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There is no guaranteed way to avoid osteoarthritis. However, controlled weight and regular exercise may decrease its occurrence.

Treatment may include physical therapy, heat therapy, or, in severe cases, surgery to replace or repair a joint. Anti-inflammatory medication and painkillers may help ease pain associated with osteoarthritis. However, multiple studies in the medical literature indicate that non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medications can increase the risk of peptic ulceration and renal failure several hundred percent over control groups. Every year there are thousands of people that are admitted to the hospital because of the side effects caused by these drugs. Additionally, there are studies indicating that most non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medications do not have a beneficial effect on repairing joint function and may actually cause progression of osteoarthritis.

Some doctors suggest avoiding meat, dairy, eggs, sugar, and processed foods as a means of treatment. Eliminating foods which contain solanine (tomatoes, white potatoes, peppers, eggplant, and other foods in the nightshade family) may also bring relief.

Since we already know that oxidation may play a significant role in the development of osteoarthritis, it would seem logical that antioxidants could have a beneficial effect on the treatment of osteoarthritis. A study from the journal Arthritis and Rheumatism (1996) reported that high intake of antioxidant micronutrients, especially vitamin C, may reduce the risk of cartilage loss and disease progression in patients with osteoarthritis. In another smaller study, it was found that treatment with vitamin E 600 mg/day had a positive analgesic effect compared to the placebo group.

In an article published in The Annals of Internal Medicine from September 1996, it was concluded that low serum levels of vitamin D did appear to be associated with an increase risk for progression of osteoarthritis of the knee.

Two more nutrients that have garnered a lot of attention the last few years have been glucosamine sulfate and chondroitin sulfate. These nutrients have been used by physicians in Europe and Asia safely and successfully for more than twenty-five years. Glucosamine sulfate, consisting of a glucose and amine molecule, provides raw material for synthesis of proteoglycans to help maintain normal cartilage metabolism. There have been numerous studies looking at the benefits of glucosamine, most of which have used the sulfate form as opposed to the hydrochloride form. The typical dose for glucosamine sulfate is 1500 mg daily. In one large study from Portugal involving over 1200 patients treated with glucosamine sulfate for one or two months, 95% of patients reported sufficient or good clinical response.

Chondroitin sulfate likewise plays an important structural role in cartilage metabolism. Chondroitin sulfate is felt to be chondroprotective by helping attract fluid into the proteoglycan molecule. Several control studies carried out in Italy showed chondroitin sulfate to be superior to the non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medications.                                  (This article provided by VitaCost.com)