Managing Osteoarthritis Pain

Pain due to osteoarthritis is common among aging adults and elderlies. More adults and elderlies are seeking methods for effectively managing osteoarthritis pain. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, based on 2010- 2012 data from the National Health Interview Survey, there was an estimated 52.5 million (22.7%) adults who are 18 years or older have self-reported doctor-diagnosed arthritis and 22.7 million (9.8% of all adults) have arthritis and arthritis attributable activity limitation (CDC, 2015). Osteoarthritis is a degenerative joint disease; it is a type of arthritis that occurs when flexible tissues at the ends of the bones wear down. Although there are immediate ways of managing osteoarthritis pain and inflammation with pharmacological methods, there are also alternative and natural ways of management. Pharmacological methods sometimes do not have long-term effects and it can be less effective over time. There can also be side effects while taking medications such as drowsiness, nauseas, diarrhea, etc. In addition, medication can lead to long-term organ damages. Nonpharmacological methods with natural remedies such as therapies, supplements, natural food, acupuncture, acupressure, massage, hydrotherapy, and relaxation techniques are helpful ways of pain management without the side effects related to medication use. My research is on ways adults and elderlies manage osteoarthritis pain. Surveys will be conducted at Lutheran Church of the Holy Spirit in San Francisco, California. In the anonymous surveys, I will be asking both open-ended questions and closed-ended questions of the adults and elderlies about the different methods they know and use for treating osteoarthritis pain. I will also be asking them what they think is the most effective treatment. Later I will summarize the information and put all the data and research information on a poster board and will be presenting it at the conference. CDC. (2015, Oct 8). Data and statistics. Centers for Disease and Prevention. Retrieved from http://www.cdc.gov/arthritis/data_statistics