We always try things that aren't surgery first. The best early treatment is exercise. Getting the muscles stronger around the joint will help. The next thing we try is acetaminophen, otherwise known as Tylenol. Then we move on to anti-inflammatory medicines like Motrin or Alleve. If that doesn't work, there are medicines we can inject into the knee or shoulders. We can try anti-inflammatories like cortisone. We have one injectable medicine made of cartilage that can act as a cushioning agent.
Do over-the-counter remedies like glucosamine help?
There was recently a large study that [the National Institutes of Health] did that found that glucosamine and chondroitin didn't help improve arthritis; it was very ineffective. The American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons now recommends against taking it.
