Is Osteoarthritis Reversible?

Osteoarthritis (OA) is the most common type of arthritis, a chronic joint condition that affects millions in the United States, especially those over 45. It’s the result of the gradual breakdown of joint cartilage, causing worsening pain, stiffness, and reduced mobility over time.

Our team at NYC Pain MD offers minimally invasive therapies for acute and chronic pain that reduce its effects on your mobility and overall quality of life.

Do we offer a cure for OA? We can’t claim that yet, since studies are ongoing. But we can slow its progression with treatments that get you moving pain-free again.   

Here’s how we manage OA and reduce its effects on your life.

Understanding osteoarthritis

Osteoarthritis is a degenerative disease. It causes the smooth, cushioning tissue (cartilage) that covers the ends of bones in a joint to wear down.

As the cartilage wears down, stiffness, swelling, and pain increasingly diminish normal joint function. Over time, cartilage can erode completely, causing bone to rub against bone and excruciating pain that may require joint replacement.

OA results from a combination of factors, including genetics, age, repetitive use, and previous injuries. It can affect any joint but is most common in the knees, hips, hands, and spine.

Is osteoarthritis reversible?

Currently, there is no known cure for osteoarthritis. Once the cartilage wears down, it doesn’t typically heal or regenerate, so most would say that OA isn’t reversible in the traditional sense.

One roadblock to healing is tissue type: vascular versus avascular. Vascular tissue, found in muscles, lungs, etc., contains blood vessels that supply oxygen and nutrients your body uses to repair and rebuild tissue.

Cartilage tissue is avascular and doesn’t contain blood vessels. Instead, it relies on diffusion to receive oxygen and other vital nutrients.

But regenerative therapies like platelet-rich plasma (PRP) therapy and stem cell injections offer a different path to rebuilding tissue. For instance, PRP injections use growth factors and other components of your own blood to reduce inflammation and promote tissue regeneration.  

So, we can’t claim to reverse osteoarthritis (yet), but we can offer viable alternatives to surgery that studies show can slow its progress and prevent further joint damage.

Treatments to manage and slow osteoarthritis progression

Until there’s a cure, our treatment for OA at NYC Pain MD focuses on stalling disease progression and improving overall joint health.

Here are some effective strategies we offer:

• Guided physical therapy to strengthen muscles that support joint health
• Activity modification, i.e., engaging in joint-friendly exercise like walking
• Stretching to maintain flexibility and reduce stiffness
• Weight management to reduce strain on joints
• Medication to manage pain and reduce inflammation
• Corticosteroid injections to reduce joint inflammation
• Hyaluronic acid injections to improve joint lubrication

Advanced therapies at NYC Pain MD also include SoftWave treatments, radiofrequency nerve blocks, and stem cell injections. 

We recommend scheduling a visit sooner rather than later, since early intervention offers the most options for reducing OA’s effects on your life.

Don’t ignore joint stiffness or discomfort, no matter your age. Call NYC Pain MD to schedule a visit today or request an appointment online. Our New York offices are located in Manhattan’s Financial District and in Astoria, Queens.