Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
Rthritis pain
This is a kind of water-physio. It involves exercises that you do in a warm pool. The water supports your weight, which helps to relieve pain and increase the normal range of movement of your joints. Water also provides resistance as you move which increases your muscle strength.
Hydrotherapy sessions are available on the NHS, and most hospitals have access to hydrotherapy pools, so again, talk to your GP or rheumatologist.
If your pain is more severe, your doctor may suggest capsaicin cream (a prescription-only treatment made from the ingredient that gives chillies heat), strong painkillers, anti-inflammatories such as Naproxen, or cortisone injections into the joint. Easing inflammation also reduces pain.
More than 150,000 Britons undergo arthroscopic keyhole surgery to their knees every year, mainly due to osteoarthritis, but a review in the British Medical Journal this year found it had been “oversold as a cure-all for knee pain”.
Professor Mark Wilkinson, for Arthritis Research UK, said: “Previous studies have shown knee arthroscopy isn’t recommended for the symptoms of pain and loss of function for people with degenerative knee arthritis. They benefit more from lifestyle modification, exercise, physiotherapy, or joint replacement.”
These are now very common, successful operations, with hip and knee replacement the most performed. The procedure involves removing a damaged joint and putting in an artificial one made from metal, plastic or ceramic materials to help it move smoothly and painlessly again.
Artificial joint surgery can take from six months to two years to completely heal, and carries the normal blood clot and infection risks that go with all surgery. You’ll also need physiotherapy and a gentle exercise programme to strengthen your muscles.
Researchers from New York University have identified a specific molecule that maintains cartilage and therefore could halt the onset of arthritis. This discovery is considered a key step towards finding a cure.