Knee osteoarthritis (OA), can make almost anything you do painful: walking, climbing stairs, -- even sitting or lying down. Although knee replacement surgery is one osteoarthritis treatment option that can help bring relief, it’s not the only one. There are many choices to try first that can reduce knee pain, improve your ability to move, and possibly delay or eliminate your need for joint replacement surgery altogether.
Osteoarthritis Treatments: Oral Medications
Several medications may help fight knee pain, and, in some cases, the inflammation that can cause joint swelling and discomfort. They include:
- Acetaminophen (Tylenol). This is the first medication to try as a knee OA treatment, say arthritis specialists. That’s because it’s relatively safe compared to other pain relievers, although too much can cause liver damage. Acetaminophen doesn’t lessen inflammation.
- Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). These can help relieve pain and fight inflammation that may be adding to your pain. There are prescription NSAIDs your doctor can prescribe. Available over-the-counter, ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin IB) and naproxen (Aleve) are among your other options for pain relief.
- Other analgesics. When other pain-relievers fail to control pain, your doctor may prescribe stronger analgesics. These include tramadol (Ultram) and acetaminophen with codeine (Tylenol with codeine).
Osteoarthritis Treatments: Topical Pain Relievers
These creams, ointments, and balms are rubbed onto the skin where you have joint pain. Most are available without a prescription and use one or more of the following to help control pain:
- Capsaicin – a natural pain-blocker found in cayenne peppers
- Counterirritants – menthol, oil of wintergreen, camphor, eucalyptus oil, turpentine oil, dihydrochloride, and methlnicotinate all distract your body from pain
- Salicylates – also found in many oral pain relievers, these work by blocking hormone-like substances in your body that add to pain
One topical pain reliever, Voltaren Gel, is available only by prescription.
Osteoarthritis Treatments: Nutritional Supplements
Several nutritional supplements are used to relieve arthritis pain. A couple of the most promising are:
- Glucosamine and chondroitin. These are the building blocks of cartilage -- the smooth covering that cushion joints -- so people often take these supplements for arthritis pain relief. Do they work? It’s debatable. While researchers are still studying whether they help rebuild cartilage, some studies have shown that they’ve helped relieve knee osteoarthritis pain and stiffness for some people. A multi-center, federally funded study found that when taken together they were most helpful for people with moderate to severe OA pain. Another study found that a 1,500-mg daily dose of glucosamine relieved knee OA pain significantly more than a 3,000-mg daily dose of acetaminophen (Tylenol), or placebo. But other studies have found that they didn't reduce pain. If you decide to try glucosamine and chondroitin, talk to your doctor about dosing. And beware of taking glucosamine if you have fish allergies because it’s most often made from shellfish. Chondroitin is made from shark or pork cartilage or made in a lab.
- SAMe. Several studies have shown SAMe works as well as non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), including Celebrex, to relieve osteoarthritis pain. In addition, SAMe has fewer side effects than NSAIDs. However, it works more slowly. You may need to take SAMe for up to 30 days before you notice significant pain relief.
