Characteristics of osteoarthritis pain

Written by Li Jin
Orthopedics
Updated on September 08, 2024
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The characteristics of pain in patients with osteoarthritis mainly manifest as pain occurring frequently in the morning, which lessens after activity. However, if the activity is excessive, the pain can worsen. Another symptom is joint stiffness, which often occurs when getting up in the morning or after the joint has been in a certain position for a long time during the day. The affected joint may show symptoms such as swelling, pain, and a feeling of friction during movement. In severe cases, patients may experience muscle atrophy and joint deformity. Patients with osteoarthritis should pay attention to rest and avoid vigorous activities. They should use anti-inflammatory and analgesic drugs, as well as drugs that nourish the cartilage, to improve symptoms. When conservative treatment is ineffective and joint deformity or functional impairment occurs, joint replacement surgery may also be considered as a treatment option.

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Written by Lv Yao
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Can osteoarthritis exercise?

Osteoarthritis often occurs due to the degeneration associated with aging, causing damage to the essential cartilage, leading to symptoms such as joint pain and deformities during movement. In the case of osteoarthritis, it is crucial to keep warm and rest, avoid exposure to cold, and minimize knee-joint load-bearing activities such as mountain climbing and stair climbing. Instead, choosing activities like Tai Chi and swimming, which cause less joint wear, can help alleviate symptoms and prevent accelerated cartilage damage.

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Written by Wang Cheng Lin
Orthopedics
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Differences between Osteoarthritis and Rheumatoid Arthritis

Osteoarthritis is commonly seen in middle-aged and elderly people, primarily due to long-term joint wear, leading to degeneration of the cartilage in the joints, causing symptoms of pain, swelling, and discomfort in movement. In contrast, rheumatoid arthritis often begins in younger individuals and is linked to genetics and viral infections, primarily being an autoimmune disease. It is characterized by positive rheumatoid factor, including elevated erythrocyte sedimentation rate and C-reactive protein. Additionally, the treatment methods for these two diseases are different. Osteoarthritis can mainly be managed with massage therapy, injections of sodium hyaluronate, and oral nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs to alleviate symptoms. Rheumatoid arthritis, on the other hand, might require the use of immunosuppressants, steroids, or nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs to relieve pain. Importantly, rheumatoid arthritis commonly affects the small joints of the fingers, whereas osteoarthritis most frequently affects larger joints, such as the knee, highlighting the fundamental differences between the two conditions. (Note: The answers provided are for reference only. Medications should be taken under the guidance of a professional physician, and self-medication should be avoided.)

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Written by Guan Jing Tao
Orthopedics
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How to treat effusion in osteoarthritis?

General treatment methods are mainly divided into two categories. First, conservative treatment, which is non-surgical and includes rest, immobilization, localized physical therapy such as heat application, acupuncture, etc. Physical therapy includes techniques like spectrum therapy, infrared, and diathermy. For some patients with mild osteoarthritis and minor effusions, these can gradually be absorbed over one to two weeks, and symptoms of pain and swelling can be alleviated. This can be combined with oral intake of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), such as celecoxib or ibuprofen. For patients with recurrent episodes, or those who are middle-aged and above with severe osteoarthritis and degeneration, and have substantial effusion, conservative treatments are generally not very effective. Therefore, we can try aspirating the effusion in the knee joint and appropriately administer intra-articular sodium hyaluronate injections to promote the recovery of osteoarthritis and delay the degeneration of bone proliferation. If conservative treatment still does not bring significant relief, then arthroscopic debridement and corresponding surgical treatments for the knee joint may be considered.

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Written by Li Jie
Orthopedics
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What foods should be eaten for osteoarthritis?

Osteoarthritis in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) is generally divided into two main categories. The first category is liver and kidney deficiency, commonly seen in older adults. For this condition, it is advocated to consume foods that nourish the liver and kidney. Black foods are considered to benefit the kidneys, such as black rice, black beans, black goat, and black pork. Other foods like He Shou Wu (Polygonum multiflorum), Rehmannia glutinosa, Coix seed, and Chinese yam also help nourish the liver and kidney and can be beneficial for the condition. The second category is Qi stagnation and blood stasis type, where it is recommended to eat foods that promote blood circulation and remove blood stasis. In Western medicine, there are no specific dietary recommendations for treating osteoarthritis, except for general advice for elderly women to consume calcium-rich foods to prevent bone-related issues. Foods recommended include milk, eggs, and lean meat, which are rich in protein and calcium, and it is encouraged to consume more of these.

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What should I do about osteoarthritis?

For the treatment of osteoarthritis, the main approach is still based on the severity of the patient's osteoarthritis to determine the corresponding treatment plan. If the osteoarthritis is very severe, severely affecting the patient's normal function, causing joint deformity, and affecting the patient's normal work or life, it is necessary to actively pursue joint replacement surgery. For cases where the symptoms of osteoarthritis are not very severe, choosing active conservative treatment is completely adequate. The most important thing is still to reduce the amount of exercise, pay attention to protecting the local joints, never let them get cold, often apply heat, and combine some medical treatments, such as using pain relief and cartilage-nourishing drugs. Common drugs like Nimodipine capsules and Glucosamine Hydrochloride have very good effects.