Stepped therapy for osteoarthritis

  Osteoarthritis, depending on the severity of the condition, its treatment can be broadly divided into the following three stages from general treatment to specialist treatment: non-pharmacological treatment, pharmacological treatment and surgical treatment in three categories. We use a stepwise treatment method according to the specific condition of the patient to achieve satisfactory results.  1.Early stage: Non-pharmacological treatment is used, mainly to improve lifestyle, reduce weight, reduce strenuous activities, avoid climbing mountains, avoid repeated squatting, etc., which can be supplemented with non-invasive treatment methods such as physiotherapy to relieve pain symptoms and delay the development of lesions.  2.Mid-term: For those who are ineffective in early non-pharmacological treatment and have obvious symptoms, oral or topical non-steroidal anti-inflammatory and analgesic drugs and sodium glacial injection in the joint cavity can be used. For cartilage, meniscus and other structural injuries that are limited on the nuclear magnetic film, arthroscopic cleaning, repair, microfracture and cartilage transplantation can be used to remove inflammatory factors in the joint cavity, repair local injuries and slow down the progression of lesions. The purpose is to remove inflammatory factors from the joint cavity, repair local damage and slow down the progression of the disease. For osteoarthritis of the knee, if unilateral pain occurs, unicondylar replacement can be considered, which is less invasive and quicker to recover.  3. Late stage: For patients with severe osteoarthritis, the pain symptoms are severe and may be accompanied by joint deformity, the effect of conservative treatment is poor, the symptoms are progressively aggravated, and the patient’s normal life is seriously affected, and there is obvious pain even at rest, joint replacement can be considered. According to their X-ray performance, for example, if they have unicompartmental osteoarthritis, unicompartmental (unicondylar) replacement can be considered. If the X-ray performance is degenerative degeneration of the whole joint, total knee surface replacement is needed to relieve pain, improve deformity, restore knee flexion, extension and weight-bearing function, and improve the quality of life.