Osteoarthritis – Natural Treatment Options Without Drugs or Surgery
Osteoarthritis – a degenerative disease that affects healthy functioning of the joints – requires ongoing treatment in order to ensure pain alleviation.
Sufferers of osteoarthritis know that there are dozens of potential treatments available, with many of them requiring potent synthetic drugs like opioids and anti-inflammatories — or in the worst case, surgery.
Osteoarthritis natural treatment options are those that don’t use synthetic drugs or invasive surgeries to treat the condition. They include using foods, naturally occurring substances, wearables, and even compounds within your own body to treat the condition.
Here are some of the most effective natural treatments for osteoarthritis:
Ointments and creams
Natural ointments and creams are an alternative to popular painkilling oral medications such as ibuprofen. Some of these creams contain natural analgesics that help soothe the pain.
Start by applying them around the affected area — the manufacturer will recommend how many times you should do this on a daily basis. Otherwise, your local doctor will be able to provide more clarity.
Consuming more turmeric
Curcumin – the active compound of turmeric – is well-known to have anti-inflammatory properties which are particularly useful when it comes to treating joint pains. In fact, studies have shown that using turmeric to treat arthritis is more effective than regular anti-inflammatory medicine.
Additional studies indicate that curcumin can help prevent the onset of age-related diseases, of which hereditary osteoarthritis is a part.
Ginger
Ginger is another powerful substance that has anti-inflammatory properties. Daily ingestion of ginger can result in a large reduction in muscle pain. A study analyzing the effects of ginger on individuals suffering from osteoarthritis discovered that it helped drive down pain significantly.
Visco Supplementation
This refers to the process of injecting hyaluronic acid directly inside the joint.
While this sounds scary (and some may question how natural it actually is) — this is a growing treatment that doesn’t rely on synthetic drugs to treat osteoarthritis. In fact, the injected protein is exactly the same as the one found inside the joint, and helps with increasing overall viscosity levels. This makes the joint fluid a better lubricant and maintains a buffer for shock absorbing.
Platelet-rich plasma
With this procedure, doctors collect a small amount of blood from the patient and spin it inside a centrifuge. This removes the red and white blood cells, leaving behind the plasma or the fluid content of the blood. Plasma actually contains all the natural healing elements in blood – once extracted, it is injected back into the joint.
This technique has been proven to be very effective in reducing pain and improving function in patients with osteoarthritis
Stem cell therapy
The mechanics of this procedure are similar to platelet-rich plasma. Stem cells are extracted from a patient’s body – specifically those derived from the fatty tissue, around the abdomen or buttock.
It’s then spun inside a centrifuge, isolating the stem cells. These cells are able to grow back into other types of tissue — which is why they’re isolated and then injected back inside the joint with the idea that it’s done to promote the growth of new tissue.
Supplements
Using supplements such as glucosamine and chondroitin — typically one tablet each twice every day – improves functions and decreases pain in about two-thirds of patients suffering from osteoarthritis.
Custom foot orthotics
Custom foot orthotics are effective for people suffering from toe join osteoarthritis or kneecap arthritis. This process starts with gait analysis – which studies the way people walk and understands whether any adjustments need to be made.
Custom knee braces can also help as they help joints line up perfectly and distribute force evenly throughout the knee. Both these options can be a very effective natural treatment for osteoarthritis.
At Athletic Edge Sports Medicine, our team of osteoarthritis specialists will ensure you receive the best-in-class treatment. Contact us today to take the first step.