If you're experiencing arthritis symptoms, you might think surgery is your only option for relief. However, there are many effective non-surgical treatments available to help manage arthritis and maintain an active lifestyle. Dr. Jonathan Gillig, an orthopedic surgeon specializing in joint replacement, shares his expertise on non-operative treatment options and how to have productive conversations with your healthcare provider about managing arthritis.

What to Watch For: Early Symptoms of Arthritis

Early signs of arthritis often appear during or after increased physical activity. You might notice:

• Pain after walking longer distances than usual
• Discomfort following weekend activities when you're typically less active during the week
• Consistent pain during specific activities, like climbing stairs
• Pain that starts with exertion but becomes more frequent over time

"There's never too early a time to come in and get it looked at," says Dr. Gillig. Early intervention can help prevent the condition from progressing to a point where daily activities become challenging.

Having the Conversation: What to Tell Your Doctor

When discussing arthritis with your healthcare provider, consider sharing:

1. Frequency of symptoms: How often do you experience pain? Is it daily, weekly, or only during specific activities?
2. Pain location: Where exactly does it hurt? Is the pain more pronounced in specific areas?
3. Activity triggers: What activities make the pain worse? What makes it better?
4. Your lifestyle preferences: Be open about your approach to treatment. Do you prefer taking daily medication, or would you rather have periodic treatments? Are you comfortable with injections?

"You know your body better than me," Dr. Gillig emphasizes. "Tell me what's worked well for your body because what works for me might not work for you."

Non-Operative Treatment Options

Lifestyle Modifications

Weight Management

"For every pound that you weigh, you feel four times that compressive force going through your joint with each step," Dr. Gillig explains. This means even modest weight loss can dramatically reduce joint stress. For example, losing just five pounds reduces joint stress by 20 pounds with each step.

While many patients worry they can't exercise due to joint pain, Dr. Gillig notes an important reality: "For a majority of people, really, diet is the primary way you're going to lose weight. Exercise can definitely be helpful and assistive, but really, diet is the thing that's going to most quickly get your weight to come down."

Simple changes can make a big difference: "Sugary drinks are a very easy thing to switch over, whether it's switching to a diet drink that has an artificial sweetener, or just drinking more water, as opposed to sodas and juices."

Exercise Modifications

Think of exercise modifications as working smarter, not harder. Dr. Gillig recommends being thoughtful about your activities: "Things that are less impactful on the joints are usually healthier for the cartilage, so swimming, biking are significantly easier on the joints than something that's going to be high impact, like running."

For runners who don't want to give up their passion, Dr. Gillig offers practical advice: "If you don't want to give up running, just think about the surfaces that you run on. Running on concrete is going to be the worst because it has less absorption for your knees. Asphalt is actually significantly better from an impact standpoint. And then even better than that would be cross country running or running on a rubber track."

Medication and Supplements

Anti-inflammatory Medications

For weekend warriors or occasional athletes, timing is everything. "If you are having symptoms only during these activities, then sometimes taking an anti-arthritic medication, like an anti-inflammatory, before those activities, can help prevent that inflammation," advises Dr. Gillig.

Supplements

While many patients are interested in natural supplements, Dr. Gillig takes a practical approach: "There's really no scientific literature to show that they're helpful if we compare them to placebo. But I do also have patients that swear by it." His advice? "If natural supplements are something you're interested in, it's absolutely okay to try it. Just be cautious about some of these expensive things and get the generic ones. Start that for a few weeks and see how that does. Don't break the bank getting something that's advertised at 2am on an infomercial. Tumeric, chondroitin, or glucosamine would be where I would start if you want to try over the counter supplements."

Advanced Treatment Options

Injections

The field of injection therapy continues to evolve. "PRP (platelet-rich plasma) is one of the newer options," Dr. Gillig explains. "Last year, the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgery came out in support of this injection... They felt like there was enough evidence to say, 'Hey, this is something that does show a benefit.'"

However, he cautions about some trending treatments: "You'll also see advertisements for stem cells and amniotic cell injections... Be cautious of those, because all the studies that look at them comparing injecting a stem cell or an amniotic cell to just saline, which is just water, there's no difference in the outcome."

Physical Therapy

Strengthening the muscles around affected joints is crucial. "The more you strengthen the muscles around the knee and the hip, the less force goes through the bone itself, and the more compensation you have," notes Dr. Gillig. This can lead to significant pain reduction and improved function.

Managing Expectations

"Arthritis is more of a chronic condition that we manage rather than fix," explains Dr. Gillig. He draws an insightful comparison: "People have high blood pressure, we're able to manage that for their whole life without needing to do anything invasive. The same thing can be with arthritis if surgery is not something you want to consider."

When to Consider Surgery

While non-operative treatments can be very effective, it's important to maintain open communication with your doctor about your pain levels and quality of life. Dr. Gillig emphasizes the importance of personalized care: "Some people are like, 'Hey, I can live with my knee pain in a one to three pain scale, but once it gets to a six to seven pain scale, that's when I want to do something about it.'" Surgery provides that bridge to go from living with the pain to fixing the arthritis once and for all.

The decision timeline varies for everyone. "Whether it's phrasing the conversation from a timing standpoint or from a lifestyle standpoint... it's trying to identify and tease out what motivated that patient to get into your office," says Dr. Gillig. "Was it time off of work right now? Do I want to play with my grandkids? Do I want to get back to being active? Or is it just I can't sleep at night?"

Remember, there's no one-size-fits-all approach to managing arthritis. Work with your healthcare provider to develop a personalized treatment plan that aligns with your lifestyle and goals. The key is to stay active, maintain open communication with your doctor, and be proactive about managing your joint health. Ultimately, it is up to each patient as to how aggressive they want to be about treating their arthritis, and Dr. Gillig's team is there to meet each patient where they are.

Don't Let Arthritis Limit Your Life

Dr. Jonathan Gillig and his team are here to help you explore the full range of treatment options and develop a personalized plan that fits your lifestyle. Whether you're experiencing early symptoms or looking to better manage existing arthritis, taking that first step toward relief starts with a conversation.

Schedule your consultation with Dr. Gillig today by scheduling online or give us a call at 770-962-4300.