Impact and therapy of osteoarthritis: the Arthritis Care OA Nation 2012 survey

Abstract

Osteoarthritis (OA) is the fastest growing cause of disability worldwide. The aim of this study was to understand the impact of OA on individuals and to explore current treatment strategies. An online UK-wide survey of people with self-reported OA was conducted composed of 52 questions exploring the impact of OA, diagnosis and treatment, the role of health professionals and self-management. 4,043 people were invited with 2,001 respondents (49% response, 56% women, mean age 65 years). 52% reported that OA had a large impact on their lives. 15% of respondents had taken early retirement, on average 7.8 years earlier than planned. In consultations with general practitioners, only half reported a discussion on pain; fewer reported discussing their fears (21%) or management goals (15%).Nearly half (48%) reported not seeking medical help until pain was frequently unbearable.Oral analgesics (62%), topical therapies (47%), physiotherapy (38%) and steroid injections (28%) were commonly used. The majority (71%) reported varying degrees of persistent pain despite taking all prescribed medication. Although 64% knew that increasing exercise was important, only 36% acted on this knowledge; 87% who increased exercise found it beneficial. Over half had future concerns related to mobility (60%), maintaining independence (52%) and coping with everyday activities (51%). OA had significant individual economic impact especially on employment. Current treatment strategies still leave most people in pain with significant fears for the future. There is considerable opportunity to improve the holistic nature of OA consultations especially in provision of information and promotion of self-management strategies.

Demographic and Clinical Factors Associated With Nonsurgical Osteoarthritis Treatment Among Patients in Outpatient Clinics

“…Approximately one-half of the participants reported current use of NSAIDs compared to approximately 25% for any non-opioid analgesic and even less for opioids, which is consistent with OA treatment guidelines (4) and similar to other studies of OA oral analgesics in UK (14) and the US (10). …”

“…knee injection, topical creams, PT) was less common in our study. Approximately 50% of participants had ever had a knee injection, which is similar to U.S. Medicare data (35); in contrast, 16.9% (15) and 27.5% (14) of patients received knee injections in two studies from the UK, suggesting that joint injections may be more commonly used in the US. Thirty-two to fifty-seven percent of our participants reported current use of topical creams, which is consistent with Conaghan et al, who reported 46.5% and 4.3% of individuals with OA had used an anti-inflammatory gel and capsaicin gel, respectively (14), and with Porcheret et al, who reported 38.8% for topical NSAIDs (15), both among UK populations.…”

“…Furthermore, evaluation of use of specific OA treatments is limited to a few studies (10, 14, 15). Assessing patterns of OA treatment use among individuals in different outpatient settings is critical for identifying gaps in recommended care, which, in turn, could lead to interventional approaches to mitigate these gaps that would be applicable to individuals of diverse backgrounds, including those with varying access to care.…”

Particle-based technologies for osteoarthritis detection and therapy

“…[18] These treatments can be classified into three main categories: non-pharmacological, pharmacological, and surgical. Non-pharmacological treatments include reduction of weight on the affected joint or braces that mechanically stabilize the joint.…”

Morin Exhibits Anti-Inflammatory Effects on IL-1β-Stimulated Human Osteoarthritis Chondrocytes by Activating the Nrf2 Signaling Pathway

“…OA, also called degenerative joint disease, is a disease of the whole joint in which all articular structures are affected [2]. It is a chronic articular disease that affects millions of people in the world that is characterized by a loss of articular cartilage leading to narrowing of the joint space, increased joint friction, persistent pain, and functional impairment [3]. Until now, pharmacologic and nonpharmacologic modalities were commonly used to manage OA [4].…”