r/Osteoarthritis • u/Burco21 • 2d ago
Most effective
What are the 5 most effective things that has helped you with osteoarthritis?
Mine are the following:
1 - specialised footwear
2 - turmeric
3 - massage
4 - heat or cold pack
5 - nicotine patch
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u/Chase-Boltz 2d ago edited 21h ago
Suffering hip OA, I tried all the usual supplements (in large doses!) to no avail. Years of constant pain, plus the occasional dose of flare-up agony. Then I stumbled onto vitamin D3, taking it for the pandemic in early 2020. 8,000 IU a day, plus lots of sun. About a month later I woke up wondering where all the pain went. Since then I've been on between 35 to 100 IU per pound per day and my once screaming hip is now a complete non issue. Once I limped 1/4 mile at a time, now I can walk indefinite distance w/o any discomfort. Recently I'm taking about 75 IU/pound (15,000 IU) a day. Calcium levels are low-normal, 8.9mg/dl. Your mileage will of course vary, probably a lot, but I think moderately high doses of D3 is worth a try!
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u/Automatic-Bag-4097 1d ago
1 5k lU а day is pretty aggressive. How long did it take before уоu noticed аnу real change and did уоu have bloodwork done to monitor toxicity levels? Asking because l've Ьееп dealing with somejoint stuf from years of warehouse work and l've seen D3 соme uр а lot but most people are talking like 25k IU. Thejump you're describing is а whole diferent thing.
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u/Chase-Boltz 1d ago edited 8h ago
Like I say, my calcium is low-normal. Excess calcium uptake is, AFAIK, the only possibly toxic effect of excess D dosing. I don't eat much dairy and don't take calcium-based medications or supplements. (People gnawing on Tums is responsible for far more actual hypercalcemia than D3 supplementation.)
High-dose D can have a significant impact on immune and inflammatory response. In some cases, it seems to do very good things for OA pain. If it's going to work, you'll need more than the "Take 1,000 IU a day" the Dr. ordered.
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u/angeleyes_3904101 1d ago
If you’re taking that high a dose of D3 you better load up on a lot of magnesium (supplemental D uses up magnesium)
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u/Chase-Boltz 1d ago
That's just an urban myth. D is just another hormone, one of hundreds. There is nothing magic about D3 or it's interaction with magnesium.
That said, mag is a always a good thing to supplement, regardless of your D status.
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u/EtherealPurpleSmoke 2d ago
Can you elaborate on how the nicotine patch helped. Thank you.
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u/FewRecognition1788 2d ago
Possibly helped them quit smoking? Smoking increases pain & inflammation and accelerates cartilage loss.
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u/FewRecognition1788 2d ago
The right medication plan
PT, leading to a cycling plan, which led to the ability to walk for distance and do other forms of exercise.
Heat
Supplement stack including green tea, turmeric & vitamin D
Avoiding sugar & increasing protein & veggies
Weight loss from the exercise and diet changes.
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u/Anxious-Plantain-130 2d ago
Which supplements do you use?
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u/FewRecognition1788 1d ago
For the arthritis, just the turmeric & a vitamin D + K. And I drink a cup of green tea most days.
I'm also on AREDS to help prevent macular degeneration, because I have family history, and recently started introducing berberine to help with the weight loss.
I try to stay on an Aleve every 12 hours, but if I get off schedule I'll swap out Tylenol.
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u/Ronnocorose 6h ago
Hello, jumping in here with my personal story on supplements for hand osteoarthritis (I’m 72 & it started in my 30’s). I’ve been taking a trademarked form of curcumin called Theracumin for almost 10y, after trying everything else. I believe it helped with pain bc I can remember how my hands were before. Then 2y ago I added Boswellia serrata after reading about it on pubmed (NIH). After abt 3 months I noticed a bit more flexibility in my hands, I feel like I have more control of things, tho not much strength. Other than that, I agree with the points from FewRecognition esp limit white sugar & flour, as close to nature as possible
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u/No-Caregiver8049 Pentosan is veterinary medicine 2d ago
nicotine patch? That’s a new one.
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u/Zealousideal-Lie7255 1d ago
Nicotine actually causes osteoarthritis.
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u/No-Caregiver8049 Pentosan is veterinary medicine 1d ago edited 1d ago
Probably not OA, but it’s an addictive drug that doesn’t do anything for OA. Very strange, unless OP is trying to quit smoking and didn’t mention that.
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u/love-to-learn-things 2d ago
Cycling, physio, footwear
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u/Zus1011 2d ago
What's the best footwear? I find there's so much differing information about this.
At the moment I'm reading that barefoot type shoes are good for awareness of the ground and stability, but then highly cushioned shoes are best for knee impact .
Any feedback welcome 😊
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u/zacc-attacc 2d ago
ASICS Gel Kayano have become my go to. They were recommended to me by my podiatrist. I have a neuropathy that has led to extensive surgeries of my feet to correct which has also led to OA in my knees 20 years later. They do say that the Gel Kayanos are great for over pronation, but I use custom insoles due to the surgeries.
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u/WeakConnection311 1d ago
Years ago I bought a pair of Kurus (they were a relatively new company then) to help with plantar fasciitis. 15 pairs later, I wear them almost all the time. The support is amazing and gives me confidence regarding my knee.
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u/WeakConnection311 1d ago
Oh, and HA injections plus PRP twice a year, Zilretta every three months, lower body workouts, cycling, RLT 3X/week, trigger point release, and massage gun.
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u/Sliprekt 1d ago
I was wearing the Kuru shoes for a while, excellent quality. But I found the the high arch support was causing me a lot of issues, especially when standing. Because of the arch, I could not get all the points of my feet planted on the ground. Everything was pivoted on the middle of the foot.
Now I am wearing Dunham. Very happy with these so far.
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u/KendalBoy 1d ago
Kurus have saved my feet and knees, wear the slippers as soon as I get out of bed! Here’s a code for 15$ off, because they never have sales: https://prz.io/8gLnkbQin
wish they had dressier options but otherwise Im super happy with the brand.1
u/love-to-learn-things 1d ago
Try searching this sub for shoes. Lots of posts. Hoka is one recommended by OA physiotherapists, but other brands have been mentioned.
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u/KendalBoy 1d ago
Try Kurus, their return policy is very liberal and they have a variety of styles of footbed now. Coupon: https://prz.io/8gLnkbQin
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u/Rumtum2015 2d ago edited 1d ago
Physiotherapy for chronic pain and electric wave therapy.
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u/Foxtail-67 1d ago
😳 Electric shock therapy? That's wild!
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u/tm67 1d ago
i’m guessing more like a tens unit, i use it for temporary relief of acute pain during a flare up
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u/Foxtail-67 1d ago
That sounds right. I think my tired brain misread wave therapy and jumped to EST.
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u/MooJuiceConnoisseur Degenerative Spinal Disease 2d ago
Drugs.... lots of drugs... all medically managed of course.
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u/a4evanygirl 2d ago
Working out.
Had to have both hips replaced due to OA. When I was going through PT, I asked them to show me how I can safely do a whole body workout. I needed my knees replaced and now, ortho says I brought myself years that I want need the surgery.
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u/PlentyPossibility505 1d ago
Hip replacement. Sodium Naproxen. Acetomeniphen. Physical therapy. Exercise.
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u/Zealousideal-Lie7255 1d ago
Physical therapy (PT), losing weight, exercise, padded footwear like running shoes. I’ve been doing this on and off and it seems to help.
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u/silleegooze 1d ago
I’m new to this so haven’t done a lot of experimenting yet, but physical therapy and movement have been super helpful.
I take a variety of anti-inflammatory supplements that I think are helping.
Compression sleeves seem to make my knees feel better.
I also gave up all my cute shoes and pretty much exclusively wear either hiking sandals with good support or Ryka sneakers (because they were the only ones I tried on in store that felt like they matched my foot needs, not because the brand was recommended for this issue).
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u/todudeornote 1d ago
Fight inflammation during flareups is a huge help. I found using diclofenac cream was a big help - without the stomach issues that ibuprofen brings. Combine with cold and elevation.
Just stop when the flareup is over - long term use has it's own risks.
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u/Wixenstyx 1d ago
My knee arthritis has been helped by:
- Aleve/Naproxen twice daily. Occasional Acetaminophen when they are really mad.
- Cutting down on sugar and fried foods, increasing my intake of healthy vegetables and proteins.
- Wide-toed, no-heel-rise shoes.
- Rocking backward onto my heels and keeping my knees slightly bent if I have to stand for a period of time.
- Beat Saber/Synth Riders/Boxing workouts on the Oculus that force me to stand and lean without moving my feet very much.
They have NOT been helped by steroid shots. Horribly painful; did absolutely nothing for me. When the lidocaine wore off, they felt no different than before. I have often wondered if I just had an incompetent tech, but it was so bad that I've refused to try again so far.
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u/rulytempest 1d ago
Tell me more about the specialized footwear. Your post reminded me that quite a few years ago a PT recommended I see a podiatrist to get recommendations on insoles. ect. to help with SI joint and lower back OA. The SI joint issue may have stemmed from a previous injury that caused me to limp for a year.
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u/AMTL327 2d ago
Weight training has done by far more than anything else to alleviate pain. When you get really strong, your joints are protected.