Management of Osteoarthritis

Osteoarthritis is known as degenerative joint disease or osteoartrosis (even if there is inflammation) is a joint disorder that most commonly found and often lead to disability. (Smeltzer, Suzanne C, 2002 - 1087)

Nursing Management of Osteoarthritis

1. Drugs

Until now there has been no specific drug that is typical for osteoarthritis, because pathogenesis is unclear, given medication intended to reduce pain, improve mobility and reduce disability. Anti inflamasinon drugs as analgesics and steroids work while reducing synovitis, although not able to fix or stop the pathological process of osteoarthritis.

2. Protection of joints

Osteoarthritis may arise or be strengthened due to poor body mechanism. To avoid excessive activity in diseased joints. The use of a cane, power tools that can simplify the joint work is also noteworthy. Excessive load on the knee because the legs are bent (pronatio).

3. Diet

Diet to lose weight osteoarthritis patients who are obese should be a major program of treatment of osteoarthritis. Weight loss can often reduce the incidence of complaints and inflammation.

4. Psychosocial support

Osteoarthritis of the psychosocial support needed by patients because it is chronic and the resulting inability. On one hand the patient wants to hide his inability, on the other hand he wants other people also think of the disease. Osteoarthritis patients are often reluctant to use auxiliary tools for psychological factors.

5. Sexual Issues

Sexual harassment can be found in patients with osteoarthritis, especially in the spine, hip and knee. Often the discussion because it has to start from the doctors because patients often are reluctant to say it.

6. Physiotherapy

Physiotherapy plays an important role in the management of osteoarthritis, which includes the use of heat and cold and the proper exercise program. The use of heat that is given before the remedy exercises reduce pain and stiffness. In the active joints should be cold and rub medications should not be used prior to heating. A variety of heat sources can be used as Hidrokolator, electric pads, ultrasonic, infrared, paraffin bath and a shower of hot showers.

Training program aims to improve joint motion and strengthen the muscles around the joint is usually atrophic in osteoarthritis. Isometric exercise is better than isotonic because it reduces the stress on the joints. Cartilage and bone atrophy that occurs in the paralyzed limbs arise due to the reduced load to the joints because of muscle contraction. Therefore, periarticular muscles play an important role to the protection of vulnerable joints of the load, the strengthening of these muscles is important.

7. Operation

Surgery should be considered in patients with osteoarthritis of the real joint damage with persistent pain and weakness of the function. Action taken is not a straight osteotomy to correct or discrepancy, joint debridement to remove fragments of the joint cartilage, osteophytes cleaning.