July 1st, 2015
How to Manage Degenerative Joint Disease in Philadelphia
Do you or someone you love suffer fromDegenerative Joint Disease in Philadelphia? If so, you have come to the right place for information and treatment options.
Degenerative Joint Disease, also known as osteoarthritis, affects the protective cartilage on the ends of your bones, where your joints are formed, causing the cartilage to wear down over time. Although this could affect any joint in your body, it normally occurs in areas such as the hands, hips, knees and spine.
Common Symptoms
Pain or tenderness: When you are moving your joint, or applying pressure, you may feel pain or tenderness in that area.
Stiffness: Your joints may become significantly stiff after sitting for a long time, or when waking up in the morning.
Lack of flexibility: You may be limited in your range of motion, which does not allow you to move your joint to it’s full potential.
Grating: You may feel a grating sensation when you put your joint in motion.
Bone spurs: Bone spurs are bony projections that develop along the edges of bone, often near the joint.
Common Treatment
Rothman Orthopaedic Institute provides care for those who suffer from this condition with both nonoperative and operative options. Some of these options include:
Medication
- With medications such as acetaminophen and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, the joint can help reduce swelling and keep pain under control.
- Therapy
- Depending upon the condition your joints are in, you may choose between physical and occupational therapy.
- Physical Therapy allows you to perform a customized exercise program to strengthen the muscles around your joint.
Occupational Therapy helps you discover ways of performing your everyday tasks without putting that extra pressure on your joints.
Injections
Cortisone Injections may relieve pain in your joint. You are limited to the amount of injections given per year.
Lubrication Injections may be administered with hyaluronic acid which may offer pain relief by providing cushion to the joint.
Surgical procedures
Bone Realignment, also called an osteotomy, is for knee pain, allowing the surgeon to realign the leg by cutting above or below the knee joint.
Joint Replacement Surgery, where the damaged surfaces of the joint are removed and replaced with an artificial plastic and metal parts.
For more information on how Rothman Orthopaedic Institute can provide you the highest quality care for degenerative joint disease in Philadelphia, give us a call at 1-800-321-9999.