Arthritis, a condition characterized by inflammation of the joints, affects millions of individuals worldwide. As it progresses, pain management becomes crucial for those afflicted. Various professional organizations have formulated guidelines on managing this debilitating pain. So, what are the recent recommendations?
The 2019 American College of Rheumatology/Arthritis Foundation guidelines shed light on the efficacy of both pharmacologic and nonpharmacologic treatments for osteoarthritis (OA) affecting the knee, hip, and hand. More on this study can be found here.
One consistent recommendation across multiple guidelines is the emphasis on tailoring pain management strategies to meet the patient’s needs. Notably, many strategies should be flexible and should not solely rely on medication.
Here are some of the strongly recommended approaches that have shown clear benefits for the vast majority of OA patients:
Educational, behavioral, and psychosocial approaches.
Weight loss, especially crucial for those with hip and knee OA.
The Arthritis Foundation provides more details on these guidelines.
In addition, conditional recommendations have been made for:
Balance exercises
Yoga
Cognitive behavioral therapy
Kinesiotaping for first CMC OA
Orthoses for hand joints other than the first CMC joint
Patellofemoral bracing for patellofemoral knee OA
Acupuncture
Thermal modalities
Radiofrequency ablation for knee OA
Topical NSAIDs
Intraarticular steroid
The CDC also emphasizes the importance of collaborating with patients to design a treatment plan best suited to their needs, as many arthritis patients tend to lean towards non-medication treatments. Learn more from the CDC’s advice on arthritis management here.
Lastly, an update from The American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS) was released on the Clinical Practice Guideline for Management of Osteoarthritis of the Knee (Non-Arthroplasty) in September 2021. This replaced their 2nd edition from 2013. For further insights, visit the AAOS update here.
In conclusion, while arthritis pain can be challenging to manage, keeping abreast of the latest guidelines can aid in making informed decisions and provide some relief to those suffering.
