One in every three of us over the age of 45 will have arthritis in their lifetime. Arthritis is the leading cause of pain and disability among older people. Usually the cause is osteoarthritis, aka "wear and tear".
What causes the pain?
The pain from osteoarthritis is caused by the breakdown of the bone-protecting cartilage pad in the joints, leaving the ends of the bone unprotected. Your joints become painful and difficult to move.
Osteoarthritis usually affects the weight-bearing joints - hips, knees and spine - as well as the hands. Symptoms may include pain and stiffness, swelling, and bony growths.
Treatment programmes
There's no cure, but it can be treated. Most treatment programmes include lifestyle changes like weight loss and physiotherapy, along with the use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) to manage the pain. However, the safety of these drugs is a concern. In 2004, Vioxx was withdrawn from the market after a link was found between its use and increased risk of heart attack and stroke.
Even milder NSAIDs like ibuprofen can cause damage to the small intestine if used for more than three months.
There's also been some strange experimentation to help treat osteoarthritis. Several years ago, German researchers reported that applying leeches to an osteoarthritic knee relieved symptoms. Apparently the leech saliva had some painkilling properties.
Not surprisingly, arthritis sufferers have been looking for alternatives.
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