songsparrow Posted September 9, 2013 Share Posted September 9, 2013 A close relative suffers from arthritis. I know that they are in pain daily in their joints - hip, knees, etc. (managed with Advil). They are hesitant to discuss it with their doctor, assuming that the doctor will want to do knee replacement surgery or something similar. Before I encourage them to talk to their doctor, I wanted to find out - are there any effective treatments for arthritis nowadays? Any info is greatly appreciated! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Plink Posted September 9, 2013 Share Posted September 9, 2013 Yes, there are lots of medications. My husband gives himself one shot every 2 weeks. He went from literally crawling on the floor every morning because he could not stand, to not having any pain at all. Please encourage your relative to talk with their doctor. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pawz4me Posted September 9, 2013 Share Posted September 9, 2013 There are many different types of arthritis. Available treatments, and how effective each one is, depends on the type. Please encourage your relative to discuss it with his/her doctor. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
walkermamaof4 Posted September 9, 2013 Share Posted September 9, 2013 Sometimes arthritis is cause entirely by food sensitivities. if they did a blood IgG test or a food sensitivities diet to figure out if this is true for them, just eliminating that food would remove the arthritis issue. For me, gluten causes my arthritis. If I have none at all, it is gone. This isn't true for everyone though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Χά�ων Posted September 9, 2013 Share Posted September 9, 2013 Coming from the place of a parent of a child who has arthritis as a co-morbid condition secondary to another, more severe condition. Yes! Encourage them to talk to their doctor and to continue to talk with the doctor if a trail of medication doesn't help. The magic key for DS's arthritis was once a week oral Methotrexate. The improvement was night and day. It is NOT a drug without side effects and it was not the first. He is on that and another disease modifying agent along with another medication that treats a co-morbid condition. His rheumatologist was reluctant to start another intense drug but after everything else failed he went ahead and gave it a try. It is really amazing now that he is on the correct medication. He still has pain but is doing so well on this that we decided to hold off on increasing the dose until his gains slow. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
prairiewindmomma Posted September 10, 2013 Share Posted September 10, 2013 There is a difference between osteoarthritis ("wear and tear") versus autoimmune arthritis (commonly lumped under "rheumatoid" in conversation). There are effective treatments for both kinds, but they differ. It's completely worth a discussion with a good doctor. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
theYoungerMrsWarde Posted September 10, 2013 Share Posted September 10, 2013 Bee sting therapy is very effective, though it is an on going thing and it can hurt. But I've seen many people greatly helped by it. Before they retired and started traveling too much my grandparents were bee keepers and helped people with arthritis, MS, and advanced diabetes where people lost feeling in their limbs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CupOCoffee Posted September 10, 2013 Share Posted September 10, 2013 Joining in on the chant of "yes, and please encourage them to see a doctor". Is it always possible to end up 100% pain free and no issues -- NOPE. But even the slightest difference can make a world of difference and improve the person's quality of life. I am not 100% pain/symptom free, but let me tell 'ya, I am better off for being on meds than not. ~coffee~ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
City Mouse Posted September 10, 2013 Share Posted September 10, 2013 Physical therapy can also help depending on the type of arthritis and the degree. Strengthing the muscles can take some of the pressure off joints. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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