Osteopathy Treatment for Joint Pain and Osteoarthritis

Osteoarthritis (OA) is a degenerative joint condition that affects many older adults. It occurs when the cartilage that cushions the ends of bones wears down, causing pain and stiffness. 

While there are effective drugs to treat inflammatory types of arthritis, there are currently no medications that can slow the progression of OA or reverse the damage. However, there are various treatment options available to help manage symptoms and improve quality of life, such as physical therapy, exercise, weight management, and pain management strategies.

The long-term use of painkillers raises addiction concerns, plus have they performed poorly against placebo in recent trials.  There are evidence-based approaches that can help with OA. The NICE guidelines include:

• Weight loss and regular exercise, including strength training, to improve quality of life.
• Exercise can help strengthen the muscles around the painful joints and reduce the stress placed on them. Plus, it can help with weight control, which in turn can reduce stress on the joints.
• Topical NSAIDS can be helpful in managing pain when applied directly to the affected area, since they're absorbed locally and don't cause the systemic side effects of oral NSAIDS.
• Capsaicin can be effective for some people, but it needs to be applied consistently (x4 per day) over time to be effective.

Thermotherapy (the use of hot & cold packs / baths) also can help ease joint pain. The University of Manchester studied the impact of weather on long term pain conditions, particularly arthritis, and found that bad weather conditions (low pressure, humid, windy) were 20% more like likely to coincide with an increase in pain.