3 Effective Treatments for Osteoarthritis Pain

Osteoarthritis — also referred to as “wear-and-tear arthritis” — is the most common form of arthritis, and it affects millions of people all around the globe. It can make doing daily tasks difficult and can also have a negative effect on your quality of life. Osteoarthritis can happen pretty much anywhere in your body, but is most often found in your knees, hands, and hips.

May is National Arthritis Awareness Month, and at Genesis Pain and Regenerative Medicine, Don Enty, MD and the rest of our team want you to know a little bit more about osteoarthritis and what treatments are out there for it.

Understanding osteoarthritis

Osteoarthritis happens when the cartilage in your joints starts to wear away. Cartilage is what gives your joints ease and flexibility as they move around, so when that cartilage is gone, your bones start to rub together, which can cause pain and inflammation. In addition, you might start to experience symptoms like swelling, tenderness, stiffness, and loss of flexibility. 

Some things that increase your risk of developing osteoarthritis include:

• Age
• Sex
• Obesity
• Joint injuries
• Genetics

Even overuse of your joints can be a risk factor for osteoarthritis.

Osteoarthritis is a degenerative joint disease, which means that it develops slowly over time. It can even get to the point where you can’t carry out your normal daily routine or be able to sleep well. This condition has also been linked to symptoms of depression.

Available treatments for osteoarthritis

While there’s many available options for pain management of osteoarthritis, our team at Genesis Pain and Regenerative Medicine offers these three: cortisone injections, platelet-rich plasma (PRP), and human tissue allograft (HTA).

Cortisone injections

Cortisone injections are made from the steroid corticosteroid and work specifically to relieve pain and inflammation. They operate similarly to over-the-counter pain medications but they kick in much more quickly and work more efficiently to relieve your pain. 

PRP

PRP uses your body’s platelets in order to jump start healing — or reduce inflammation in the case of osteoarthritis. Platelets also contain lots of growth factors which means it can help your body to repair damaged tissues and stimulate new cell growth. 

Typically, your body takes a long time to produce enough platelets to help with complete healing and inflammation reduction, so a concentrated injection of platelets can help your body see pain relief much faster.

HTA

HTA products are injectable liquids that are derived from amniotic tissues and fluid that come from the placenta. The placenta has the highest number of growth factors — or substances that help your body heal. 

HTA products have been shown to reduce inflammation, promote cell renewal, and reduce pain.

All of these treatments have the ability to reduce pain and inflammation, which should help to alleviate the symptoms of your osteoarthritis.

If you’re ready to manage your osteoarthritis symptoms with one of our treatment plans, contact our office located in Colleyville, Texas to schedule an appointment. You can do this by giving us a call at 817-482-0188 or by using our online booking tool today.