Sunday, September 9, 2007

Treatment

Treatment
Like the symptoms, treatment varies depending on the form
of arthritis affecting the knee. For osteoarthritis, treatment
is targeted at relieving symptoms and may include painreducing
medicines such as aspirin or acetaminophen
(Tylenol2); nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs)
such as ibuprofen (Motrin, Nuprin, Advil); or in some cases
injections of corticosteroid medications directly into the
knee joint. Other treatments for the pain of knee osteoarthritis
include injections of hyaluronic acid substitutes and the
nutritional supplements glucosamine and chondroitin sulphate.
For more information about the use of these two supplements,
see the section titled “What Research Is Being
Conducted on Knee Problems?”
People with diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis, ankylosing
spondylitis, or psoriatic arthritis often require disease-modifying
antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs) or biologic response
modifiers (biologics) to control the underlying disease that is
the source of their knee problems. These drugs are typically
prescribed after less potent treatments such as NSAIDs or
intra-articular injections are deemed ineffective.

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