Symptomatic Knee Osteoarthritis

Radiographic scores were used to compare the two groups. Other variables were thoroughly accounted for in this study. At the end of the study it was concluded that long-distance running was not associated with accelerated knee OA in healthy older adults based on the proportion of the individuals in the test and control groups with knee OA. One of notable flaws in this study was the fact only radiographic data was only taken into account and thus clinical symptoms were not. Also notable is that average running time of the older adults decreased 55% during the course of the

Acupuncture can be used to treat osteoarthritis. It is based on an idea that there are channels throughout the body called “meridians” and that these allow the transport of an energy known as “Qi.” (NHS. 2012. Acupuncture.) Generally, acupuncture involves the insertion of needles at specific points along the body - these are known as “acupoints.” This insertion is thought to lead to the movement of Qi throughout the body, which causes biomedical changes that result in the “promotion of physical and emotional well-being” through the release of endorphins. (British Acupuncture Council. 2011. Acupuncture and Osteoarthritis.) Inserting needles at specific acupoints to treat osteoarthritis sends a message to the brain that assists in the reduction of “sensitivity to pain and stress.” (British Acupuncture Council. 2011. Acupuncture and Osteoarthritis.) This reduction in pain can allow for a better range of movement, thus function.

This article tells us what the advantages of exercising are. “Physical activity is essential to optimizing both physical and mental health and can play a vital role in the management of arthritis” (Bartlett) This type of physical activity helps the joints move more easily and helps enlarge the muscles. Another main point is that doctors of arthritic patients can motivate them to start exercising their joints and muscles. These patients trust their doctors to give them the right information and listen to them and do what they tell them to do rather than listening to non-professionals. Moreover, arthritic patients should be mentally ready to do physical activity. They need to be ready to exercise and be confident. Exercising not only helps with

General exercise programs should be encouraged. The primary components of such programs should be training in balance, flexibility, endurance, and strengthening. (Reid, 2015) If necessary, a physiotherapist can be recommended to reinforce the education program, including coaching on fall risk, body mechanics, and balance training. (Reid, 2015) Another exercise program that has merit are Tai Chi and Yoga. Although there is very little research on both Tai Chi and Yoga in relation to chronic pain, there is some evidence to suggest that both can be utilized in pain reduction and is significant. Tai Chi and yoga are feasible for the older adult population and in the same study that found that Tai Chi and yoga significantly reduced pain also found that there were no reports of adverse effects or safety issues caused by practicing Tai Chi or

Osteoarthritis Research Society International. (2012). Current status of and prospects for treatment of osteoarthritis. Retrieved from

Osteoarthritis is a degenerative joint disease that stems from the breakdown of cartilage of the bones as a result of traumatic injuries, joint overuse, obesity, or genetic and metabolic diseases. Osteoarthritis mainly affects older woman in the knees, hips, hands and spine. Sufferers experience inflammation, swelling, and pain in affected joints, eventually causing joint stiffness and limitation of movement, misalignment, and knoblike bone growths in the hands (Stark). While there is no known cure for OA, there are many treatment options to help preserve physical function

Osteoarthritis (OA) is a chronic degenerative and progressive condition affecting synovial joints, which mainly causes degeneration of hyaline cartilage; Although OA can affect any joint containing hyaline cartilage; Its effects take place most often in the weight bearing joints of lower extremities and the most common large joints involved are knee joints [1].

Osteoarthritis is the most common joint disorder, and more than half of all Americans who are older than 65 have been diagnosed with osteoarthritis. However, recent US data has revealed knee osteoarthritis does not discriminate age, and there is growing evidence that osteoarthritis affects individuals at a young age. The annual cost of osteoarthritis due to treatment and loss of productivity in the US is estimated to be more than 65 billion dollars.1 With no cure currently available for osteoarthritis, current treatments focus on management of symptoms. The primary goals of therapy include improved joint function, pain relief, and increased joint stability. Although the exact cause of osteoarthritis is unknown, many risk factors have been identified including increased age, female gender, obesity, and trauma.2 Within these risk factors, the etiology of osteoarthritis has been divided into anatomy, body mass, and gender.

A study conducted by Deyle et al.7 took 83 patients approximately 60 years old with osteoarthritis in the knee and split them into a treatment group and control group. The treatment group received manual physical therapy, which consisted of stretching, ROM, and strengthening exercises, while the placebo group was given a non-therapeutic amount of ultrasound. Participants were required to attend physical therapy appointments twice a week for four weeks. Data was collected at baseline, four weeks, and eight weeks using a six-minute walk test, and the Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAC) as outcome measures. Participants in the treatment group saw both clinical and significant differences in their WOMAC scores and the six-minute walk test at the eight-week time period. This study demonstrates that participating in physical therapy can help manage OA symptoms in the knee.7 Another study conducted by Palmer et al.11 looked at the intervention of transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) to see if it relieved symptoms of knee OA. Even though the main purpose of this study was looking at the TENS therapy, the control group was given a six- week physical therapy exercise program. The study also used the WOMAC scale and the control group actually showed improvements .11 The knee group had 41.6% of its participants reaching

Osteoarthritis is a condition where joint and bone cartilage start to deteriorate. This is can be caused by age, injury in joint areas, and genetics. There is no known cure for Osteoarthritis, but recommended treatments such as, exercise, physical therapy, stretching, can help minimize the symptoms. Osteoarthritis is more commonly found in the elderly, women, people who are obese, people who have had an injury in the joint areas, people who worked in certain occupations, and those who have been born with bone deformities.

Osteoarthritis is a degenerative disease of articular cartilage, caused due to aging, obesity, strain, trauma, congenital anomalies, joint deformities and other factors, the degradation of joint edge and the subchondral bone reactive hyperplasia, also known as bone joint disease. The clinical features include slow progression of joint pain, tenderness, stiffness, swelling of joints, restricted motion and joint deformity.

Pain and knee osteoarthritis limits the mobility of a person, and acupuncture was put to the test to reduce this debilitating obstacle. The process of acupuncture consists of trained practitioners that stimulate certain points within the body with thin needle insertions in the skin. This is known as a traditional Chinese medicine, which has proven to be a reasonable option for osteoarthritis/knee pain through a wide study. Whereas, the study was funded by the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine and the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases, and demonstrated a long and large randomized clinical trial of acupuncture. As a result, in December 21, 2994, issue of the peer-reviewed medical journal, Annals of Internal Medicine published the trial’s successful work.

At the conclusion of the study, the runners did not exhibit a higher prevalance of osteoarthritis than the control group. Higher BMI, longer elapsed time, and more osteoarthritis at the time of the radiograph was correlated with a worsening of osteoarthritis in the final radiograph.

decreased in pain during the 50-foot walk test compared to the land-based exercises.7 So the article and the point I’m making is the water-based exercise is a great tool to use for people with osteoarthritis. The conclusion of both studies shows aquatic therapy helps people with osteoarthritis with keeping the patient active, strengthening their joints, pain relief, and helping them to not fatigue as quickly as land exercises or activities would do.

“Osteoarthritis, believed to have a genetic cause or predisposition, is caused by wear or tear on a joint" (Rosdahl, 2012, p. 1235). There are many different types of musculoskeletal diseases one of them being osteoarthritis. Osteoarthritis is one type of arthritis, and arthritis is basically when the joints in the human body are inflamed. In the first paragraph the anatomy, physiology, and the description of osteoarthritis. The next will be about what the signs and symptoms of the disease and the history shown in assessments. Treatments and medications will be discussed and what further action to take while enduring this painful musculoskeletal disease. While going through something like this there are bound to be complications to be aware of. Just like taking care of a patient with any other disease there will be plenty of nursing interventions to help the patient cope. Last but not least let’s not forget a discharge plan of care for a patient that has osteoarthritis, this will go over everything from safety to medication teaching. This disease is very painful and quite common in people when they grow old, so therefore it is important to know every aspect from beginning to end.