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Alternatives to Joint Surgery

According to the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, the following strategies may help ease joint pain, depending on the extent of your condition.

Lifestyle Changes:
Maintain a healthy weight, avoid high impact activities and work to build strength and flexibility.

Apparatus:
Wear supportive footwear or flexible braces.

Hot and Cold:
Apply heat, ice or hot/cold salves to reduce discomfort.

Over the Counter:
Try anti-inflammatory drugs such as aspirin or ibuprofen. The nutritional supplements glucosamine and chondroitin may also relieve pain, through their long term benefits have not yet been proven.

Prescribed Treatments:
Explore the use of corticosteroid shots or other arthritis medications.

Surgical Treatment:
Consider arthroscopic surgery, which cleans out joint debris or repairs tears; an osteotomy, which cuts away part of the bone to improve joint alignment, or cartilage grafting.

MSM and Glucosamine for Ease of Joint Pain

Combining the sulphur-containing nutrient MSM with well-known joint health supplement glucosamine appears to speed up the anti-inflammatory effect and further reduce pain in patients with osteoarthritis.

In a recent study, both glucosamine and MSM improved osteoarthritis symptoms in subjects but when taken together the effect was greater than either alone.

"Combination therapy showed better efficacy in reducing pain and swelling and in improving the functional ability of joints than the individual agents," report the researchers in Clinical Drug Investigations.

Whether or not to try glucosamine and MSM is a decision you should make with your physician.

See also: Joint Pain