The Cleveland Clinic Arthritis Advisor

Volume 9
Number 2
February 2010

Many of the charts & tables found on this site are PDFs.

February 2010

Non-Surgical, No-Pain Alternatives to Hip Replacement to Try Now
Nearly 21 million Americans suffer from osteoarthritis (OA), and one of the joints frequently affected, especially in older adults, is the hip. Although total hip replacement techniques have been refined and the procedure is safe and effective for many OA patients—the diseased ball and socket of the hip joint are removed, as are several inches of the upper femur (thigh bone), and replaced with artificial materials—the surgery carries certain risks, including blood clots, infection, and eventual loosening and wear of the artificial joint.

Increase Your Mobility with Yoga
Going yoga can benefit individuals with arthritis in many ways, says Susan Joy, MD, director of Women’s Sports Health at Cleveland Clinic. "Yoga improves dynamic flexibility, meaning how well your joints can move across a range of motion. It also reduces stiffness and increases mobility overall, something you don’t get from stretching," she explains. The result is that you can do better with daily activities, from putting on and taking off a jacket to getting in and out of a car.

New Surgical Procedures Relieve Hand, Wrist Pain
Approximately 20 percent of adults over the age of 55 suffer from symptomatic hand arthritis. If you’re one of them, you’ve probably already tried a combination of drug and non-drug treatments, including pain relievers, heat, and physical therapy. When these treatments fail, however, and severe pain and disability continue, it’s wise to consider surgery. Fortunately, with the advent of newer techniques, patients with hand or wrist arthritis who undergo surgery often can return to many of their regular activities, says Mark Hendrickson, MD, section chief, Hand and Wrist Surgery, at Cleveland Clinic.

3 Moves to Help You Maintain Balance, Prevent Falls
Falls are a leading cause of injury in older adults. In fact, as many as one-half of people age 65 or older will experience a fall this year. But falls are not inevitable. Getting regular hearing and vision exams, talking with your doctor about medications that could affect your balance, wearing non-slip, thin-soled shoes, making sure your living area is well-lighted, and removing clutter in your home and workplace are all steps you can take to avoid falls.

Are You Getting the Right Dose?
When it comes to medications, one size does not fit all. The genes that make you unique also may affect how you respond to the medicines you take. So, the standard dose that works for most people may not be adequate for you, or it could trigger potentially dangerous side effects. Add to the mix the age-related changes in your metabolism and it’s easy to understand why some prescriptions may work immediately and others may require some tweaking. "It’s tricky, and drug metabolism can play a role in the dose of medications," says Mandy Leonard, R.Ph., Pharm.D., BCPS, manager of Cleveland Clinic’s Drug Information Service. "Sometimes you can’t say one dose fits all. Every patient is a little different, so there could be some dose adjustments a physician would need to consider."