Do you have pain in your knee? If you haven’t suffered a sudden injury and are in middle or older age, you may think you’re getting osteoarthritis. And you may be right. But there are other possible causes of knee pain. “It’s important to determine the underlying cause because treatment will differ,” says Cleveland Clinic sports medicine physician Carly Day, MD.
Pain Management
Experts recommend boosting your calcium intake with food before considering a supplement
For years, calcium supplementation was routinely recommended. Then, along came studies showing that taking calcium supplements may increase risk for heart disease. This was followed by other studies that did not show such a link. But this has created concern among people with low...
Bones
Pain and stiffness in your shoulder that limits mobility can have several possible causes. One of them is a frozen shoulder, officially called adhesive capsulitis, a condition that most commonly affects women ages 40 to 65. “My female patients often tell me they notice they...
Pain Management
Make getting a flu shot an annual ritual, especially if you have rheumatoid arthritis.
People with inflammatory arthritis, such as rheumatoid or psoriatic arthritis, have a higher risk of developing flu-related complications. They have two strikes against them. First, inflammatory arthritis is an autoimmune disease, so the immune system is not functioning properly....
Comfort
Some long-term medications are extremely expensive, but there are resources to defray costs.
The cost of prescription drugs in the United States is steadily rising, and some medications are particularly expensive. While many people with chronic health conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis, psoriatic arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis, lupus or osteoporosis can start...
Pain Management
Chondroitin May Ease Knee Osteoarthritis Studies of the supplement chondroitin, a natural component of cartilage, for osteoarthritis have produced mixed results on their effectiveness. A recent study, published in Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases (May 2017), found that people...
Bones
I’ve had attacks of gout in my big toe. Now I’m getting joint pain and swelling in my hands. Can you get gout in your hands? I’ve been told I have diffuse idiopathic skeletal hyperostosis. What is this, and what can be done for it?
Alternative Therapies/Treatments
There is no cure for osteoarthritis, which can worsen over time. Treatment is aimed at relieving symptoms. “The most effective treatment is weight loss if you are above ideal weight,” says Dr. Day. Physical therapy, exercise and knee braces can help. Other options are...
