What do you do if you’ve got osteoarthritis of the knee?
Film director Baz Luhrmann made a spoof graduation speech famous with his hit “Everybody’s Free (To Wear Sunscreen)” back in 1999. At the time, I wasn’t particularly worried about the line in that track: “Be kind to your knees, you’ll miss them when they’re gone.” But, you get older, knees become more of a focus, so what are you to do if you suffer from osteoarthritis of the knee (thankfully, I don’t…yet).
According to SBM, here’s what a massive scientific review of the various possible treatments has to say:
Exercise – strong evidence for effectiveness
Weight loss – moderate evidence for
Acupuncture – strong evidence against
Physical agents TENS, ultrasound, etc. – inconclusive
Manual therapy chiropractic, massage – inconclusive
Valgus directing force brace – inconclusive
Lateral wedge insoles – moderate evidence against
Glucosamine and chondroitin – strong evidence against
NSAIDs – strong evidence for
Acetaminophen, opioids, pain patches – inconclusive
Intraarticular corticosteroid injections – inconclusive
Hyaluronic acid injections – strong evidence against
Hyaluronic acid supplements – see above
Growth factor injections and/or platelet rich plasma – inconclusive
Needle lavage – moderate evidence against
Arthroscopy with lavage and debridement – strong evidence against
Partial meniscectomy in osteoarthritis patients with torn meniscus – inconclusive
Valgus producing proximal ti...
Source: Sciencebase Science Blog - Category: Medical Scientists Authors: David Bradley Tags: Science Source Type: blogs
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