What Are My Treatment Options for Arthritis?

Arthritis can take a lot of different forms, but at the end of the day, it means one thing: joint inflammation that causes you pain. Whether you’re dealing with arthritis in one of your body’s larger joints — like your hip — or the smaller joints in your hands, the discomfort can be debilitating.

At least, that’s the case if you don’t take action. But there are quite a few arthritis management options that can help you get some relief. As joint pain experts, Dr. Jonathan D. Carlson and our team can help you find what works for you. Visit us at Hawai’i Pain and Spine on the Windward side of O’ahu in Kailua, and we can explore your treatment options.

Here are a few things that often work for people living with arthritis: 

Lifestyle modifications

It might seem counterintuitive if your joint pain makes physical activity uncomfortable, but getting moving plays a big role in arthritis management. The more you can move, the more it can improve your arthritis pain. Plus, staying active can help you delay arthritis-related disability — or even avoid it altogether.

Choose low-impact activities to get you moving. Stretching, Tai Chi, yoga, pilates, hiking, swimming, and cycling could all be good options for you. Talk with Dr. Carlson and our team, and we can help you find forms of exercise that work for your body. 

A healthy diet can also help to limit inflammation, minimizing your arthritis pain. 

Additionally, reaching and maintaining a healthy weight limits the pressure on your joints, making it easier to keep pain at bay. 

Targeted treatment options

Dr. Carlson might also recommend conservative treatment options for you, from hydrotherapy and physical therapy to massage and acupuncture.

Some people get significant relief when they use nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) as needed, too. 

If you’re not getting relief with these conservative treatment options, Dr. Carlson can also apply medication or other treatment directly to the affected joint. This gives many people a large measure of relief. 

Some of the joint pain treatments Dr. Calrson offers here at Hawai’i Pain & Spine include:

• Steroid injections
• Nerve blocks
• Radiofrequency ablation 
• Regenerative medicine like platelet-rich plasma (PRP)

If nothing else brings you relief, you can explore a more involved treatment for certain joints, like SI joint fusion or joint replacement. 

Clearly, you have a wide range of options you can try for your arthritis. To talk with Dr. Carlson and develop a personalized plan that makes your arthritis pain as manageable as possible, call our office to schedule an appointment today.