Living With Knee Osteoarthritis

Osteoarthritis is a disease that causes the cartilage in your joints to wear away, leading to your bones rubbing closer together with less shock absorbing cushion. One of the most common forms of the disease is found in the knee, it can be extremely painful and take away from your quality of life. Symptoms can include swelling, pain, feeling of warmth in joints, decrease in mobility, and stiffness. Osteoarthritis is fairly common with age and it affects 630 million people worldwide. Because this disease affects such a high volume of the world’s population, pharmaceutical companies have developed many medications that can help with pain management. Along with the option of surgery, physicians tend to prescribe nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) and Narcotics to patients with Osteoarthritis of the knee. 

Pills Prescribed More than Lifestyle Interventions in Knee OA

Researchers have compiled and analysed data collected from visits to orthopedists and primary care physicians regarding Osteoarthritis in the knee. They looked to find out at what rate physicians were recommending physical therapist referral, lifestyle counseling, NSAIDs prescriptions, and narcotics prescriptions. Statistics showed that there was an increase in the rates of prescriptions for NSAIDs (132/1,000 to 278/1,000) and narcotics (77/1,000 to 236/1,000). While the rates for physical therapy recommendations decreased (158/1,000 to 88/1,000). And lifestyle recommendation rates were even worse (184/1,000 to 86/1,000). While pharmaceutical treatment methods can help with pain, doctors often neglect the fact that the patients still have trouble engaging in everyday activities. 

 

Alternatives to Pain Pills and Total Knee Replacement Surgery

Medications are being overprescribed and physicians are not taking a holistic approach to this issue. In response to this epidemic Dr. Lanny L. Johnson, M.D. a world recognized orthopedic surgeon, has created a product to help patients suffering with osteoarthritis of the knee. In order to find out whether this product is suited for you, click here for a quick and easy self evaluation. If you wonder, “Will wedge insoles work for me?” this simple evaluation will provide some guidance.

 

How Walking Can Help Ease Knee Osteoarthritis

  If you are suited, then the insoles can help alleviate pain and enable you to engage in more everyday activities. The wedges shift the forces from the affected inner or outer side of the knee to the better side. Dr.Lanny’s wedged insoles for arthritic knees have helped patients become more mobile due to the increase in comfort and support for their knees. With the wedged insoles products, patients have experienced a dramatic increase in their mobility and quality of life. Developed with golfers in mind, Dr. Lanny’s Insoles can help anyone who is experiencing knee pain due to arthritis become more mobile and active. 

To read more about the medication vs. lifestyle research, click here