This is the secret to managing osteoarthritis

If you’re an avid long distance runner, or committed to your weekly HIIT class, you’re probably familiar with the occasional ache and pain. After all, it’s normal for your joints to feel a little sore the day after a strenuous workout. But if that discomfort continues to bleed into your day-to-day, there’s one condition to be aware of: osteoarthritis.

Osteoarthritis is a disease that comes about as the cartilage that cushions your joints gradually disappears. It often impacts the hips and knees, and in its later stages, can be extremely painful. 

Luckily, experts are making strides in osteoarthritis management. In fact, some researchers believe making a slight adjustment to the placement of your feet as you walk can offer immense benefits for knee osteoarthritis, according to a study recently published in The Lancet Rheumatology.

What is osteoarthritis?

“Osteoarthritis is the pain condition that occurs because of the loss of cartilage in the joint, says Dr. Luke Garbarino, MD, an orthopedic surgeon with Northwell Orthopedics. There are many different kinds of arthritis, from rheumatoid arthritis to lupus, though osteoarthritis is the most prevalent.

Pain, stiffness and swelling around the joint are a few key signs and symptoms of osteoarthritis. A few risk factors can make you more susceptible to the condition, including your age, sex, weight, family history or whether you’ve had trauma to a joint, according the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

What are the stages of osteoarthritis?

Osteoarthritis progresses with age, and once the cartilage is gone, it doesn’t grow back, says Garbarino. “As cartilage wears, you lose the cushion in your joint, and it leads to increased forces across the joint,” he says. 

Osteoarthritis ranges from mild to severe, and while there are a few classification systems to define the different stages of the disease (such as the Kellgren-Lawrence grade for knee osteoarthritis and the Tönnis grade for hip osteoarthritis), there’s a common thread that runs between them all: the less cartilage between your joints there is, the more severe your condition is.

Osteoarthritis tends to impact your weight-bearing joints, such as the hips and knees, though it could pop up across the body. For instance, Garbarino has seen patients who’ve had rotator cuff injuries, and subsequently developed osteoarthritis that affects their shoulders.

What’s the difference between osteoarthritis and osteoporosis?

Whereas osteoarthritis is defined by the breakdown of cartilage in your joints, “osteoporosis is a different condition altogether,” says Garbarino. 

Osteoporosis is the loss of bone mineralization, which in essence, is the loss of bone strength over time. Osteoporosis often impacts the hips and lower back, and as your bone strength deteriorates over time, it “puts you at increased risk of fracture,” he says. 

What is the best thing to do for osteoarthritis?

When it comes to treatment options for osteoarthritis, “it’s a very personalized approach,” says Garbarino. It will depend on your medical history, and where you’re at with your treatment course, he says.

As for non-operative, non-surgical treatments, osteoarthritis management could look like a combination of physical therapy, exercise and medications, Garbarino says. Recommended medications may include NSAIDS (OTC or prescription), though depending on your individual health needs, you may be restricted to taking Tylenol, he says. Work with your provider to determine which medication is best for you.

In some cases, an injection could be beneficial (most commonly, this is a corticosteroid injection) says Garbarino.

After trying non-operative options, if patients continue to experience pain and it is affecting their quality of life, the next step would be to undergo a joint replacement (such as a hip or knee replacement), says Garbarino. “Joint replacement is not an emergency surgery for the vast majority of people,” he says. But if a patient wants to proceed with joint replacement, he underscores it’s a very reliable surgery.

Which exercise is best for osteoarthritis?

Exercise is a key component of osteoarthritis management, Garbarino stresses. Joints don’t like to be stiff; try low-impact aerobic exercises like walking, swimming and cycling, which tend to be a little bit easier on the joints, he recommends. Running and jumping put more strain on the joints, he notes.

At this point, there’s plenty of evidence to support that exercise and physical activity is beneficial for your overall health and strengthening the muscles around the joints (allowing for better recovery), says Garbarino. 

As for new treatment options for osteoarthritis, “there have been many different interventions to try to offload the joints,” says Garbarino. 

Recent research published in The Lancet Rheumatology evaluated 68 participants with medial compartment osteoarthritis (which affects the inside part of your knee). The study concluded that the group of participants who made adjustments to the angle of their feet when walking experienced less pain and cartilage damage in comparison to the group who didn’t receive the intervention. 

While more research likely needs to be conducted on this topic (as the study was quite resource-heavy, and allowed for personalized changes), the results are promising, says Garbarino. Ultimately, staying active and incorporating a consistent exercise into your day-to-day “really only can be beneficial” for managing osteoarthritis, he says.