Management of osteoarthritis in older people

Abstract

Osteoarthritis is a common cause of disability in the elderly. Management involves pharmacological and non-pharmacological therapies, often in combination. Paracetamol is regarded as the drug of first choice in the management of pain, however anti-inflammatory drugs or other analgesics should be considered if regular paracetamol fails. If conventional non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs or cyclo-oxygenase-2 specific inhibitors are prescribed, attention should be paid to gastrointestinal, hepatic, cardiac and renal risk factors. Recent research indicates that some complementary and alternative medicines (e.g. glucosamine) are effective and should be considered, particularly given their low ..