SearchExclusive.com

Beneficial Treatments for Knee Osteoarthritis

Even though age is the most compelling risk factor for knee osteoarthritis, people of any age can get it while for some people, it is absolutely hereditary. Osteoarthritis which is generally referred to as wear-and-tear arthritis is an ailment where the cushioning between the joints and cartilage starts wearing away. As this happens, the joint bones rub against each other without the shock-absorbing advantages of cartilage. This invariably results in terrific pain, stiffness, swelling which paves the way for reduced ability to move and formation of bone spurs.

How is the osteoarthritis of the knee diagnosed?
In most cases, the osteoarthritis of the knee starts with the physical exam taken by an expert. The doctor would also take the medical history and make a note of your physical symptoms. You should be able to relate to your doctor what makes the symptoms worse and what helps in bettering the condition. It is important to consider whether anyone in your family has arthritis of the knees. It may be needful to take some additional tests including:

X-rays of the bones and cartilage that can show any signs of damage and presence of bone spurs.
MRI or magnetic resonance imaging: It may be ordered when the X-rays fails to offer any clear reason for the joint pain or when it says that the tissues in the joint can be damaged.
Doctors may also recommend certain blood tests for ruling out other conditions which could be causing symptoms similar to knee osteoarthritis.

What are the knee osteoarthritis treatment options?
The main goals of knee osteoarthritis treatment are in relieving the pain and returning the full state of mobility. The treatment plan normally includes a combination or any of the following:

Weight loss treatment: You will be surprised to know that losing even a small amount of weight can decrease the knee osteoarthritis to a significant extent.

Workout: When you are under the knee osteoarthritis treatment, it becomes important to strengthen the muscles in the knee. This would help in making the joint more stable and reduce the pain. There are numerous strengthening workouts that help in keeping the joint mobile and flexible.

Anti-inflammatory and pain-relieving drugs: The medications for k nee osteoarthritis treatment include ibuprofen, acetaminophen, naproxen sodium and others. But you should bear in mind that these medicines should not be taken for more than 10 days. This is because they can give way to unwanted side effects and in case these medicines fail to provide relief then your doctor may recommend some more powerful anti-inflammatory drug which can ease the pain.

Corticosteroid injections: Steroids are considered immensely powerful anti-inflammatory drugs and you can also take hyaluronic acid injections for lubricating the joints and ease discomfort.

Alternative therapies: This may include topical creams with high amounts of capsaicin, supplements with chondroitin and glucosamine and acupuncture.

Braces: Using devices like braces can help in healing knee osteoarthritis to a significant extent. Two types of braces are available where the “support” braces can offer support to the entire knee while the “ unloader ” braces can take the weight away from the sides which can reduce the inflammation.

Physical therapies: Some people with knee osteoarthritis have trouble with daily activities and in case you are one of them, physical and occupational therapy can be of immense help to you. The physical therapists would help you to strengthen the muscles and improve the flexibility of the joints. On the other hand, occupational therapists can show you how to perform day to day activities without much pain.

Surgical interventions: When all these above methods fail to offer substantial relief, then surgery is the only knee osteoarthritis treatment that must be undertaken.

What are the surgical treatments for knee osteoarthritis?
In case your doctor wants to treat the knee osteoarthritis with surgical interventions, then there are three primary options including osteotomy , arthroplasty , and arthroscopy. Here is a brief description of how each goes:

Osteotomy : It is a process which aims at bettering the knee alignment better by altering the shape of the bones. This kind of operation is recommended when the damage has occurred to a single area of the knee. It is also suggested when a person has broken the knee and it has not healed properly. But it is important to understand that it is not a permanent solution and further procedures may be required.

Arthroplasty or joint replacement surgery: This is a surgical procedure where the knee joints are replaced with artificial ones that are created from bio-compatible metals or plastic. It could involve either side of the knee or the whole of it. It is generally recommended for people aged over 50 with severe osteoarthritis.

Arthroscopy: In this process, a small telescope is used and the surgery is performed through tiny incisions. The doctor uses the arthroscope to see the various parts of the joints and fixing them and it is usually recommended for younger people.

These are the possible knee osteoarthritis treatment that can help in improving the discomfort of the knees. It is very important not only to take care of your diet but also be health conscious to avoid this ailment.

Related Reading

Tips for Buying the Best Dog Food

Most of the dogs do not have a food fuss and may eat almost anything that you feed them. Dogs are not choosy at all when it comes to food and nutrition. Hence, it is important to make sure that the food that you are purchasing for your dog is healthy. The landscape of dog food has been developing by leaps and bounds in recent times. There is a wide variety of options to choose from in the online and offline market. Given the wide range of options that are available today, buying the best dog food might seem to be a confusing task indeed. All the commercial pet food that is available in the market today is regulated by the FDA. Therefore, most of the products do contain nutritious, healthy, and safe ingredients. But it does help to know certain basic factors you should look for while buying food for your dog. Prioritize on the nutritional guarantee The best dog food, which meets the dog’s needs adequately has a statement written on the label of the product, from the Association of American Feed Control Officials. Buy from some of the best dog food brands, such as Fromm Family Foods, Earthborn Holistic, Nature’s Variety Instinct, and The Honest Kitchen.

Different Types of Kitchen Cabinets Available for Your Home

The most important aspect when designing your kitchen is deciding on the type of cabinets. In addition to functionality, kitchen cabinets score on aesthetics as well. Once the layout is planned, you can go ahead with choosing the cabinets. If you’re remodeling your home or just the kitchen, what you need to consider are the types of cabinets that furnish your kitchen. Here are a few types of kitchen cabinets that you can choose from. Base cabinets These kitchen cabinets are mounted on the floor and they are placed after checking out the floor plan. A major part of your job in the kitchen is on these base cabinets, which hold and support the countertops. These base cabinets are combined to carve out kitchen islands. A number of base cabinets are fused/set against one another and installed on site. The base cabinets, in addition to supporting the countertops, serve as drawers to hold your cutlery and appliances. Wall cabinets Mounted on the walls, these cabinets can store everything, right from your cookware to cookbooks. In terms of design, they offer utmost flexibility. Wall cabinet kitchen is available in varying heights, multiple widths, and custom depth options. This customization helps you to fit in your stuff of varying shapes and sizes into the wall cabinets.

How to Pick the Right Dog Food for a Sensitive Stomach

In today’s world, where you are presented with over a dozen choices for every item you would purchase for your own kitchen, it is not surprising that you have an equal number of options for your dog’s food. However, choosing the perfect brand and formula for your dog out of a range of options in the market is not an easy job. Your pet depends on you and trusts you to make the right choice for them. Therefore, it is imperative that you do your research about the products available in the market, understand what your dog needs, know what might be your pet’s problems, and then make a sound decision. What is a sensitive stomach? Dogs are known to have voracious and large appetites. Keeping that in mind, it is normal to assume that they have strong stomachs. They can eat close to anything be it sweets, bakes, chewy gum, hard leather or even woolen socks for that matter! It always so happens that the strongest of them are prone to allergies and can develop a disorder which is medically translated as a sensitive stomach. This might be due to a sudden change in the food habits or even due an infection picked up from somewhere.

All You Need to Know about Cat Food

For cat owners, cat food is a hot topic. You need to think about it in different aspects. The best thing is to know which ingredients are good for cat food and which are harmful. If you are aware of this, you can get an idea about the quality of the cat food just by going through the label. It is always sensible to stick to one brand of cat food. However, you may also want to try and prepare cat food yourself. There are also various options for wet cat food as well. Cat’s love for fish is universal, so you can do without going for expensive cat food. Nevertheless, whether you buy it or prepare cat food at home, you need to ensure that the food contains enough nutrition and calories. You would need to have some idea about the ingredients that must be present in cat food and make a worthy selection for your cat. Basic ingredients present in good cat foods Cats need a variety of nutrients to stay healthy and active; they need various vitamins, minerals, fats, proteins, and oils. The following is a brief explanation of the basic ingredients that should be present in cat foods.