Medications

• Medications such as over-the-counter pain and inflammation relievers and prescription medications can help relieve the pain and inflammation caused by osteoarthritis. These medications include acetaminophen, NSAIDS, tramadol and cortisone shots. Stronger prescriptions may be needed if the pain and inflammation are severe. The stronger prescription medications include those such as codeine and propoxyophene. The stronger prescriptions involve a risk of dependency and can have side effects such as nausea, constipation and drowsiness.
  
  

Therapy

• Therapy may be needed to help treat osteoarthritis. Therapy includes working with a physical therapist, avoiding stressing your joints, braces or shoe inserts and a chronic pain class. Chronic pain classes can help teach you ways to deal with and treat your pain caused by osteoarthritis. You can also meet other people who have osteoarthritis and trade tips and tricks with them on how they manage their pain and inflammation.
  
  

Exercise

• After talking to your doctor and getting her approval, get regular exercise when you feel up to it. Gentle exercises such as walking, biking or swimming can help relieve pain and inflammation from osteoarthritis. Exercise can increase your endurance and strengthen your muscles around the joint area, making your joints more stable. Avoid over-exercising. If you feel new joint pain when exercising, stop.
  
  

Heat and Cold

• Heat and cold can help relieve pain in your joints caused by osteoarthritis. Heat can also relieve stiffness and cold can relieve muscle spasms. Use a heating pad, hot water bottle, warm compress or a warm bath. When using heat, make it warm, not hot. When using cold treatments, use ice packs. You can use cold treatments several times a day but do not use them if you have poor circulation or numbness.
  
  

Ginger

• Ginger is a natural way to treat osteoarthritis. It is best known for cooking but the ginger extract can be used to help reduce pain caused by osteoarthritis. Using ginger supplements can be good but there are some side effects such as heartburn and diarrhea. Make sure to speak to your doctor before trying ginger because it can interfere with blood-thinning medications.