Word: paines
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...thighs that help raise and lower the legs. "It's common knowledge that patients with osteoarthritis of the knee will have weakness in the quadriceps," says Dr. Kenneth Brandt, a rheumatologist at Indiana University in Indianapolis. For a long time, physicians assumed this was because their patients' pain prevented them from exercising. But five years ago, Brandt and his colleagues began studying a group of 400 elderly people living in central Indiana and discovered, much to their surprise, that weakness in the quadriceps in some cases preceded the advent of osteoarthritis...
...what can you do? The first step for most patients is to try to get some immediate relief. About 15% don't seem to experience inflammation; for them, over-the-counter pain killers like acetaminophen (Tylenol) are often all that's necessary to control their symptoms. Things become more complicated when inflammation is involved. Old standbys like aspirin or ibuprofen are pretty good anti-inflammatories, but long-term use can trigger dangerous side effects like internal bleeding. Newer drugs, such as COX-2 inhibitors Vioxx and Celebrex, are safer but no substitute for some of the long-term changes...
Meanwhile, a lot of effort has gone into figuring out how to replace damaged cartilage. Many arthritis sufferers swear by the dietary supplements glucosamine and chondroitin. Preliminary studies suggest that they may relieve pain, but the jury's still out on whether they actually promote the growth of new cartilage. The first approved biotech cartilage implants have hit the inevitable stalemate: once the new cartilage is in place, it's subject to the same destructive forces that chewed up the original cartilage. In addition, transplanted cartilage does not seem to adhere very well to existing tissue, though researchers are trying...
DRUGS There is still no cure for arthritis, but many medications can relieve the pain in stiff joints arthritis...
Over-the-counter painkillers: For mild pain, acetaminophen should be your first choice, since it relieves discomfort without damaging the digestive tract. If pain persists, your doctor may recommend aspirin or ibuprofen, which can reduce the swelling and damage due to inflammation; anti-inflammatory drugs, however, can be harsh on the stomach...