Yuko Watanabe writes:
Yoko Kashiwagi is a successful 42-year old media executive. She was a marathon runner in her college days, and continued to run and exercise regularly well into her 30s. Over the last two years she has stopped exercising altogether, has taken up smoking cigarettes, and has gained 7 or 8 kilos. Over the same period, she has been finding it increasingly more difficult to move her left knee, the same knee she injured during her running practice when she was in college. She has been feeling more and more fatigued lately, and the cracking and stiffness in her left knee sometimes is very painful. In addition, especially when she has to work late into the night, her left knee gets swollen and red. For completing her diagnosis, I need the following informations; where and when it hurts, when the pain first started, which daily tasks are hard to do, her family health history, any medications she is taking, and allergies to any medications.
If she does have osteoarthritis, first, she should lose weight by eating less and exercising more, because being overweight can speed the rate at which the cartilage in her joints wears down, worsening her symptoms. And regular exercise is known to be very effective for relieving the pain and stiffness of osteoarthritis and may help slow the progression of the disease by strengthens the muscles that support the joints. Exercise also helps relieve stress and depression. If weight loss and exercise are not effective in relieving her symptoms, her doctor may recommend medication. Arthritis medications generally are used to reduce pain and tenderness in the joints. And it is important to remember that all drugs used to treat osteoarthritis can cause side effects in order parts of the body. Surgery is usually done only in severe, disabling cases of arthritis for which other treatments have failed. Whatever her treatment, it will be most effective if she is actively involved and aware of her body's response to various aspects of it. In many cases, a treatment that works in the early stages of osteoarthritis may need to be changed as the disorder progresses. A combination of several treatments usually works best but it can take some time to find the mixture that works best for each person. So it is very important for her and her doctor to work together as a team to develop the treatment plan that will be most effective for her.
Once she accepts that she has osteoarthritis, she can adapt her lifestyle to meet the challenges that damage to a joint can create. Learning about osteoarthritis and its effects and treatment is the first step in managing the disease. Many people find it beneficial to join a support group of other people who have arthritis. Second, a positive attitude is one of the most powerful weapons against arthritis. Taking an active approach to her illness can help her overcome feeling angry, sad, afraid and so on. And that cope in a more positive way. Third, she can protect her joints by learning new ways to use her knee. For example, she had better use support devices for walking, arrange furniture for safety and comfort and wear well-cushioned athletic shoes with good support whenever she can. She should never squat or kneel. In addition, it is most important that she should not be afraid to ask for help whenever she needs it.
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