treatment That Works

The term arthritis does not refer to a single disease, but rather to a group of over 100 different forms of a disease, and in other words it is a sort of umbrella term that is used to refer to these medical conditions that affect the musculoskeletal system, specifically those joints where two or bones meet.

While there could be over one hundred different types of arthritis and those are just the ones known and recognized at this time, there are 3 particularly that are particularly important and common rheumatoid arthritis, gouty arthritis, and osteo arthritis.

Osteo arthritis is essentially recognized as being the commonest form of arthritis of all, and it is due to the breakdown of cartilage in the body. Over time the cartilage may finish up wearing away completely, and though osteo arthritis is a type of arthritis that's in a position to affect just about any joint of the body, it most frequently affects the hips, knees, hands and backbone.

Although osteo arthritis is considered as being a non-inflammatory arthritis, meaning that it does not cause inflammation of the joints and muscles as most other types of arthritis do, this is actually not true, and although there is usually no swelling during the earlier stages of the disease, as it progresses there can be inflammation, and in fact is in almost all cases.

Before any method of treatment can be prescribed, a proper diagnosis has to be made. Establishing the correct diagnosis is vital, because treatment is available but only once this has been accomplished. This is why as soon as you notice any of the signs or symptoms of the disease, or any form of arthritis for that matter, that you seek medical help immediately.

Re treatment for osteo arthritis, your physician will generally kick off with something milder , for example Tylenol or Aspirin and tell you to try that for two weeks. If there are no appearances of improvement or relief of your agony, then they're going to move on to something stronger, like arthritis creams and gels. These are applied topically, immediately onto the skin and most are usually available over the counter.

Finally there are much more serious methods of treatment, namely arthritis medication that you may be prescribed, especially if your symptoms are causing you serious pain. Codeine preparations are the most commonly recommended here, and this is a combination of codeine and acetaminophen.

For lots more information on osteo arthritis visit our arthritis website and blog.