DOES ARTHRITIS MEAN I HAVE TO HAVE PAIN FOREVER? In our office, the answer is almost always a strong “NO,” but it is a perception that many patients have, possibly because their PCPs don’t have many answers. Keep in mind that the joint is surrounded by the soft tissues (fascia, ligaments, tendons, muscles) and, in most cases, these tissues actually create much more pain than the joint does. Address the problems in the tissues surrounding the joint and the pain can go away.
In this particular study, the authors looked at what patients did after being given a diagnosis of knee arthritis. 75% percent of them took matters into their own hands by increasing activity levels, 33% turned to acupuncture, orthotics, braces and 36% started supplements. The results were very encouraging–after 6 months, the majority of patients in the study had found some relief from this approach. I know that in our office, we strongly urge patients to increase their activity levels with very good results.