We’re going to come out and say it — there is no cure for osteoarthritis. Once your cartilage has worn down, it’s gone for good. You can have surgeries to replace or supplement it, but you can’t heal or regrow what you’ve lost. As a result of no cartilage, you will face swelling in your joints and knees, causing stiffness and chronic pain.
Although drugs and surgery can provide temporary pain relief for osteoarthritis patients, they can cause more problems. Plus, the pain never really goes away with these treatments — the majority of knee replacement patients say that surgery has done nothing to ease their suffering.
But, there are better methods out there to help with osteoarthritis pain. Here are five suggestions you can follow to help ease your symptoms without resorting to painkillers and surgery.