The primary hallmark of osteoarthritis is the wear and tear of the articular cartilage. Articular cartilage is the smooth tissue that connects bones. Its function is to reduce friction on the joint surface and allow smooth joint movement. Over time, the articular cartilage can wear down, causing increased friction between the bones of the joint and, ultimately, joint pain, swelling, and dysfunction.

Common Symptoms of Osteoarthritis

Osteoarthritis exhibits the following symptoms:

• Joint pain: This is the most common symptom, and usually becomes worse either after exercise or after prolonged periods of inactivity.
• Joint swelling: Damaged joints may experience swelling and inflammation.
• Joint deformation: Osteoarthritis may lead to joint deformities, such as fingers appearing like an eagle’s claws.
• Movement restriction: People may experience limited movement due to joint pain and stiffness, especially in the morning or after prolonged sitting.
• Cracking sound: There may be a crackling or popping sound from the damaged joint.
• Muscle frailty: As the individual tries to relieve joint pain, surrounding muscles may become weak.

How Is Osteoarthritis Treated?

Risk factors for osteoarthritis include age, family history, obesity, joint injuries, joint abnormalities, or congenital conditions, among others.

The goal of osteoarthritis treatment is to relieve pain, slow its progression, improve joint function, and improve the person’s quality of life. Treatment can vary depending on the severity of the condition, but the following are common treatment options:

Nondrug

• Weight management: Losing a bit of weight for overweight or obese people can reduce the burden on joints and relieve symptoms.
• Physiotherapy: Physiotherapy and exercise therapy can improve muscle and joint stability, reduce pain, and improve joint mobility and function.
• Walking aids: Aids such as crutches or canes, which can share part of the body weight while walking and reduce the burden on the joints.

Medical

• Over-the-counter medicines: Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), such as ibuprofen and acetaminophen, can relieve pain and inflammation.
• Topical medications: Creams, gels, or paddings applied to joints, such as topical pain relievers or NSAIDs, can help relieve pain.
• Hyaluronic acid injections: Some patients may opt for hyaluronic acid injections to increase the viscosity of the fluid in the joint, relieve joint friction, and reduce pain.

Surgical

• Joint replacement surgery: For osteoarthritis that severely affects quality of life, the doctor may recommend joint replacement surgery, which replaces damaged joint surfaces with artificial joints.
• Osteoarthrectomy: In cases of joint deformity or instability, surgery may be employed to reshape the joint.

Recovery and Self-Management

Learn how to manage pain and maintain joint health, including rational scheduling of activities, avoiding overuse of joints, and exercising accordingly. The treatment plan should be tailor-made to the person’s specific situation and their degree of disease progression. In addition, maintaining an active and healthy lifestyle are also crucial to relieving symptoms and improving joint health.

How Does TCM Treat Osteoarthritis?

Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) has many prescriptions for treating osteoarthritis. Prescriptions are made according to the patient’s specific condition and constitution. The following are a few TCM prescriptions commonly used to treat osteoarthritis in clinical practice:

• Gui Fu Di Huang Pills: This is used to treat pain and swelling caused by degeneration of the knee joint, as well as soreness of the waist, knees, tendons, and bones.
• Jing Fang Bai Du Powder: This is mainly used to treat symptoms such as joint redness and swelling, but can also be used for pain and movement disorders.
• Bu Gan Yi Shen Pills: These are primarily used to treat pain and stiffness caused by bony degeneration of the knee joint.
• Knee Joint Relief Granules: Contains a variety of Chinese medicine ingredients, which can dredge the meridians and relieve pain.
• Si Wu Decoction: This decoction is suitable for joint pain and limited mobility caused by insufficient qi and blood, and is especially helpful for women.

TCM has discovered that the human body has a meridian system, a channel for energy movement responsible for transporting qi and blood around the body. These are the basic substances that constitute the body and maintain all its physiological activities. When there is an imbalance or deficiency of qi and blood, disease or other complications may appear. The internal organs are connected to the surface of the body through the meridians. Some points on the meridians with special functions are called acupoints. Stimulating the corresponding acupoints through acupuncture and massage can treat diseases of the corresponding viscera.

Studies have shown that TCM treatment can alleviate pain and improve physical function and quality of life in patients with degenerative knee arthritis, with few adverse reactions.