Arthritis is one of my personal greatest fears in a collapsed society. I can store food and medicines, fuel, spare parts, clothing, and much more against times of difficulty. But if I take after Grandma Helen, as I have in so many other ways, I will have arthritis in my knees in about seven years. Current treatment involves knee replacement surgeries. I’m not convinced that those kinds of surgeries will be performed in the challenging times that lie ahead. Treatments such as cortisone injections like my grandmother had and physical and occupational therapy likely will not be available either.
So I’ve got to figure out what I can do to prepare, and what, if anything, can be done to avoid going down the same path.
Arthritis is simply an inflammation of the joint(s). It can be due to wear and tear on the cartilage, as in osteoarthritis, autoimmune disease like rheumatoid arthritis, bacterial infections, or several other diseases, which will be addressed in other posts. Today’s article will cover osteoarthritis, a condition which ultimately affects nearly ten percent of Americans.
Regardless of the cause, the signs and symptoms are similar[1]:
- Avoidance using the joint
- Bone spurs—bits of bone that feel like hard lumps forming around the affected joint
- Fluid accumulation in the joint space
- Grating sensation and/or popping when the joint is moved
- Joint stiffness and diminished range of motion, especially upon waking
- Pain, from mild to severe, especially after moving the joint
- Swelling
- Tenderness when light pressure is applied to the joint
Additional helps in diagnosis:
- If the joint feels like a water balloon, but it isn't an acute injury, it's inflammation, like rheumatoid arthritis or osteoarthritis.
- If it is possibly infected, it should feel warm. If you need to confirm infection, put a syringe into the joint and withdraw fluid. If the fluid is foggy or blood-tinged or has pus, it's infected. If it is yellow, it is normal synovial fluid.
Osteoarthritis occurs when the cartilage cushioning the ends of the bones deteriorates, allowing the ends of the bones to grate against each other. There is no cure. Modern treatment involves replacement surgery (for knees and hips), injections, and physical therapy. More primitive treatment from decades past focuses on reducing the inflammation using conventional pharmaceuticals and herbs.
Risk factors for osteoarthritis[2]:
- Body mechanics, such as the way you walk or joints that have a wider range of motion than usual (hypermobility)
- Bone deformities
- Genetics
- Gout
- Menopause (due to falling levels of estrogen, which protects bone and cartilage)
- Metabolic diseases like diabetes and hemochromatosis
- Obesity
- Old age
- Previous injury, especially in athletes
- Repetitive motion, as may occur with a job or hobby, may wear joints down
Preventing osteoarthritis may not be possible. There’s no way to stop aging or menopause, nor can anything be done about genetic issues. However, losing excess weight and controlling diabetes can help significantly. In addition, any time a joint is injured, it should be rested to facilitate proper healing.
TREATMENT
- Conventional pharmaceuticals
- Acetaminophen
- Over-the-counter NSAIDs such as naproxen and ibuprofen (as well as OTC acid reducers if NSAIDs bother stomach)
- Prescription NSAIDs like meloxicam (Mobic), which only needs to be taken once per day
- Topical creams like capsaicin, NSAID creams
- DMSO (massage into skin above affected joint)
- Exercise (While rest provides short-term relief, it also can cause increased stiffness. It’s a balance.)
- Weight loss
- Heat
- Paraffin bath (hot wax treatment) for hand arthritis
- Herbs
- Catnip (infusion, poultice)
- Cayenne (infusion, cream, oil)
- Comfrey (infusion, poultice)
- German chamomile (infusion, essential oil massaged into skin above affected joint)
- Juniper salve
- Lomatium (infusion, decoction)
- Pine pitch salve
- Red clover infusion
- Red raspberry infusion
- Russian olive (fruit and seed infusion)
- Sagebrush (poultice and liniment)
[1] “Osteoarthritis,” Mayo Clinic, https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/osteoarthritis/symptoms-causes/syc-20351925 (accessed 8 April 2021).
[2] “Osteoarthritis,” Mayo Clinic, https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/osteoarthritis/symptoms-causes/syc-20351925 (accessed 8 April 2021).
