Osteoarthritis Blog

In the USA today the 27 million people who suffer from osteoarthritis accounts for nearly 50% of all prescribed Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs).

In this blog we are looking at the kinds of treatment you receive for you osteoarthritis. In particular we are looking at the effectiveness of prescribed medications and if you have used complementary therapies or alternative therapies for you osteoarthritis.

Osteoarthritis (OA) is also known as degenerative arthritis; degenerative joint diseases are a group of conditions which involve the degradation of joints through “wear and tear”. Typical symptoms of osteoarthritis can include joint pain, tenderness, stiffness, inflammation, creaking, and locking of joints.

It is one of the most common forms of arthritis.

Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAID) may reduce both the pain and inflammation caused by Osteoarthritis. The most commonly used are diclofenac, ibuprofen, naproxen and ketoprofen.

In particular we are interested in the following questions:-

• How old were you when you found out you had osteoarthritis? What were you first symptoms?
• Do you have any other conditions which have an effect on your OS symptoms?
• What is the treatment you use for osteoarthritis? Have you tried complementary or alternative therapies for osteoarthritis?
• If you use a Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) which one do you use? Is it over the counter or is it prescribed by a physician?
• What advice would you give to somebody who has recently found out that they suffer from OA?

Remember, a blog is really like having a conversation with lots of people at the same time and so please check back on the blog to see what others have said so that if you would like to add to their thoughts you can.