Non-Pharmacological Therapies for Osteoarthritis of the Hand, Hip, and Knee
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Non-Pharmacological Therapies for Osteoarthritis of the Hand, Hip, and Knee
Recent recommendations from The Canadian Medical Association represent a monumental shift in pain management. Physicians, now more than ever are recommending conservative pain management strategies including but not limited to: low-impact exercise, acupuncture and massage therapy as part of a multidimensional treatment approach for patients suffering from osteoarthritis related pain.
Wear and tear associated with osteoarthritis is common in the general population, the good news is that there are a number of non-pharmacological therapies that have been shown to improve function in patients who suffer from osteoarthritis related pain:
• Massage Therapy - Has been shown to provide pain relief for osteoarthritis of the knee (Perlman et al. 2019)
• Self-Acupressure - Has been shown to provide pain relief for osteoarthritis of the knee (Li et al. 2018)
• Joint Mobilizations - Has been shown to provide pain relief for osteoarthritis of the knee (Courtney et al. 2016)
• Acupuncture - Has been shown to yield short and long-term improvement in function and pain relief in patients who suffer from osteoarthritis related knee pain (Lin et al. 2016, Vickers et al. 2018).
• Low Impact Exercise - Has been shown to have a significant impact not only on patient symptoms and physical function, but also on intake of painkillers and sick leave (Skou et al. 2017).
Key Take Home
Non-pharmacological therapeutic interventions are being embraced by the medical community because they are often simple to carry out, economical, and have relatively minor side effects. There are a number of non-pharmacological options for osteoarthritis that patients can discuss with their physician. None of these options are a panacea, but they may help you put together an individualized multi-modal program to manage osteoarthritis related symptoms.
More to Explore
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