Osteoarthritis treatment, rehabilitation and medication

If you remember spending your holidays unsupervised exploring the streets on your bike, jumping on trampolines (without nets) and the obligatory warm, sometimes curdled milk served at recess, you probably grew up in the 60s.

And, if you do remember the 60s, there’s a high chance you’ll be affected by osteoarthritis, despite all that extra calcium from the school milk program.

Osteoarthritis is a disease that affects more than a million Australians, and if you’re 65 years or over, you’re even more at risk. It occurs when tissues in your joint weaken, which can cause pain, stiffness and limitation of movement.

This disease is often called the ‘silent disease’ because you may not even know you have it until you fall and break a bone.

If you’re asking yourself 'Why is it so?', just consider us Julius Sumner Miller as we answer some of the more common questions around osteoarthritis treatments.

Osteoarthritis is a degenerative disease and currently there is no cure. However, across the globe there’s research into stem cell therapy as a treatment for the disease, as well as using ‘blockers’ to stop the osteoarthritis from worsening.

Although these treatments are still in the initial research stage, it’s an exciting start in the reversal of osteoarthritis.

Physical therapy and exercise is an important part of managing your osteoarthritis as it helps strengthen the muscles around the affected joints which will improve its stability and flexibility. Whatever your fitness level or severity of osteoarthritis, there’s a way to incorporate exercise into your lifestyle – from strength and resistance training to water therapy and massage.

For recommendations on stretching, exercise and strength programs to suit your specific needs, a visit to the physio might be on the cards.

There are a number of nib covers that pay benefits for physiotherapy and remedial massage. To check whether you’re covered, log onto member account or view your policy via the nib App.

Maintaining a healthy weight can help reduce the severity of the symptoms associated with osteoarthritis and making some changes to your diet is a great place to start. Aim to fill your diet with fruit, vegetables, lean protein and grains – and cut out highly processed, fatty or sugary treats.

To help ease the symptoms of osteoarthritis, there may be some benefits to upping your intake of anti-inflammatory foods including green leafy vegetables, beans, flaxseeds, walnuts and salmon. However, for personalised advice, make an appointment with a dietitian to talk through your options.

To help relieve the symptoms of osteoarthritis, your doctor may recommend you take medication – the most common types of medication are pain relief (like paracetamol) and anti-inflammatories. Some people are also given the option of corticosteroid injections into their joint to help reduce the inflammation. For more on osteoarthritis medication, talk to your GP.

If all other treatment options have proved ineffective, you might benefit from joint replacement surgery (or arthroplasty). This involves replacing the bony parts of your joints with an artificial joint or a prosthesis. However, choosing to undergo surgery is not a decision that should be taken lightly, with each procedure coming with its own set of risks and recovery times.

If you’re suffering from a muscle, joint or bone condition like osteoarthritis, nib offers eligible members a range of health management programs these programs to help manage your condition.

The information on this page is general information and should not be used to diagnose or treat a health problem or disease. Do not use the information found on this page as a substitute for professional health care advice. Any information you find on this page or on external sites which are linked to on this page should be verified with your professional healthcare provider.