10/30/2022 0 Comments Symphytum offNatural remedies may reduce dependency on NSAIDs and analgesics and could have an important role in the treatment of OA even if they were only moderately effective. For example, some COX-2 inhibitors were found to increase edema and blood pressure, thus increasing the risk for stroke and other cardiovascular events. 4,10 Indeed, some of the most prescribed drugs for arthritis have been withdrawn from public consumption by pharmaceutical companies because of severe adverse effects. With the current frequency and severity of adverse effects from analgesics and NSAIDs, suggestions for less toxic treatments of OA are warranted. 9 As the rate of OA is predicted to increase because of the aging baby boomers and extended life expectancy, the number of people suffering adverse effects from analgesic and NSAID use such as kidney and liver disease and ulcers will increase. The mean US medical care expenditures for adults with arthritis and other rheumatic conditions in 2003 was $6978, and the total cost was $321.8 billion. Those who do not elect to have surgery will have to contend with the continuing cost of pain relief and anti-inflammatory medication. Corrective surgery, which does not include joint replacement, can cost between $8000 and $20 000 and surgery that includes joint replacement can cost as much as $70 000. Unfortunately, other than analgesic therapy, most physicians believe that little can be done for the disease. Such treatment includes exercise or orthoses and usually involves analgesic or nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). 8 As no cure is currently available for OA, treatment focuses on reducing symptoms. 4 Risk factors for OA include advancing age, repetitive motion, family history, obesity, and injury. Other signs of OA include crepitus, bony enlargement, deformity, instability, restricted movement, warmth, effusion, synovial thickening, and muscle weakness or wasting. The most common clinical features of OA include pain, stiffness, swelling, and inflammation. 6 It is estimated that, by age 65 years, 80% of the population will have detectable radiographic changes typical of OA and 60% of those with detectable radiographic changes will have pain, whereas 15% to 30% will have mobility problems. 4 The disease most frequently affects the knee and hand 5 and is the primary reason for joint replacement surgery. 3 Osteoarthritis is now thought to be a collection of similar diseases affecting the joints rather than a single disease. Early 20th century pathologists and radiologists observed osteophytes within articulations and referred to the abnormality of the joint as OA. 2 Osteoarthritis is the most common form of arthritis and is a major cause of disability and suffering, particularly in the aging population. More than 21% of US adults (46.4 million persons) are affected by arthritis, 1 and nearly 27 million of those have clinical osteoarthritis (OA).
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