Arthoscopic surgery has been a mainstay for many years to fix knee problems associated with overuse. I had always thought that if I had a problem with my knees from sports that I would opt for this kind of surgery. One problem that I seen to have with my knees is that I have some floating cartilage that every now and then really hurts my knee but this is not what arthoscopic surgery is for, instead arthoscopic surgery is used to cut out arthritis spots in the knee.

A new study questioning the usefulness of arthroscopic surgery for osteoarthritis of the knee should encourage patients to consider physical therapy as an effective non-surgical option, according to the American Physical Therapy Association (APTA). The study was published in the September 11 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM).

The study found that physical therapy, combined with comprehensive medical management, is just as effective at relieving the pain and stiffness of moderate to severe osteoarthritis of the knee as surgery. Read the rest of this entry »

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Tags: abnormal movement, American Physical Therapy Association, arthritis, arthroscopic surgery, Christopher M Powers, co-director, director of the Biokinesiology program, floating cartilage, knee pain, knee surgery, Musculoskeletal Biomechanics Research Lab, New England Journal, orthopedists, osteoarthritis, pain, physical therapist, physical therapy, president, R. Scott Ward, Sports Medicine, sports medicine clinics, surgery, Swimming, the Annals of Internal Medicine, The New England Journal of Medicine, treatment of osteoarthritis, University of Southern California Division of Biokinesiology & Physical Therapy

Osteoarthritis is a problem that many people suffer from and it can cause a lot of discomfort and in fact can lower your quality of life becasue you are stopped from doing many of the activites that you would like to do.

Osteoarthritis medications can ease the pain. The most common type of medication doctors recommend reduce swelling as well as pain. As a group, these drugs are called nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). Examples of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs are ASA, ibuprofen, and naproxen. These drugs give relief, but they do not cure the disease or stop it from getting worse. If used for a long time, NSAIDs can cause stomach problems, such as ulcers or bleeding. Acetaminophen relieves pain without causing stomach problems, but it does not reduce inflammation.

Steroid medications can be injected directly into the joint with a small needle to reduce inflammation and pain, but are usually not a permanent solution. Artificial joint fluid can be injected into joints to help relieve pain and make movement easier.

Many people take herbal remedies and supplements such as glucosamine, chondroitin, devil’s claw, and antioxidants. Because supplements have the potential to interact with other medications or to have an effect on other health conditions, it is important to discuss any supplements you are considering with your doctor or pharmacist.

Heat and cold treatments can help reduce pain. So can mild exercise. Splints and braces can be used to support weak joints, but they should be used only if recommended by your doctor, because incorrect use of a brace can cause joint damage. In severe cases of osteoarthritis, surgery may be recommended to replace or repair the damaged joint.

Tags: acetaminophen, antioxidants, chondroitin, glucosamine, Herbal Remedies, ibuprofen, inflammation, joints, mild exercise, naproxen, nsaids, osteoarthritis, pain, pharmacist, reduce swelling, relieve pain, steroid medications, surgery, treatment of osteoarthritis

Glucosamine & Chondroitin Double Strength

I know that many people have back or knee problems and that joint pain is a real big problem in north america today…actually my wife is one of those that suffers from back pain. One of the supplements tha people are using successfully to help alleviate joint pain is Glucosamine with Chondroitin One of the things that you can try is
Glucosamine & Chondroitin Double Strength

Here is more info on the double wammy of these to great supplements:

Glucosamine and chondroitin are building blocks of connective tissue and are key components of the joints.

For detailed discussions of these nutrients, please see the individual articles for glucosamine sulfate and chondroitin sulfate.

Glucosamine is a simple molecule that is available as a supplement in several forms: glucosamine sulfate, glucosamine hydrochloride and N-acetyl-glucosamine (NAG). The glucosamine sulfate (GS) form (stabilized with a mineral salt, such as sodium chloride or potassium chloride) is the only form consistently shown in clinical trials to be effective for people with osteoarthritis (OA).

Chondroitin sulfate(CS) is a much larger and more complex molecule than GS. Like glucosamine, it is a major constituent of cartilage and has been the subject of many clinical trials. CS supplementation has proven to be an effective treatment for people with OA.

When to take glucosamine, chondroitin sulfate, or both: The popular idea that GS is clinically “preferred” over CS, or that CS is “not necessary,”1 has not been examined (let alone supported) by appropriate comparative research. An analysis of controlled clinical trials evaluated the independent effects of GS and CS in the treatment of OA.2 The authors concluded that the overall efficacy in trials of CS for people with OA exceeded the overall efficacy of GS for people with that condition. However, more than one-third of CS supplements have been reported to contain less than 40% of the amount of CS listed on the label.3 Moreover, no single clinical trial has compared the effects of the two supplements.

Many people with osteoarthritis take combinations of CS and GS or glucosamine HCl. This practice may be based on the suggestion, made in a best-selling book,4 that GS and CS in combination have stronger effects than either supplement alone. Although this idea may sound appealing, and may be harmless, it is based only on anecdotes and hypotheses. The theory that GS and CS work synergistically in the treatment of osteoarthritis remains unproven. To date, no clinical trials have compared glucosamine/chondroitin combinations with either of the supplements taken individually.

One preliminary trial found that the combination of glucosamine HCl (1,600 mg per day), CS (1,200 mg per day), and calcium ascorbate (1,000 mg per day) was effective at reducing joint noise, pain, and swelling in people with osteoarthritis of the temporomandibular joint (TMJ, or jaw joint).5 However, this study was not well controlled and the outcomes measured were highly subjective. Moreover, participants in this study were allowed to use aspirin and ibuprofen, so the exact effects of the nutrient combination cannot be accurately assessed.

Similarly, the combination of glucosamine HCl (1,500 mg per day), CS (1,200 mg per day), and manganese ascorbate (228 mg per day) was evaluated in a double-blind trial and was associated with significant symptom reduction and improvement on x-ray for osteoarthritis of the knee (less so for spine). However, subjects were allowed to use acetaminophen for pain, and comparative effects of a glucosamine HCl/chondroitin sulfate combination and the individual nutrients were not examined.

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Tags: acetaminophen, back pain, osteoarthritis, pain, potassium chloride, sodium chloride, treatment of osteoarthritis, x-ray